Heating: How It Melts Match It Up Cards is an interactive and visual activity that helps students deepen their understanding of physical change, particularly the process of melting. By matching descriptive sentence cards with corresponding picture cards, students explore how different solids melt under various conditions. This hands-on task encourages prediction, observation and reasoning, supporting foundational science learning about the properties of materials and how heat affects them.

Students will work independently or in pairs to match sentence scenarios with their related image, developing their vocabulary and comprehension around how heat is applied in everyday situations. Designed for Foundation to Year 2 learners, the activity strengthens early science inquiry skills and can be used in classroom rotations or as part of a Chemical Sciences unit. A recording worksheet allows students to draw and write their matches, reinforcing understanding through multiple modes of learning.

Key Learning Outcomes:

• ✅ Identify everyday situations where solids melt due to heat
• ✅ Match descriptive sentences to visual representations of melting
• ✅ Develop prediction, reasoning and observation skills
• ✅ Build vocabulary related to heating and changes in state
• ✅ Reinforce the concept of irreversible physical change through discussion and reflection

What’s Included:

• Printable sentence cards describing different melting scenarios
• Matching image cards that visually represent each situation
• Recording worksheet for students to draw and write their matches
• Black and white versions for easy printing and student creativity
• Teacher instructions for set-up and suggested discussion questions

Materials Needed:

• Printed sentence and picture cards
• Scissors and glue
• Pencils or coloured markers
• Optional: laminated cards for repeated use or small group rotations

How to Use:

• Introduce the concept of melting using classroom demonstrations or short videos
• Print and cut out all sentence and picture cards
• Lay all cards face-up; students choose a sentence card and identify the corresponding picture
• Students draw the image and write the matching sentence on the provided recording sheet
• Review student responses in small groups or as a class discussion to reinforce learning
• Use completed sheets as part of science journals or classroom displays

Ideas for Classroom Use:

• 💡 Use in small group rotations during a science unit on states of matter
• 💡 Display pairs of cards on a science wall for students to revisit over time
• 💡 Group cards by type of heat source (e.g. sunlight, body heat, appliance)
• 💡 Set up a science station with real items and allow students to test predictions about melting rates
• 💡 Link to procedural writing tasks describing how items melt or change

Top Teacher Tips:

• 💛 Read sentence cards aloud for early readers or EAL/D students to support access
• 💛 Use simple items (e.g., chocolate, ice cubes) to demonstrate concepts before or after the activity
• 💛 Encourage students to write their own melting scenarios using classroom objects

Heating: How It Melts Match It Up Cards offers a fun and meaningful way to investigate how heat transforms solids into liquids. Perfect for early years science exploration, this task supports vocabulary development, critical thinking and hands-on learning.