Department of Education

Science 4
Matter - Quarter 1
Materials That Absorb Water, Float &
Sink and Undergo Decay
Module 1

Maria Elena B. Espeleta

Writer

Armida S. Oblinada
Dr. Yaledegler DC Maligaya
Jessie T. Castelo
Validators

Schools Division Office – Muntinlupa City

Student Center for Life Skills Bldg., Centennial Ave., Brgy. Tunasan, Muntinlupa City
(02) 8805-9935 / (02) 8805-9940
 This module was designed and written with you in mind to guide you about
Matter. It is here to help you to classify materials based on the ability to absorb
water, float, sink, and undergo decay.

After going through this module, you are expected to:

Content Standards: The learners demonstrate understanding of

groupings of different materials based on their properties and changes that
materials undergo when exposed to certain conditions.
Performance Standards: Group common objects found at home and in
school according to solids, liquids and gas.

 Lesson 1 – Materials That Absorb Water

1. Describe materials based on the ability to absorb water.
2. Classify materials based on the ability to absorb water
3. Adapt the materials that absorb and do not absorb water
in your daily activities.

 Lesson 2 – Materials That Float and Sink

1. Identify materials that float and sink.
2. Classify materials that float and sink.
3. Describe the materials that float and sink.

 Lesson 3 – Materials That Undergo Decay

1. Identify materials that undergo decay.
2. Classify materials that undergo decay.
3. Describe the materials that undergo decay.

1
Directions: Encircle the letter of the best answer.
1. What are the three states of matter?
A. solid and gas C. gas and solid
B. solid and liquid D. solid, liquid, gas

2. The particles of matter making up_______ are packed together tightly.

A. solid B. liquid C. gas D. matter
3. Water is in a _________ state in the form of ice.
A. liquid B. gas C. matter D. solid
4. Which is an example of a gas?
A. water B. oil C. water vapor D. chair

5. The volume of a _______depends on the size of its container.

A. gas B. solid C. liquid D. solution

6. Which of the following property is true about Solids?

A. a definite shape and volume.
B. a definite shape but no definite volume.
C. no definite shape and volume.
D. no definite shape but a definite volume.

7.Which of the following property is true about Liquids?

A. a definite shape and volume.
B. no definite shape but a definite volume.
C. a definite shape but no definite volume.
D. no definite shape and volume

8. Which of the following is the property of Gas?

A. a definite shape and volume
B. no definite shape and volume
C. no definite shape but a definite volume
D. a definite shape but not definite volume

9. An object’s_______ is the amount of space that the material is make up.

A. mass B. shape C. property D. volume

10. Which is not true about solid?

A. Solids can be cut or shaped.
B. A solid expand to fill its container.
C. Solids can be grasped or held on to.
D. Solids will stay the same shape and size unless acted upon
by force.

2
 Lesson
Materials That Absorb Water
1

Everything around us is made up of MATTER. Matter is anything that

has mass and volume. It exists in different physical forms under different
conditions.
In this lesson you are going to identify and discover the different properties
of matter.

List down the three (3) different materials that are found inside your house.
Classified in them as Solid, Liquid, or Gas as shown in the chart below:

SOLID LIQUID GAS

LIVING
ROOM

KITCHEN

BEDROOM

COMFORT
ROOM

Guide Questions :

1. How do you classify materials that you found at home?

________________________________________________________________

2. What made these materials differ from each other?

3
________________________________________________________________

3. Are these materials useful in your everyday activities? Why?

________________________________________________________________

Read the poem and answer the following questions.

Porosity
Maria Elena B. Espeleta

You take in water inside

Because of interlocking pores you cannot hide!

Your surface area and light weight

Oh! Like SpongeBob cartoon character that is great!

Cotton, woods, coals, and polymers

That creates human application of society to discover

You are Beneficial for long term sustainability

The source of good life and productivity!

Guide Questions

1. How does the author describe the word porosity?

________________________________________________________________________

2. What are the examples of materials stated in the poem?

3. What is the importance of these materials that mention in the poem?

________________________________________________________________________

4
 Observed the materials you have listed in NAME THAT THING ACTIVITY.
What will happen if you place them in a basin with water? Which materials will
absorb water and which material does not? As you continue the lesson you can
take a look of materials in our environment that can be classified according to
their ability to absorb water.

Below are objects that you’re going to classify whether they absorb water or
do not absorb water. Place them in the box they belong.

MATTER

OBJECTS THAT OBJECTS THAT

ABSORB WATER DOES NOT ABSORB
WATER

ABSORB means to take in something as a liquid in a natural or gradual

way. Some materials can absorb water more than others.

REPEL means to move away. Re

5
Activity 1.1 Which Materials Absorb Water and Which Do Not?
Answer the letter clues below the picture to unlock the name of the different
materials and put if the material absorbs water and X if it does not absorb
water.

When you Describe the

drop a small amount of Characteristic ABSORB DO
water in each materials ( color, size, shape, WATER NOT ABSORB
Observe what will happen and texture)of the WATER
material before
placing water
1.

S_O_NGE

2.

R_B_E_ B_L_L_

3.

C_T_O_

4.

6
 E_C_ B_G
5.

P_AS_IC CO_ _R

Let’s take a look at the different science concepts you have

discovered!

1. ______________________means to take in (something, such as liquid)

in a natural or gradual way.
2. _________________materials are materials having small holes that
allow air or liquid to pass through.
3. _____________is an example of porous material which makes it
natural absorber of water.
4. ________________________materials are materials that do not allow air
or liquid to pass through. These materials repel water.
5. _______________________ are examples of a non-porous material,
does not allow water to pass through.

POROUS ABSORB PLASTIC

NON-POROUS COTTON RUBBER

7
 In the following situations you are going to apply your knowledge about
porous and non-porous materials. Identify what materials you are going to use
and explain why.

Activities at Home What material are you going to

use? Explain Why?

1. A glass of milk spilled on the table.

You want to dry the table
immediately. What material are you
going to use?

2. You are tasked to wash the dishes?

What material are you going to use to
clean the used plates?

3. You are going to buy food essential

in the market? What kind of material
are you going to use in storing food
essentials that you bought?

4. In medical purpose, what are going

to use to clean or remove blood from
minor wounds?

5. During rainy days what kind of

material are you going to use to
prevent from getting wet?

6.You observed in a carwash station

that they a using a special kind of
material in cleaning the car. What
kind of material is it?

8
Read and understand the questions. Encircle the letter of the best answer.

1. Why is cotton can absorb water?

A. It is very light. C. It is very smooth.
B. It is very cheap. D. It is very porous.
2. Which of these materials do not absorb water?
A. cloth C. wood
B. rubber gloves D. paper
3. What property does a raincoat have?
A. It is hard. C. It is waterproof.
B. It is elastic D. It can be stretch.

4. What property does a towel have?

A. It is waterproof. C. It is disposable.
B. It is absorbent. D. It is expensive.

5. Which of the following materials have the ability to absorb water?

A. B. C. D.

6. Which of the following is a non-porous material?

A. B. C. D.

7. What do you call the materials that allow air or liquid to pass through?
A. porous materials C. plastic materials
B. non-porous materials D. rubber materials

9
8. Why porous materials can absorb water?
A. because they are commonly used at home.
B. because they are soft that can easily get water in.
C. because it does not allow water to pass through.
D. because it has plenty of space inside where liquid can be absorbed.

9. When you see a spilled milk on the table. What is the best material that
you can used to clean it up?
A. cotton C. handkerchief
B. tissue paper D. rug made of cloth

10. These are materials used to make tables, because if you spill some liquid it
doesn’t sink in.
A. glass and wood C. plastic and glass
B. wood and ceramic D. wood and plastics

Classify Materials according to their ability to Absorb Water. Write the

word POROUS for the materials that absorb water and NON-POROUS for the
materials that do not absorb water.

______________1. plastic bottle

______________2. metal spoon

______________ 3. paper

10
______________ 4. pencil

_______________ 5. door mat

This module was designed and written with you in mind to guide you about
Matter. It is here to help you to classify materials based on the ability to absorb
water, float, sink, and undergo decay.

After going through this module, you are expected to:

Content Standards: The learners demonstrate understanding of

groupings of different materials based on their properties and changes that
materials undergo when exposed to certain conditions.
Performance Standards: Group common objects found at home and in
school according to solids, liquids and gas.

 Lesson 2 – Materials That Float and Sink

1. Identify materials that float and sink.
2. Classify materials that float and sink.
3. Describe the materials that float and sink.
4. Learn to withhold judgment and assumptions until you have sufficient
information to reach a conclusion

11
Read and understand the questions. Encircle letter of the best answer.

1. The term density means__________.

A. The force of water.
B. The ability to float.
C. The heaviness or lightness of objects
D. The degree in which molecules are packed together tightly or lossely.

2. Which of the following materials will float in water?

A. B. C. D.
3. Which of the following materials will sink in water?

A. B. C. D.

4. An object will sink in water if it is__________.

A. is less dense than water.
B. is more dense than water.
C. has the same density than water.
D. has thicker texture than the water.

5. What affects an object’s ability to float?

A. density & size C. mass & size
B. shape & density D. mass & volume

6. If an object is less dense than water it will __________ in water.

A. sink C. nothing will happen
B. float D. stay in place

7. If you do not know the object’s __________ you can not determine whether
an object float or sinks
A. size B. volume C. shape D. texture

12
8.Why do boats/ships floats in water?
A. Man uses paddle to make the boat float.
B. The sea breeze makes the boat float in water.
C. Boats are made of wood that make them float.
D. The boat is tied with thick strings that makes it float.

9. When a rock is placed in a graduated cylinder containing water,

the height of the water will ____________.
A. increase C. stay the same
B. decrease D. nothing will happen.

10. When an object like sponge absorbs water, the upward force that acts
upon it is called what?
A. gravity C. force
B. buoyancy D. energy

Lesson
Materials That Float and Sink
2

Have you ever wondered why some objects sinks on water? And some
objects floats? What causes objects to float and sink? Well, it is all about
something called DENSITY. Density is about how loose or tightly packed
molecules are in an object. Let us discover reasons behind the mystery of
sinking and floating!

Elijah wanted to play with his paper boat.

He placed the paper boat on the surface of water. ( seen in the illustration)
Predict what will happen to the paper boat? Draw your scientific guess below.

13
Guide Questions:

What happen to the paper on water? Is the material of the object important?

___________________________________________________________________________

Is the material of the object important?

__________________________________________________________________________________

Can I Float or Sink ?

Materials:
 stone, pencil, metal spoon
 plastic saucer
 toy doll made of rubber
 toy doll made of wood
 styropore cup
 rubber ball ,eraser, plastic bottle with cover
 pail or basin with water
Procedure:
1.Pour water into the pail or basin.
2.Place each materials inside the basin.
3.Describe what happen to the objects and record your observation.
Characteristic of Observations to
Object material BEFORE whether the
placing it in water materials float or
sink
1. stone

2. pencil

3. eraser

4. metal spoon

5.plastic saucer

6. plastic bottle with

cover

7.styrofoam cup

8. toy doll made of wood

14
9.toy doll made of
rubber
10. toy doll made of
plastic

Guide Questions:
1. Did all the materials float in water?
_______________________________________________________________
2. Which of the materials sink?
_____________________________________________________________
3. Desrcibe the characteristic of these materials after you place them on water?
_____________________________________________________________
4. Why do yo think some materials float and some sink?

5. After you dropped the different object into the water and saw that it
(sank/floated) were you able to understand why your prediction was wrong?

______________________________________________________________________________

FLOAT means to stay above the

surface of the water. SINK
means to fall at the bottom of
water.

Buoyancy is the tendency of an object to float in liquid.

Some things float on top of water, some things stay submerged partdown, and
some things sink. Some things sink very fast and some thing sink very slowly.

Objects are made up of very tiny particles. These are called MOLECULES
tiny particles that can bee seen with a microscope.

Describe the molecules shown in each box. Use the description box.

15
 OBJECT A OBJECT B

Description:

Density plays a part in why some things float and some sink.Objects with
tightly packed molecules will sink if it is more dense than the liquid it is
immersed in. Objects with loosely packed molecules will float if it’s less dense
than the liquid it is place in

Density is the degree of

compactness as of an object.

Encircle the word that predicts what will happen to the following materials when
place in a basin with water.
Draw a smiley face if the material will float and sad face if the material will sink.

Objects Prediction Result

1. ten peso coin

Float

Sink

2.
Float

rubber duck Sink

16
 3.
Float
eraser
Sink

4.
Float

paper clip Sink

5. Float

Sink
stone

Guide Questions

1. What are the objects that float? Is there anything common among each one?

2. What are the objects that sink? What is common among one of them?

______________________________________________________________________________

3.Does the shape of an object affects its ability to float? Why?

4. What did you learned from this activity?

________________________________________________________________

Upthrust is the force that pushes

an object upChan
makes it seem to
lose weight in a liquid.

Changing the object shape will also make its ability to float because it
holds air and up thrusts has more space to push the object. An objects shape
can affect its ability to float, but some materials float no matter what their
shape is in such as Styrofoam and balsa wood.

17
 Some things float at first, but then sink as they absorb water or take water
through holes.

Fill in the missing words in each statement that

summarize our lesson.

1. means to fall to the bottom of water means to stay

on top.

2. Some things float on of water, some things stay submerged

partway down, and some things sink.

3. Some things sink very fast and some things sink very

4. An object’s can affect its ability to float, but some

materials float no matter what their shape-such as Styrofoam

and balsa wood.

5.Some things float at first, but then sink as they absorb

or take water on through holes.

FLOAT SHAPE SLOWLY SINK

TOP WATER

18
 Look at the picture below and guess the letters to complete the word in
the box.

START 1.
R C I M E
2 .M S S 3.D A D E A

4. T I C L
5.

S V R

11 4
.. .

Mathematician and a scientist Famous cruise ship that

Who discover the “buoyancy principle”. sank in 1912 after hitting an
iceberg in the Atlantic Ocean.
2 5
. .

The measure of the amount of matter A ring-shaped life preserver.

in a physical volume.

3
.

Salt lake between Israel and Jordan.

19
 Directions:Read and understand the questions. Encircle the letter of the best
answer.

1. Objects like wood and sponge float because____ they are

A. lighter C. smaller
B. heavier D. less dense
2. Which of the following materials will float in water?

A. B. C. D.

3. Which of the following materials will sink in water?

A. B. C. D.

4. What affects an object’s ability to float?

A. density & size C. shape & density
B. shape & density D. mass & volume

5.If an object is less dense than water it will __________ in water.

A. sink C. nothing will happen
B. float D. stay in place

6. In iceberg floats in the ocean. The ice must be __________ than the water.
A. equal B. more dense C. less dense D. thicker

7. Why is Life Vest keeps you float in the sea? Because it makes us
occupy a _________
A. small space, increasing the upward force
of the water and make us float.
B. bigger space, increasing the upward force
of the water and make us float.
C. bigger space, increasing the downward force
of the water on us making us float.
D. bigger space, decreasing the upward force
of the water on us making us float.

20
8. Why large boats or ships float on water? Because the ______________.
A. downward push of the water is greater than their weights.
B. upward pull of the water is greater than their weights.
C. upward push of the water is greater than their weights.
D. upward push of the water is lesser than their weight.

9. Why does an object filled with air floats in water?

A. The air molecules are flying.
B. The air molecules aregiving an upward force.
C. The are molecules are tightly compacted together.
D. The are molecules are loosely compacted together.
10. A group of students completed a float or sink experiment.
They put six objects into a bucket of water. The objects were made
of three different materials: clay, plastic, and steel.
The diagram shows the results of the experiment.
Which material always sank in this experiment?

A. plastic cup C. plastic duck

B. steel nail D. clay boat

Read and understand the questions below. Encircle the letter of the best
answer..

1. Which of the following is an example of decaying material?

A. B. C. D.

21
 2. Which of the following is an example on non-decaying material?

A. B. C. D.

3. ___________ is waste obtain from plants and animals.

A. biodegradable waste C.food product waste

B. non-biodegradable waste D. waste materials

4. The following are decaying materials except

A. paper B. cloth C. leaves D. plastic bottle

5. Which of the following is another term for decaying materials?

A. soft materials C. hard materials
B. rotting materials D. shining materials

6. Biodegrdable waste can be transformed into fertilizers by a process

called___________.
A. reusing B. recycling C. composting D. wasting

7. Which of the following materials can be turned into fertilizer?

A. kangkong stem, empty can, sardines
B. glass, bottle mineral water, cereal drinks
C. plastic bag, broken pail, wooden chair
D. left over meat, fish bone, potato peeling

8. Which group of materials is recyclables?

A. left over meat, bread, plastic bottle
B. empty box, empty glass of catsup, paper
C. chicken feathers, bottles of softdrinks, gloves
D. face mask, eco bag, dried leaves

9. People can reduce waste by using product that are

A.fossil fuels B.exotic C. nonrenewable D. biodegradable

10. What is a compostable product?

A. Any product that you dispose of in the food waste bin
B. A product that can be degraded by microorganisms under
specific conditions
C. A product that you can easily compost in your garden
D. A product that is composed of multiple different materials

22
 Lesson
Materials That Undergo Decay
3

Materials or objects are capable of being broken down or decomposed to

smaller products by the action of living things such as animals or microorganisms.
After being broken down they are easily absorbed into the soil to become nutrients
or elements. This is one property of some materials that it undergo decay.

In this lesson we will discover this property and be able to understand

more about it.

Encircle the difference of the two image of a bread below.

M_L_S = defined as a growth of fungus that occurs on food or in a home or

other moist warm conditions.

D_C_Y= rot or decompose through the action of bacteria and fungi.

Materials:

Transparent plastic cups, slices of bread, water, banana sliced, plastic

bottle lid,kangkong leaves/ camote leaves, leftover food, and soil.

Procedure:

1. Cut each material into smaller pieces.

23
2. Place each materials in separate transparent cup. Label each cup according
to materials. Put a soil in each cup.
3. Moisten the cup with ½ spoonful of water and cover it with black plastic .
4. Tighten the the black plastic with a rubber band.
5. Bring your set up outside where it will get sunlight.
6. Visit you set up everyday, and record your observation on the 3rd and 7th
day.

Characteristics of the materials (color, texture, size,

shape and smell)
Name of Materials Before placing On the 3rd day On the 7th day
them in set-up
1. bread
2. banana slice
3.plastic bottle lid
4.kangkong leaves
5. leftover food
Guide Questions:

1. What are the characteristics of the material before cutting it?

______________________________________________________________________________

2. What material did you add to every set up before covering it with plastic
sheet?

_____________________________________________________________________________

3. Can you still identify the original materials that you used? Why?

_____________________________________________________________________________

4. What changes happened to the materials when you visited and observed your
set up after three days and on the seventh day?

____________________________________________________________________________

Biodegradable/ decaying material can be break down into natural

components such as bacteria, enzymes, and fungi. A material is decaying when
it has molds, it has foul odor, it has worms, and bubbles forming.

24
 A fossil fuel is a fuel formed by natural
processes, such as anaerobic decomposition
of buried dead organisms, containing
organic molecules.

Some were compressed under water and thick layers of soil over millions
of years. They were converted into fossils fuels such as coal, oil or natural gas.
These fuels are used by power stations, factories, motor vehicles, and others.

Non-biodegrdable/ non-decaying materials cannot be break down into

natural components.

Substances which cannot

be broken down by the
Decomposers. They do not rot
easily or take a very long time to
rot.

Classify the following materials based on the group they belong.

glass gloves
diaper facemask
bones/meat paper
food wrapp styrofoam
fruit dried leaves

Decaying Materials Non-decaying Materials

1. 1.

2. 2.

3. 3.

25
 4. 4.

5. 5.

Fill in the missing words in each statement that

summarize our lesson.

1. ______________ to be slowly destroyed into bits in the presence of water, air

and soil. Not all plants and animals decay at the same time.

2.Some were compressed under water and thick layers of soil over millions of
years. They were converted into _____________ such as coal, oil or natural gas.
These fuels are used by power stations, factories, motor vehicles, and others.

3. The ______________matter in soil is derived from plants and animal. It become

an organic fertilizer. Organic fertilizer from compost pit does not harm but enrich
the soil.

4. Some factors that contribute to the decaying process of the materials are:
sunlight, ____________, soil, and action of microorganisms.

5. ________________ are kept in refrigerators to avoid or delay spoilage since

microorganims that break down food do not grow fast in cold temperature.

FOSSIL FUELS WATER INORGANIC

DECAY LEFT OVER FOODS

Lets us try how will you take care of our environment by sorting the
following materials into their proper segragating bins.

26
 PAPER PLASTIC METAL COMPOST

_____________ _______________ ________________ _________________

_____________ _______________ ________________ _________________

_____________ _______________ ________________ _________________

used notebooks empty bottle of lotion newspaper

old metal spoon dried twigs old

plastic bottle dead animal body empty box of

milk

empty can of juice

Reuse- using materials repeatedly

Reduce- lowering the amount of waste produced
Recycle- using materials to make new products.

Directions: Read and understand the questions. Encircle the letter of the best
answer.

1. If decaying materials are also biodegradable materials, then which of

the following is a biodegradable material?
A. plastic B. styrofoam C. diaper D. bread

2.Where will you throw broken plastic spoon?

A. biodegradble bin C. anywhere
B. non-biodegradable bin D. keep it inside your cabinet

3.What are the factors that contribute to the decaying process of the materials?
A. soil and water C. sunlight and water
B. sunlight and soil D. sunlight, soil, and water

27
 4.This can be a result of not properly disposing decaying materials
A. pollution C. solution
B. reforestation D. clean environment

5. If you are going to dispose waste materials commonly found at home,

what are you going to do with the decaying materials?
A. Throw the in the river.
B. Make a compost pit.
C. Mix them with the non-decaying.
D. Keep them in the cabinet and use them again.

6.Why is it important to clean or sanitize the surface of

non- biodegradble materials we are always touching?
A. to keep them away
B. to keep them shiny
C. to kill and to avoid corona virus
D. to maintain the material always new
7. Why are non-biodegradable plastics a problem in the environment?
A. They can cause dead zone
B. They contain poison for wildlife
C. They are filling up lakes and ponds
D. They do not decompose or break down.
8. What return most organic waste into an ecosystem?
A. consumers B. producers C. decomposers D. predators

9.What can we use to reduce waste in landfills?

A. use paper bags C. use plastic container
B. use plastic bags D. use rubber container

10.Which do you think is most important for reducing waste?

A. recycling C. re-using materials
B. throwing waste at sea D. burning waste

Directions:Write a short sentences that explain on how will you apply the 3R’s
in a given situation.

REDUCE: How can I reduce the things I used at home?

28
 29
Additional Assessment What’s More What I Know
Activities
1. D 1. Sponge 1. D
1. non-porous 2. B 2. Rubber Ball 2. A
2. non-porous 3. C 3. Cotton 3. A
3. porous 4. B 4. Eco bag 4. C
4. porous 5. B 5. Plastic Cover 5. C
5. porous 6. A 6. A
7. A 7. B
8. D 8. B
9. D 9. A
10.C 10. B
Materials That Absorb Water
RECYCLE: How can I recycle things at home?
REUSE: How can I reuse things at school?
 30
Department of Education-Bureau of Elementary Education
3. Science Learner’s Material Grade 4 (2015)
K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum
2. Science Curriculum Guide 4 (2015)
http://www.chem4kids.com/files/matter_intro.html
1. Rader’s Chem4Kids.com Retrieved from
References
Assessment What’s More What I Know
1. C -Decaying Materials 1. D
2. C 2. C
3. A dried leaves 3. A
4. D Fruit 4. B
5. B Bones/meat 5. B
6. C -Non-decaying materials 6. C
References 1
7. D 7. B
Glass 8. C
8. B
Diaper 9. C
Materials That Undergo Decay
9. D
Food wrap 10. B
10.B
GlovesMaterials That Float and Sink
Paper
styrofoam
Materials that Undergo Decay
Assessment What Can I do What’s More What I Know
1. D 1. Archimedes 1. Sink 1. D
2. C 2. Mass 2. Float 2. A
3. A 3. Dead Sea 3. Sink 3. A
Materials That Undergo Decay
4. B 4. Titanic 4. Sink 4. C
5. B 5. LifeSaver 5. Sink 5. C
6. C 6. A
7. B 7. B
8. C 8. B
9. C 9. A
10.B 10. B
Materials That Float and Sink