This STEAM challenge is an adapted version of “How Does Precipitation Sound?” designed to explore changes in the states of matter. The structure of the programs is identical. Both combine science and the arts. In both, the first module focuses on exploring artistic concepts. In the first case, the artistic components are sounds and music; in this version, they are, naturally, movement. We look at the material and observe the movement of the particles. This is followed by the natural science stage, when the student becomes familiar with the scientific content itself – which, in the first case, is precipitation, and in this case, the physics of changing states of matter. The final stage is a combination of physics and art (in this case, motion), presented as a unified whole, which comprehensively develops nearly all of the SPIRIT transversal skills. We considered the development of this adaptation particularly important to demonstrate how a well-functioning structure can be creatively filled with content of a specific subject. And since we cannot provide a STEAMified skills development program for every country’s curriculum, we believe that the implementation of this structure with specific content is an important task for you.
SPIRIT Skill Focus
- Problem-solving
- Curiosity, sense of wonder and openness
- Critical thinking
- Creativity
- Empathy
- Resilience
- Flexibility
Basic Information Sheet
| Age group | Student number | Duration | Number of stages | Subjects connection and relevance |
| 3th grade students | Whole class (max. 30 students) | 240 minutes | 3 stages | Natural Sciences, Expressive Arts: Movement |
This is a four-hour activity for children aged 9–10 that combines knowledge about the aggregation states and phase transitions with movement. Students combine science into art to explore how water freezes, melts, and evaporates in creative ways. The project develops creativity by challenging children to find expressive movements that represent tiny particles in different states of matter. Children improve their critical thinking as they analyze real-life photos and decide how to accurately translate scientific concepts into physical actions. Teamwork and problem-solving grow as small groups collaborate to choreograph and perform their own unique “movement stories” about phase transitions. This movement-based approach sparks curiosity and sense of wonder, helping students understand and remember complex natural phenomena through active, hands-on play.
National Curriculum Link and Objectives
Art Objective:
- When moving, consciously make use of the space they or others occupy.
- Recognize, imitate, and describe the energy in a movement: explosive or controlled. For example: moving like a raindrop on a window as it makes its way down (controlled)
Science Objective:
- To describe some natural phenomena related to temperature: expansion and contraction, melting and solidification, evaporation and condensation.
Cross-disciplinary Objective:
- The students can transform a certain concept of phase transitions into a movement story