The properties of water — ESL vocabulary lesson

This ESL lesson plan introduces learners to the fundamental properties of water through engaging vocabulary, practical phrases, and interactive activities.

Designed for a 45-minute session, the lesson focuses on building scientific vocabulary and conversational skills related to water’s characteristics, such as its states of matter, density, and role as a universal solvent.

By using visuals, simple experiments, and structured dialogues, learners will practice describing water’s properties in English, from basic terms like “liquid” and “solid” to more advanced concepts like “surface tension” and “capillary action.”

The lesson is adaptable for various proficiency levels, with clear teaching strategies to ensure accessibility and engagement. Through role-plays, quizzes, and real-world connections, students will gain confidence in using scientific English while exploring the fascinating properties of water.

Basic vocabulary

Start by introducing keywords related to the properties of water. These should be simple, scientific, and commonly used when discussing water’s characteristics.

Vocabulary list

• Water: The substance being discussed (H₂O).
• Liquid: The state of water at room temperature.
• Solid: Water in its frozen form (ice).
• Gas: Water in its vapor form (steam or water vapor).
• Boiling: When water turns into gas (e.g., at 100°C or 212°F).
• Freezing: When water turns into a solid (e.g., at 0°C or 32°F).
• Melting: When ice turns back into liquid water.
• Density: How heavy water is compared to its volume (e.g., water is denser than ice).
• Clear: Water’s transparent appearance.
• Tasteless: Water has no distinct flavor.
• Odorless: Water has no smell.
• Dissolve: When substances mix into water (e.g., sugar dissolves in water).
• Surface tension: The property that allows water to form droplets or support small objects.
• Universal solvent: Water’s ability to dissolve many substances.
• Temperature: The measure of how hot or cold water is.

Vocabulary for extension

• Cohesion: The property of water molecules sticking to each other due to hydrogen bonding, contributing to surface tension.
• Adhesion: The ability of water molecules to stick to other surfaces, like glass or plant tissues.
• Capillary action: The movement of water within narrow spaces against gravity, caused by cohesion and adhesion.
• Polarity: Water’s molecular structure, with a positive and negative end, allowing it to attract other substances.
• Hydrogen bond: The weak bond between water molecules that gives water its unique properties.
• Evaporation: The process of water turning into vapor at temperatures below its boiling point.
• Condensation: The process of water vapor turning back into liquid water, like dew or clouds forming.
• Specific heat: Water’s ability to absorb and retain heat, helping regulate temperatures in the environment.
• Buoyancy: The upward force water exerts on objects, related to why things float.
• Viscosity: The measure of water’s resistance to flow, describing how “thick” or “thin” it feels.

Teaching tips

• Use visuals like pictures of ice, liquid water, and steam to illustrate states of matter.
• Demonstrate properties with simple experiments (e.g., pour water to show it’s a liquid, or show ice to explain freezing).
• Practice pronunciation for tricky terms like “density” or “surface tension.”

Useful phrases

Teach simple sentence structures that learners can use to describe the properties of water. These should be easy to adapt and useful for scientific discussions.

Key phrases

1. Describing physical properties
   • “Water is a [liquid/solid/gas] at [temperature].”
   • “Water is clear, tasteless, and odorless.”
   • “Ice is less dense than liquid water.”
   • “Water has high surface tension.”
2. Describing changes of state
   • “Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.”
   • “Water freezes at 0 degrees Celsius.”
   • “Ice melts into liquid water.”
   • “Water turns into steam when heated.”
3. Describing chemical properties
   • “Water can dissolve many substances.”
   • “Water is called the universal solvent.”
4. Asking questions
   • “What happens when water boils?”
   • “Why does ice float on water?”
   • “What is water like at room temperature?”
   • “Can water dissolve this substance?”

Teaching tips

• Write these phrases on a whiteboard or handout and have learners repeat them to build confidence.
• Encourage learners to personalize by describing water in different contexts (e.g., “In my country, water freezes in winter.”).
• Use sentence frames (e.g., “Water is ____ at ____.”) for beginners to practice filling in the blanks.

Example conversations

Use short, realistic dialogues to model how to discuss the properties of water. These examples should demonstrate both asking and answering questions, with increasing complexity for different learner levels.

Conversation 1: Basic exchange

Teacher: What is water like at room temperature?
Student: Water is a liquid at room temperature.
Teacher: Is it clear or cloudy?
Student: It’s clear. It’s also tasteless and odorless.
Teacher: Good! Does water have a smell?
Student: No, water is odorless.

Conversation 2: Adding details

Lila: Why does ice float on water?
Ahmed: Ice floats because it is less dense than liquid water.
Lila: Oh, interesting! What happens when water freezes?
Ahmed: Water turns into a solid at 0 degrees Celsius.
Lila: Does it change when it gets hot?
Ahmed: Yes, water boils at 100 degrees Celsius and becomes steam.

Conversation 3: More advanced

Emma: Can you tell me about water’s properties?
Juan: Sure! Water is a liquid at room temperature, and it’s clear, tasteless, and odorless. It’s also called the universal solvent because it can dissolve many things.
Emma: That’s cool! What about surface tension?
Juan: Water has high surface tension, so it can form droplets or hold small objects on its surface.
Emma: Why is that important?
Juan: It helps insects like water striders walk on water, and it’s why water sticks together in drops.

Teaching tips

• Role-play these conversations with the learner, switching roles to practice both asking and answering.
• After practicing, ask the learner to create their own dialogue using at least three properties of water.
• For group classes, pair students to practice dialogues, encouraging them to ask follow-up questions.

Teaching strategy

Here’s a step-by-step plan to teach this topic effectively in a 45-minute lesson.

Step 1: Warm-up (5 minutes)

• Ask the learner(s): “What do you know about water?” or “What happens to water when it’s very cold?” to spark interest.
• Show a glass of water, ice, or a picture of steam to introduce the topic visually.

Step 2: Vocabulary introduction (10 minutes)

• Present the vocabulary list using visuals (e.g., a picture of ice for “solid” or a boiling kettle for “gas”).
• Practice pronunciation and have learners repeat after you.
• Play a quick matching game: Write properties (e.g., “clear,” “liquid”) on one set of cards and definitions or examples (e.g., “transparent,” “flows”) on another, and have learners match them.

Step 3: Phrase practice (10 minutes)

• Write key phrases on the board and model how to use them (e.g., “Water freezes at 0 degrees Celsius.”).
• Have learners practice by filling in the blanks with different properties (e.g., “Water is ____ at room temperature.”).
• Correct pronunciation and grammar gently as they practice.

Step 4: Conversation practice (15 minutes)

• Read through one of the example conversations as a model.
• Pair learners (or role-play with them) to practice the dialogues, encouraging them to use vocabulary and phrases.
• Encourage asking follow-up questions to make the conversation more natural (e.g., “Why is that?” or “Can you give an example?”).

Step 5: Wrap-up and application (5 minutes)

• Ask each learner to share one or two sentences about water’s properties (e.g., “Water is a liquid, and it can dissolve sugar.”).
• Provide feedback on their pronunciation and accuracy.
• Assign homework: Write a short paragraph about water’s properties or describe an experiment with water (e.g., freezing water at home).

Additional tips

• Simplify for beginners: Focus on basic properties like “liquid,” “solid,” and “gas” for lower-level learners. Avoid complex terms like “surface tension” unless they’re ready.
• Use visuals and demonstrations: If possible, show real examples (e.g., pour water, show ice, or heat water to demonstrate boiling). Alternatively, use videos or animations of water’s properties.
• Incorporate science: Briefly explain why properties matter (e.g., “Ice floats because it’s less dense, which is important for fish in frozen lakes.”) to make the lesson engaging.
• Cultural relevance: Relate water’s properties to the learner’s environment (e.g., “Does water freeze where you live?” or “Do you see steam when you cook?”).
• Listening practice: Play a short clip from a science video (e.g., on YouTube) about water’s properties to expose learners to scientific English.

Common mistakes to address

• Pronunciation: Scientific terms like “density” or “solvent” may be mispronounced. Practice these explicitly.
• Grammar: Learners might say “Water dissolve sugar” instead of “Water dissolves sugar.” Emphasize verb forms.
• Confusion of terms: Clarify the difference between “boiling” (liquid to gas) and “melting” (solid to liquid) with examples or visuals.

Example activity: “Water properties quiz”

For group or individual practice, create a short quiz or game.

• Provide statements like:
  • “Water is a solid at 20°C.” (False, it’s a liquid.)
  • “Water can dissolve salt.” (True.)
  • “Ice is denser than water.” (False.)
• Learners answer “True” or “False” and explain their answers using phrases like “Water is a liquid at 20°C because…”
• Alternatively, ask learners to describe a property of water to a partner, who guesses which property it is.

Homework or follow-up

• Writing: Write 3-5 sentences about the properties of water using at least three vocabulary words.
• Speaking: Record a short audio or video explaining one property of water (e.g., why ice floats).
• Experiment: Observe water at home (e.g., boil water or freeze it) and describe what happens in English.