There once was a boy named Sam. Sam loved learning about the world around him! 

One day Sam's teacher said "we're going to meet my 3 friends of matter! Sam asked his teacher, Ms. Halpin, "What is matter?" 

"Matter is 

 "Matter is everything around you—things you can touch, see, or even breathe. And matter can be in three forms: solid, liquid, and gas." 

Lets meet them! 

"Hello, Sam!" said a big, bumpy block of ice. "I'm Solid. I'm strong and stiff! I don't change shape unless you break or cut me. I keep my shape wherever I go."

Sam touched the ice. It was cold, and it stayed the same shape no matter where he moved it.

The water swirled and splashed. "Hi, Sam! I'm Liquid! I don't have a shape of my own like Solid, but I can change to fit the shape of anything I'm in! I flow and move freely. I'm so wiggly and fun!" 

Next, the balloon was full of air, which Sam couldn't see but knew was there. "Hey, Sam! I'm Gas! I’m very light and float around all over. I don’t have a shape or size—I fill up whatever space I can!"

As Sam walked back home, he thought about everything he had learned. He looked at the ice cubes in his drink, the water in the river, and the steam rising from his warm soup. "Solid, Liquid, and Gas—they’re everywhere!"