Cornstarch Suspension 

What you need:

bullet 1 cup cornstarch
bullet bowl
bullet 1/2 cup water
bullet spoon
bullet pie plate
bullet food coloring

Directions:

bullet Empty 1 cup of cornstarch into a large bowl.
  
bullet Stir while you add water SLOWLY -- don't add all of it if you don't need to.  
bullet You need the consistency of thick pancake batter.  
bullet It's better to add too little water than too much.  
bullet Take your time!
  
bullet Add a few drops of food coloring.
  
bullet Stick your hands in the mixture.  
bullet Record what it feels like.  
bullet What happens when you try to roll some into a ball and then leave it alone?
bullet Pour the water into a pie plate.  (water is a liquid)
bullet smack it with your hand
bullet record what happens
bullet Empty the pie plate.  Pour the cornstarch mixture into a pie plate.  
bullet smack it with your hand
bullet record what happens
bullet does it act differently than the water?

What Happened:

When we talk about "states" of matter, we usually talk about the three types:  solid (like a rock), liquid (like water) and gas (like the air we breath).

A mixture of cornstarch and water make what is known as a suspension.  When you squeeze a Cornstarch Suspension, it really feels like a solid because its molecules line up.  But it looks like a liquid and acts like a liquid when no one is pressing on it because the molecules relax.  This is another state of matter, called a suspension. It can act like a liquid, or when pressed, like a solid.