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Science · Ages 5–7 · 50 minutes

Everyday materials and their properties

Children name everyday materials, describe their properties and test which materials are waterproof to choose the best one for a job.

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Success criteria

  • I can name the material an object is made from
  • I can describe a material using words like hard and bendy
  • I can test materials and say which is waterproof

Key vocabulary

  • material
  • wood
  • plastic
  • metal
  • glass
  • fabric
  • paper
  • hard
  • soft
  • bendy
  • stiff
  • waterproof

You will need

  • feely bag
  • everyday objects (wooden spoon, metal spoon, plastic cup, sock, foil, paper, card)
  • squares of paper towel
  • foil
  • plastic bag
  • fabric and card
  • teddy or small toy
  • pipettes or teaspoons
  • trays
  • cups of water

Curriculum links

  • Year 1· England

Practice sheets

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The lesson at a glance

50 minutes in all. Timings are a guide: follow your class.

  1. Step 1: Starter

    Pass round a feely bag.
    8 minutes

  2. Step 2: Teach

    Hold up a metal spoon and a wooden spoon.
    10–15 min

  3. Step 3: Guided practice

    Teddy needs an umbrella.

  4. Step 4: Independent practice

    Children record their test result with a drawing and the words waterproof or not waterproof.

  5. Step 5: Plenary

    Play "Good choice, bad choice": "A paper raincoat?" "A metal spoon?" "A glass football?" Children give a thumbs up or down and one reason using a property word.

  6. Step 6: Assessment for learning

    Do children say the material ("plastic") rather than the object ("cup")?

  7. Step 7: Differentiation

    Support: use picture cards for each material and limit the property words to hard/soft and waterproof.

  8. Step 8: Common misconceptions

    "Metal is one thing." Steel, aluminium and copper are all metals with different properties.

  9. Step 9: Home link

    Go on a materials hunt in the kitchen: find one thing made of metal, one of plastic and one of wood.

Young children often mix up an object and what it is made of: "It's made of spoon!" This lesson separates the two, gives children a set of describing words, and ends with a fair test to find the best material for Teddy's umbrella.

1.Starter

8 minutes

Pass round a feely bag. A child puts in a hand, feels one object without looking and describes it: "It's hard, cold and smooth." The class guesses. Repeat with three or four objects. Write every describing word they use on the board; you will need them later. Eight minutes.

2.Teach

10–15 min

Hold up a metal spoon and a wooden spoon. "These are both spoons. That's the object. But they are made of different materials. This one is made of metal. This one is made of wood."

Sort the starter objects into hoops labelled wood, metal, plastic, fabric and paper. Then model describing words with actions:

  • "Bendy: can you bend it?" (sock, foil)
  • "Stiff: does it stay the same shape?" (wooden spoon)
  • "Waterproof: does water go through it, or stay on top?"

Ask: "Why are windows made of glass and not wood?" and "Would a chocolate teapot be a good idea?" Children enjoy that one and it gets the idea across: we choose materials because of their properties.

  • spoon
  • cup
  • sock
  • book
  • window
  • umbrella
Same idea, different materials: metal, plastic, fabric, paper, glass.

The rest of the plan

Guided and independent practice, the plenary, assessment for learning, differentiation, common misconceptions and the home link are free with a Crayonbird account.

  1. Guided practice
  2. Independent practice
  3. Plenary
  4. Assessment for learning
  5. Differentiation
  6. Common misconceptions
  7. Home link
See the whole plan, free

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