National Curriculum:

Everyday Materials

distinguish between an object and the material from which it is made

identify and name a variety of everyday materials, including wood, plastic, glass, metal, water, and rock

describe the simple physical properties of a variety of everyday materials

compare and group together a variety of everyday materials on the basis of their simple physical properties

Seek materials and discuss uses.

Ongoing:

observe changes across the 4 seasons

observe and describe weather associated with the seasons and how day length varies

WOW! Wonder Launch

Big Question: What are things made from, and why does it matter?

Science Enquiry Focus: Identifying, classifying and grouping – Identify and name everyday materials while comparing and sorting them.

Outline: Tower Build Challenge – Work in teams to build the tallest free-standing tower using recyclable materials, naming each material as you use it. Explore, name and compare everyday materials while discovering that different materials have different properties.

What to Wonder? What are different objects made from? Why are some materials better for building than others? Why do some towers stay standing while others fall? How can materials be grouped? Why are different materials chosen for different jobs?

Investigations:

Autumn nature hunt - identify, group and classify found materials by properties, pattern etc.

Case 1: Who stole Teddy from the Toy Shop?

Scientific Enquiry Focus: Comparative and Fair Testing

A toy shop has been robbed and the only clue left behind is a soggy piece of material. Detectives must test different materials to discover which one is waterproof and work out what the robber used to keep Teddy dry during the escape.

Case 2: Can we identify the mystery object?

Scientific Enquiry Focus: Identifying, Classifying and Grouping

A mysterious object has been found at a crime scene, but detectives only know what material it is made from. By examining and sorting a range of everyday objects and materials, they use the clues to identify which object could belong to the suspect before reporting their findings.

Case 3: Where did the suspect go?

Scientific Enquiry Focus: Pattern Seeking

The suspect has left a trail of clues made from different materials around the school. Detectives search for the evidence, record where each material is found and look for patterns that help them work out the route the suspect took before updating the Investigation Bureau case board.

Object – A thing we can see and touch, like a spoon or a chair.

Material – What an object is made from, like wood, plastic, or metal.

Property – A word to describe what a material is like (e.g. hard, soft, shiny).

Compare – To look at two or more things to see how they are the same or different.

Group – To sort things into sets based on what they are made from or their properties.

Season – One of the four parts of the year: spring, summer, autumn, winter.

Change – When something becomes different, like weather or how long the day is.

Weather – What the sky and air are like, such as sunny, rainy, or snowy.

Daylight – The light from the sun during the day.

Temperature – How hot or cold it is.

Autumn – The season when the weather gets cooler and leaves fall from the trees.

Leaves – In autumn, they change colour and fall to the ground.

Colder – The temperature drops and it feels cooler outside.

What is the difference between an object and the material it is made from?An object is the thing we use, and the material is what it is made from. For example, a spoon is an object, and it might be made of metal, wood, or plastic. Many objects can be made from different materials. We choose materials based on what we need the object to do.

What materials can we find around us every day?Some materials we see and use often are wood, plastic, glass, metal, water, and rock. These are called everyday materials. Each one looks and feels different and is used for different jobs. We can name and describe these materials when we see them.

What are the simple properties of materials?Materials have different physical properties, like how hard, soft, rough, smooth, bendy, or waterproof they are. Some materials are shiny or dull, and some can float or sink. We can test and observe materials to learn about these properties. Knowing their properties helps us decide what they are useful for.

How can we group materials by their properties?We can sort materials into groups based on what they are like. For example, we might put all the smooth materials in one group and rough ones in another. Hard and soft, waterproof and absorbent are other ways to group them. This helps us compare materials and see which are best for different uses.