You will learn
- Say what a material is.
- Name materials objects are made from.
- Describe materials using touch and sight.
- Sort objects by material.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
Words to know
what an object is made of
a thing you can see and touch
what a material is like, such as hard or soft
to put things into groups
1. Discover: The classroom treasure hunt
Chidi’s teacher says, “Find something made of wood. Find something made of metal.” Chidi finds a wooden ruler and a metal spoon. Ama finds a plastic cup and a glass jar. “Everything is made from something,” says the teacher.
Think: What is the ruler made from?
2. Understand: Materials all around
Idea 1: What is a material?
A material is what an object is made of. A chair may be made of wood. A spoon may be made of metal. A cup may be made of plastic or glass.
Idea 2: Describing materials
We describe a material by its properties. Is it hard or soft? Rough or smooth? Shiny or dull? Heavy or light? We use our eyes and hands to find out, but we do not taste.
Idea 3: Sorting
We can sort objects by what they are made of. We can make a group of wooden things, a group of plastic things and a group of metal things.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): What is it made of?
A pencil case.
- Is it soft? Yes.
- Is it fabric? Yes.
- So it is made of fabric.
Answer: The pencil case is made of fabric.
Example 2 (We do it together): Describe the material
A metal spoon.
- Hard.
- Shiny.
- Cold to touch.
Answer: A metal spoon is hard, shiny and cold.
Example 3 (You try): Sort objects
Chair, cup, bottle, fork.
Show the steps and answer
- Wood: chair.
- Plastic: cup and bottle.
- Metal: fork.
Answer: Chair is wood, cup and bottle are plastic, fork is metal.
Did you know?
People have used materials such as clay, wood and stone for thousands of years to make tools and homes.
Why this matters
Knowing materials helps us choose the right thing for each job.
4. Explore: Material hunt
Find objects in the classroom made of different materials.
- Look around safely.
- Find five objects.
- Say what each is made of.
- Sort them into groups.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? Many objects use the same materials.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- A chair can be made of ___.
- A spoon can be made of ___.
- A cup can be ___.
- A material has ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. What is a material?
What an object is made of.
Question 2. Name a material.
Wood, metal, plastic, glass or fabric.
Question 3. What is a spoon often made of?
Metal.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- What is a material?
- Name a material.
- What is a spoon often made of?
- What is a pencil case often made of?
- Do we taste materials?
Level 2: Grow
- Describe the material of a ruler.
- Why do we sort objects?
- Name two objects made of plastic.
Level 3: Stretch
- Sort five objects by material.
- Explain why a spoon is metal.
- Draw an object and say its material.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Science in everyday life
Which materials do you see in your home?
Show a sample answer
Wood, metal, plastic, glass and fabric.
Another one. Tell a family member one thing from this lesson. Use the words you learned.
Show a sample answer
A clear sentence that uses at least one word from Words to know.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: Objects are made of different materials.
Fix: We use sight and touch, not taste.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can say what a material is.
- I can name materials objects are made from.
- I can describe materials using touch and sight.
- I can sort objects by material.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- Objects are made of materials.
- Wood, metal, plastic, glass and fabric are materials.
- We describe materials by their properties.
- Different materials are used for different objects.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Common materials. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- What is a material? [1 mark]
- Name three materials. [3 marks]
- Describe a metal spoon. [3 marks]
- Sort a chair, a cup and a fork. [3 marks]
- Why do we not taste unknown things? [2 marks]
Total: 12 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- What an object is made of [1]
- Any three [1 each]
- Hard [1]; shiny [1]; cold [1]
- Wood [1]; plastic [1]; metal [1]
- Unsafe [1]; may harm [1]
Score guide: 11 to 12 = secure. 8 to 10 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 8 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- What is a material?
- Name a material.
- What is a spoon often made of?
- What is a pencil case often made of?
- Do we taste materials?
- Describe the material of a ruler.
- Why do we sort objects?
- Name two objects made of plastic.
- Sort five objects by material.
- Explain why a spoon is metal.
Homework
Find five objects at home. Draw them and write what each is made of.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What is a material? | What an object is made of. | 1 |
| 2. Name a material. | Wood, metal, plastic, glass or fabric. | 1 |
| 3. What is a spoon often made of? | Metal. | 1 |
| 4. What is a pencil case often made of? | Fabric or plastic. | 1 |
| 5. Do we taste materials? | No. | 1 |
| 6. Describe the material of a ruler. | Hard and smooth. | 1 |
| 7. Why do we sort objects? | To find things quickly and see patterns. | 1 |
| 8. Name two objects made of plastic. | Cup and bottle. | 1 |
| 9. Sort five objects by material. | A correct sort. | 1 |
| 10. Explain why a spoon is metal. | It is strong and does not break easily. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 What an object is made of.; 2 Wood, metal, plastic, glass or fabric.; 3 Metal.; 4 Fabric or plastic.; 5 No.. Level 2: 1 Hard and smooth.; 2 To find things quickly and see patterns.; 3 Cup and bottle.. Level 3: 1 A correct sort.; 2 It is strong and does not break easily.; 3 A drawing and a label..
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Say what a material is | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Name materials objects are made from | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Describe materials using touch and sight | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Sort objects by material | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: “All objects are made of the same thing.” Objects are made of different materials.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Use five objects. Say the material of each.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child learns that objects are made of materials and how to describe them. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Find materials around the house.
- Ask, “What is this made of?”
- Sort items from the kitchen.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: say what a material is; name materials objects are made from; describe materials using touch and sight; sort objects by material.
Prerequisite knowledge. None. Learners should be able to look, listen and talk about what they notice.
Materials. Classroom objects, trays, pictures, chart paper and pencils. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Gather safe objects made of different materials. Check for sharp edges.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Hold up a spoon and ask, “What is it made of?”
Explanation (10 min). Teach materials and properties.
Guided activity (10 min). Learners hunt and sort objects.
Independent activity (10 min). Learners describe materials.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. What is it made of? What is it like?
Teacher explanation notes. Start with real objects and safe, hands-on observation. Then talk about what was seen, then draw and write. Always say “how do you know?”. Keep to the safety notes, and use local, safe materials.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use real objects and pictures, short sentences and a partner. Let learners point, show or draw instead of writing. Extension. Ask learners to find a new example at home and explain how they know.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. “All objects are made of the same thing.” Objects are made of different materials.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 12-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Use five objects. Say the material of each. Enrichment. Look for one new example near your home or school, draw it and explain it to someone. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Next Generation Science Standards, Cambridge Primary Science and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Research used to shape this lesson. Courseversity Science curriculum, Grade 1 Unit 6, topic 1; Next Generation Science Standards, structure and properties of matter; Cambridge Primary Science Stage 1, materials; IB Primary Years Programme, how the world works. These sources informed the lesson.