You will learn
- Say where wood comes from.
- Describe wood.
- Name things made of wood.
- Say why we must plant trees.
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
- Wood comes from trees.
- Wood is hard and strong.
- Wood floats on water.
- We use wood for furniture, houses and tools.
Words to know
the hard material from trees
wood cut for building
the lines in wood
a small sharp piece of wood that can hurt the skin
1. Discover: The carpenter
Mr Bako is a carpenter. He saws and planes wood to make a table. He smooths the wood with sandpaper so no splinters remain. “Wood is strong,” he says. “But we must plant new trees for the ones we use.”
Think: Why does the carpenter smooth the wood?
2. Understand: About wood
Idea 1: What wood is like
Wood comes from trees. It is hard and strong. It has grain, lines you can see. Some wood is light and some is heavy. Wood floats on water and can burn.
Idea 2: What we make from wood
We make tables, chairs, doors, pencils, boats and houses from wood. Cut wood for building is called timber. We must be careful of splinters.
Idea 3: Looking after trees
When we cut trees we must plant new ones. Trees give wood, shade, fruit and homes for animals. We reuse wooden things instead of wasting them.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Describe wood
A wooden spoon.
- Hard.
- Light.
- Rough or smooth.
Answer: A wooden spoon is hard, light and smooth.
Example 2 (We do it together): Does it float?
A piece of wood in water.
- Place it gently.
- Watch.
- It floats.
Answer: Wood floats on water.
Example 3 (You try): Why plant trees?
A forest is cut.
Show the steps and answer
- No new wood.
- No homes for animals.
- Plant new trees.
Answer: We plant trees so we have wood and shade.
Did you know?
Some trees grow for fifty years or more before their wood can be used for building.
Why this matters
Using wood wisely and planting trees keeps forests healthy for animals, people and the air.
4. Explore: Float or sink?
Test small safe pieces of wood in a bowl of water.
- Find small safe pieces of wood.
- Predict float or sink.
- Place them gently in water.
- Record what happens.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? Many woods float.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- Wood comes from ___.
- Wood is ___.
- Wood ___ on water.
- We plant ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. Where does wood come from?
Trees.
Question 2. Is wood hard or soft?
Hard.
Question 3. Does wood float?
Yes.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- Where does wood come from?
- Is wood hard or soft?
- Does wood float?
- Name a wooden object.
- What is a splinter?
Level 2: Grow
- Why do carpenters sand wood?
- Name two uses of wood.
- Why plant trees?
Level 3: Stretch
- Explain what happens to a piece of wood in water.
- Compare wood and metal.
- Make a poster about caring for trees.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Science in everyday life
What wooden things are in your home?
Show a sample answer
Doors, chairs, tables and spoons.
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: Most wood floats.
Fix: We plant new trees.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can say where wood comes from.
- I can describe wood.
- I can name things made of wood.
- I can say why we must plant trees.
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
- Wood comes from trees.
- Wood is hard and strong.
- Wood floats on water.
- We use wood for furniture, houses and tools.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Metal. 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.
- Where does wood come from? [1 mark]
- Give two properties of wood. [2 marks]
- Name three wooden objects. [3 marks]
- Why do we plant trees? [2 marks]
- Describe how wood behaves in water. [2 marks]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- Trees [1]
- Any two: hard, strong, floats [1 each]
- Any three [1 each]
- Wood [1]; shade or homes for animals [1]
- It floats [1]; it is lighter than water [1]
Score guide: 9 to 10 = secure. 6 to 8 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- Where does wood come from?
- Is wood hard or soft?
- Does wood float?
- Name a wooden object.
- What is a splinter?
- Why do carpenters sand wood?
- Name two uses of wood.
- Why plant trees?
- Explain what happens to a piece of wood in water.
- Compare wood and metal.
Homework
Find three wooden objects at home. Draw them and write one property of each.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Where does wood come from? | Trees. | 1 |
| 2. Is wood hard or soft? | Hard. | 1 |
| 3. Does wood float? | Yes. | 1 |
| 4. Name a wooden object. | Chair, table or pencil. | 1 |
| 5. What is a splinter? | A small sharp piece of wood. | 1 |
| 6. Why do carpenters sand wood? | To remove splinters. | 1 |
| 7. Name two uses of wood. | Furniture and houses. | 1 |
| 8. Why plant trees? | To have wood and shade. | 1 |
| 9. Explain what happens to a piece of wood in water. | It floats. | 1 |
| 10. Compare wood and metal. | Wood floats; metal usually sinks. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 Trees.; 2 Hard.; 3 Yes.; 4 Chair, table or pencil.; 5 A small sharp piece of wood.. Level 2: 1 To remove splinters.; 2 Furniture and houses.; 3 To have wood and shade.. Level 3: 1 It floats.; 2 Wood floats; metal usually sinks.; 3 A message with a picture..
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 where wood comes 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 |
| O2 Describe wood | 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 Name things made of wood | 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 Say why we must plant trees | 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: “Wood always sinks.” Most wood floats.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Name three wooden objects and one property of wood.
- 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 about wood, its properties and why we should plant trees. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Find wooden items together.
- Ask, “Why do we plant trees?”
- Plant a tree if you can.
- 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 where wood comes from; describe wood; name things made of wood; say why we must plant trees.
Prerequisite knowledge. None. Learners should be able to look, listen and talk about what they notice.
Materials. Small smooth pieces of wood, a bowl of water, towels and chart paper. 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 smooth pieces of wood. Sand any rough edges. Set up a water bowl.
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 wooden spoon and ask, “Where did this come from?”
Explanation (10 min). Teach wood properties and uses.
Guided activity (10 min). Learners test float or sink.
Independent activity (10 min). Learners discuss caring for trees.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. What is wood like? Where does it come from?
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. “Wood always sinks.” Most wood floats.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 10-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. Name three wooden objects and one property of wood. 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 3; 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.