Resources:
Activity 1
• PPT – Materials
• Feely bag – jar, bowl, cup, glasses, paper clip, key, teaspoon, fabric, sock, soft toy
• Investigation – plastic bowl, key, wool, plastic bag, rubber band, elastic band, socks, tights, rubber gloves.
• ‘Block’ rulers for measuring
• Handout – Materials
• Online game – Grouping and changing materials

Activity 1: What are things made of?
Engage:
Children realise that objects are made of different materials.
PPT – Materials
Show the children pictures of different objects. They must think of different ways to group these objects. Some possibilities may be:
Soft and hard; transparent and non-transparent; rough and smooth; wood, fabric, metal, paper, rubber and glass.

Inquire:
Children investigate how materials feel and how their properties relate to their function.
Activity 1 – Using our senses
Tell the children to imagine they are in a dark bedroom. How can they know if they’re touching the bed or the wardrobe? One feels soft and the other feels hard.

Present different objects inside a feely bag. Ask different children to feel inside the bag. What can they find? Encourage them to describe the objects by using the words metal, glass, fabric, wood, paper, stone, rubber.
Children will then group the different objects into sets and name them.
Set 1 (glass): jar, bowl, cup, glasses
Set 2 (metal): paper clip, key, teaspoon
Set 3 (fabric): fabric, sock, soft toy
OR
Set 1 (transparent): jar, bowl, cup, glasses
Set 2 (non-transparent): paper clip, key, teaspoon, fabric, sock, soft toy.

PPT – Materials (cont.)
Present different objects and children have to identify what the objects are made of by classifying them under wood, metal, fabric and plastic.

Activity 2 – Investigation
Show the children a picture of a girl tying her hair using a rubber band. Ask the children: Why does the hair band need to stretch? What is it made of?

Give the children different objects to investigate which objects will stretch the most. Ask them how will they test each material? Which material stretched the most? Which material stretched the least?
Children will use a ‘block’ ruler to measure how much the object stretches. Each block represents 1 cm.

Evaluate:
Children consolidate what was learnt during the activities and apply that knowledge to everyday life situations.
Online game – Grouping and changing materials
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/6_7/grouping_materials.shtml
Children will group materials and relate the material to its properties and its use in everyday life.