Properties of Everyday Materials
Properties of Everyday Materials
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Properties of Everyday Materials
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Glossary
material - what an object is made from
property - a word that describes what a material is like
absorbent - able to soak up water
waterproof - does not let water through
stiff - not easy to bend
flexible - easy to bend without breaking
smooth - even and not rough
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What?
I can describe the properties of different materials.
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How could we describe materials?
Use this to gather prior vocabulary such as soft, smooth, rough, hard, bendy or waterproof. Invite pupils to explain one word they chose.
Materials are all around us
Objects are made from materials.
A material is what something is made of.
We can describe materials by their properties.
Properties help us compare and choose materials.
Open with familiar classroom examples such as a wooden table, a plastic ruler and a cotton T-shirt. Keep the distinction clear: object = thing, material = what it is made from, property = what it is like.
What is a property?
A property is a word that tells us what a material is like. For example, a material might be soft, rough, smooth, stiff or waterproof. These words help us describe materials carefully.
Avoid drifting into uses too early. This slide is about the language of description, not why a material is chosen yet.
Four materials to compare
Cardboard
Cotton
Newspaper
Plastic
Each material has its own set of properties.
These are the real-life materials named by the teacher. If possible, have samples ready so pupils can see the same examples shown on the slide.
Useful property words for discussion:
How a material behaves
strong - hard to break
weak - easy to tear or squash
absorbent - soaks up water
waterproof - does not let water through
soft - easy to press or bend
rough - not smooth
smooth - even to touch
stiff - hard to bend
How a material feels
Model saying a full sentence aloud: 'Cotton is soft and absorbent.' This helps pupils move from single words to scientific descriptions.
What does a property tell us about a material?
What it is like
Where it came from
Who uses it
How old it is
Checks the key idea from slides 2 to 5: a property describes a material, rather than its use or origin.
Use the science words
A material is what an object is made from. A property tells us what the material is like. Cotton can feel soft, and cardboard is often stiff.
This reinforces the difference between material and property, then applies the vocabulary to the lesson examples.
Which material is often absorbent and soft?
Plastic
Cardboard
Cotton
Newspaper
Draw attention to why newspaper is a plausible distractor: it is absorbent, but it is not usually described as soft like cotton.
Which material would soak up water fastest?
Cardboard
Cotton
Newspaper
Plastic
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Why is newspaper not good for keeping water out?
Expected ideas: newspaper absorbs water quickly, tears easily and becomes weak when wet; cotton is also absorbent but feels softer; plastic is waterproof; cardboard turns soft when wet but is stiffer when dry.
Comparing materials
Some materials share a property, but they are not identical.
Cardboard and some plastic can be stiff
Cotton and newspaper can absorb water
Plastic is often waterproof, but paper materials are not
Cotton is softer than cardboard, newspaper and most plastic
This slide helps pupils move beyond one-word labels and notice that materials can overlap in some properties while differing in others.
Why properties matter
We choose materials because their properties fit a job.
A raincoat needs a waterproof material
A towel needs an absorbent material
A box needs a stiff material
Clothing often needs a soft material
Keep examples simple and everyday. The science focus is the link between a material's properties and why it is useful.
Describing materials clearly
Scientists use clear property words when they describe materials.
Instead of saying 'nice' or 'good', we can say:
smooth
stiff
absorbent
waterproof
soft
Encourage precise vocabulary. This prepares pupils to make better observations when handling real samples.
Match the property to the job
We choose materials because their properties fit a job. A raincoat needs a waterproof material. A towel needs an absorbent material. A box needs a stiff material, and clothing often needs a soft material.
Echoes the exact everyday examples from the content so pupils apply the taught vocabulary rather than guess from a new context.
