Subject: Science 
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Term: Autumn 2
Year Group:5
Pupils should be taught to:
 compare and group together everyday materials on the basis of their properties, including their hardness, solubility,
transparency, conductivity (electrical and thermal), and response to magnets
 know that some materials will dissolve in liquid to form a solution, and describe how to recover a substance from a solution
 use knowledge of solids, liquids and gases to decide how mixtures might be separated, including through filtering, sieving and
evaporating
 give reasons, based on evidence from comparative and fair tests, for the particular uses of everyday materials, including
metals, wood and plastic
 demonstrate that dissolving, mixing and changes of state are reversible changes
 explain that some changes result in the formation of new materials, and that this kind of change is not usually reversible,
including changes associated with burning and the action of acid on bicarbonate of soda.
Learning Objectives
Planned Activities
Resources
Week 1
In this lesson children identify, compare and group materials based on their properties and according
to their own or given criteria.
A variety of different materials.
To classify a variety of materials
according to their properties.
Children will work scientifically by recording data and results of increasing complexity using scientific
diagrams and labels, classification keys, tables, scatter graphs, and bar and line graphs
Steps to success:
•I can make comparisons between different
materials, using technical vocabulary to accurately
describe their properties.
• I can identify specific criteria to help me compare
and group materials.
• I can create a key to help me classify different
materials.
Children begin by discussing the different properties of everyday materials and the related vocabulary.
Week 2
In this lesson children are introduced to the idea that materials can mix in different ways and
that they can be separated. They make their own sieves to separate a complex mixture of dry
solids.
To explain that materials can mix and to
demonstrate that mixtures of solid materials
can be separated by the technique of sieving
Steps to success:
• I can explain that materials can be mixed but often
they can be separated.
• I can describe the process of sieving mixtures to
remove particles of different sizes.
• I can successfully separate a complex dry mixture,
identifying and separating the materials or
explaining why they are impossible to separate in
this way.
Magnets
Bulbs, batteries and wires
Children classify different materials into liquids solids and gasses as a starting point drawing on their
previous learning.
Children are encouraged to group these further. ‘Do all solids look, feel, act the same?’ ‘How can we
classify these objects further?’
Children will work scientifically by planning different types of scientific enquiries to answer
questions, including recognising and controlling variables where necessary.
Show children the ‘cupboard catastrophe’ mix of 4-8 different materials. Explain that we need
to use our scientific knowledge to separate them.
SS – Get Sorted – L1
Rice
Sugar
Sand
Pasta
Dried peas
Paperclips
Raisins
Children use paper plates to create their own sieves to remove different materials.
Ask: Which solids will you remove fi rst? How? Do you need more than one sieve? How might
you adapt your paper plate to make an effective set of sieves? How will your sieves diffe r? Are
there any other materials you could use to make a sieve?
SS – Marvellous Mixtures – L1
Week 3
To identify through investigation some
solids that dissolve and others that do not,
and describe how to tell that a solid has
dissolved
Steps to success:
• I can identify and name some solids that dissolve
and some that do not.
• I can describe my observations accurately using
key vocabulary, such as using the term ‘dissolve’
correctly, distinguishing between a solid that forms a
suspension and one that dissolves.
• I can use what I have found out to make
predictions for further tests.
• I can identify when a solution has become
saturated and explain why
Week 4
To recognise that materials are used in many
different ways and for particular purposes
within buildings
In this lesson children investigate dissolving solids.
Children will work scientifically by using test results to make predictions to set up further comparative
and fair tests.
Discuss with children what happens when we mix different solids with water.
Beakers
Salt
Sugar
Sand
Water
Oil Vinegar
Children mix a variety of solids with a small amount of water to see if they dissolve.
Children test a variety of solids (brown sugar, salt, sand and fl our) to find out whether the
liquid makes a difference to whether the solid dissolves, and use key vocabulary to describe
and explain their observations.
In this lesson children identify a variety of materials in different forms, observing how they are
SS – Marvellous Mixtures – L2
SS - Everyday Materials – L1
used for specific purposes within school buildings.
Children will be working scientifically by reporting and presenting findings from enquiries,
Steps to success:
• I can identify the variety of different types of
materials used around school. • I can link the
properties of the material to its use. • I can give
examples of where certain materials are showing
signs of decay or wear and suggest why this might
be. • I can describe how buildings can be insulated
and propose how insulation of school buildings
might be improved.
including conclusions, causal relationships and explanations of and degree of trust in results, in
oral and written forms such as displays and other presentations.
Children carry out a ‘wear and tear’ survey around school Ask: What do we mean by ‘wear and
tear’? What signs of wear and tear might you see? Ask the children to record information about
different types of materials and their location around school, the amount of wear and tear they
observe, and any ideas they might have about the causes of this wear, for example, exposure
Week 5
To describe different changes in materials
when they are brought together and to be able
to recognise them as reversible or nonreversible7
Steps to success:
• I can identify familiar examples of materials
changing state.
• I can describe what causes some materials to
change.
• I can explain, using examples, that some changes
are reversible while others are non-reversible.
to extreme weather or regular use over time.
In this lesson children begin to explore how materials change when they are brought together
in different ways. They identify types of changes and group them according to whether they
think the change could be reversed, and then according to the conditions needed to bring
about the change.
Vinegar
Bicarbonate of Soda
Ice cubes
Children will be working scientifically by reporting and presenting findings from enquiries,
including conclusions, causal relationships and explanations of and degree of trust in results, in
oral and written forms such as displays and other presentations
Children observe different reversible and irreversible changes and discuss what makes these reversible
and irreversible. Children to expand this to the real world by observing different changes in the real
world (Kitchen).
SS - All Change! – L1
Week 6
To observe, measure, describe and explain
the changes that happen to a mystery material
when water is added
Steps to success:
• I can decide what observations I need to make and
what measurements to take as I add water to the
mystery material.
• I can select the best equipment for the task and
use it accurately to measure the quantities involved.
• I can use scientific vocabulary to describe what
happens to the mystery material as water is added. I
can explain the processes involved when water is
added to the mystery material.
In this lesson children observe and measure the effects of adding increasing volumes of water
to quantities of a mystery material.
Children will be working scientifically by taking measurements, using a range of scientific
equipment, with increasing accuracy and precision, and taking repeat readings when
appropriate.
water jugs
measuring cylinders
pipettes
mystery material
Children to observe the mystery material and make detailed notes.
Add a small droplet of water to the mixture. Ask children to observe any changes.
‘How much water do you think it could absorb?’
Children to develop their own method of testing how much the mystery material grows when
water is added. Children should be encouraged to control variables and ensure a fair test.
Children to record results.
SS - Everyday Materials – L5