Material World
Grouping and classifying materials
greatlearning.com/ipc
Material World
Contents
Contents
2
Basic Information
3
Learning Goals
4
Assessment for Learning
6
The Entry Point
9
Knowledge Harvest
10
The Big Idea
11
Explaining The Theme
11
The Big Picture
12
Science Learning Goals
18
Science Task 1
19
Science Task 2
21
Science Task 3
24
Science Task 4
27
Science Task 5
30
Science Task 6
33
Science Extension Task
36
Technology Learning Goals
39
Technology Task
40
Technology Extension Task
43
International Learning Goals
46
International Task
47
International Extension Task
50
The Exit Point
52
Resources
53
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Material World
Basic Information
This section details the time allocation for this unit of work, links to other subjects and Assessment for
Learning opportunities.
Timings
This unit of work is intended to last about 3 ¼ weeks.
The following suggested timings are approximate guides and are dependent on each school's individual
context.
Entry Point, Knowledge Harvest, Explain the Theme
Science
Technology
International
Exit Point
No of Hours
4
10
4
4
4
No of Weeks
½
1¼
½
½
½
Links to other IPC subjects
ICT & Computing learning goals are included in the subject learning.
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Material World
Learning Goals
International Learning Goals
Children will:
2.01 Know about some of the similarities and differences between the different home countries and
between them and the host country
2.02 Know about ways in which these similarities and differences affect the lives of people
2.03 Be able to identify activities and cultures which are different from but equal to their own
Science Learning Goals
Children will:
2.01a Be able to carry out simple investigations
2.01b Be able to prepare a simple investigation which is fair, with one changing factor
2.01c Be able to predict the outcome of investigations
2.01d Be able to use simple scientific equipment
2.01e Be able to test ideas using evidence from observation and measurement
2.01f Be able to link evidence to broader scientific knowledge and understanding
2.01g Be able to use evidence to draw conclusions
2.02 Be able to gather information from simple texts
2.03 Understand the importance of collecting scientific evidence
2.04 Understand some of the effects of what they learn on people’-s lives
2.25 Know that some materials conduct electricity
2.26 Know that some materials conduct heat more effectively than others
2.27 Know that temperature is a measure of heat
2.31 Be able to compare common materials and objects according to their properties
2.32 Be able to distinguish between solids, liquids and gases
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Material World
2.34 Understand that different materials are suited for different purposes
2.35 Know about the principles of magnets and magnetic and non-magnetic materials
2.36 Be able to construct electrical circuits to make devices work
2.38 Know that forces can have direction
2.40 Know about the effects of friction
Technology Learning Goals
Children will:
2.02 Be able to design and make products to meet specific needs
2.03 Be able to make usable plans
2.04 Be able to make and use labelled sketches as designs
2.05 Be able to use simple tools and equipment with some accuracy
2.06 Be able to identify and implement improvements to their designs and products
2.07 Be able to identify the ways in which products in everyday use meet specific needs
ICT & Computing Opportunities
The table below shows you where you can cover the following ICT & Computing Learning Goals.
Task
International Task
Science Extension Task
Science Task 1
Science Task 3
Science Task 4
Science Task 5
Science Task 6
Technology Extension Task
Technology Task
Goals
2.4, 2.5
2.5, 2.7
2.4, 2.5
2.4, 2.5
2.4, 2.5, 2.7
2.5, 2.7
2.5, 2.7
2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7
2.4, 2.5, 2.7
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Material World
Assessment for Learning
Are your children busy, or are they busy learning? This is the question that we need to be able to answer
throughout each IPC unit – what improvements are being made to children’s learning as a result of
studying this theme?
There are three areas of learning to reflect on, and three types of learning to assess.
The Three Areas of Learning: Academic, Personal and International
The three areas include academic, personal and international learning. To reflect on these, you will need
access to the IPC Learning Goals for each subject (including International) and the IPC Personal Goals – a
list of these can be found in Appendix A of the IPC Implementation File. You can also find a full list of IPC
Learning Goals in the Assess section of the Members’ Lounge.
The Three Types of Learning: Knowledge, Skills and Understanding
The three types of learning include knowledge, skills and understanding. We believe that differentiating
between knowledge, skills and understanding is crucial to the development of children’s learning. We
also believe that knowledge, skills and understanding have their own distinct characteristics that impact
on how each is planned for, learned, taught, assessed and reported on. The implications of these
differences are therefore far-reaching and deserve proper consideration.
Knowledge refers to factual information. Knowledge is relatively straightforward to teach and assess
(through quizzes, tests, multiple choice, etc.), even if it is not always that easy to recall. You can ask your
children to research the knowledge they have to learn but you could also tell them the knowledge they
need to know. Knowledge is continually changing and expanding – this is a challenge for schools that
have to choose what knowledge children should know and learn in a restricted period of time.
The IPC does not provide examples of knowledge assessment (tests or exams) as the knowledge content of the
curriculum can be adapted to any national curricula requirements.
Skills refer to things children are able to do. Skills have to be learned practically and need time to be
practiced. The good news about skills is the more your practice, the better you get at them! Skills are also
transferable and tend to be more stable than knowledge – this is true for almost all school subjects.
The IPC supports skills tracking and assessment through the IPC Assessment for Learning Programme. This
programme includes Teachers’ Rubrics, Children’s Rubrics and Learning Advice.
Understanding refers to the development or ‘grasping’ of conceptual ideas, the ‘lightbulb’ moment that
we all strive for. Understanding is always developing.
The IPC units can’t assess understanding for you, but they do allow you to provide a whole range of different
experiences through which children’s understandings can deepen.
(Please note: as well as the IPC Assessment for Learning Programme, we also offer an online Assessment
Tracking Tool, developed in partnership with Classroom Monitor. Please email [email protected]
for more information on how to sign up to this tool.)
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Material World
Planning for Assessment
Once you have planned for the different IPC Learning Goals for each subject it is important to plan for
assessment opportunities within each unit of work. Assessment needs to be balanced but rigorous to
ensure that the children have learned what we planned for them to learn. The diagram below illustrates
the processes you may want to use to ensure this happens.
Helping Children Reflect on Their Own Learning
In addition to teacher assessment, it is also vital to include children in reflecting on their learning and
setting next steps for improvement. Ask the children to carry out self-assessments throughout each unit
(using the Children’s Rubrics to assess skills, and other methods chosen by the school for knowledge and
understanding).
They could use the following headings to list/make notes on their newly acquired knowledge, skills and
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Material World
understanding – ‘new things I now know’, ‘new things that I can do’ and ‘new things I am beginning to
understand’.
Ask the children to evaluate different aspects of their learning – what did they do well, what could
improve next time and how, what did they find the most/least interesting? How did they prefer to learn –
as an individual/in pairs/small groups/large groups/as a whole class? What was their preferred method of
researching and recording - writing/talking/making, etc.? This evaluation aspect will also support the
development of the IPC Personal Goals.
Further Information
For more information on assessment, and knowledge, skills and understanding, please refer to:
The IPC Implementation File
The Assessment for Learning Implementation File
The IPC Self-Review Process
Or contact the Membership Support team at [email protected]
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Material World
The Entry Point
The three Grouping and Classifying Materials units have been designed so that if your school works on
them at the same time you can share resources, knowledge and ideas across the different mileposts –
and you can come together to enjoy a whole-school entry and exit point.
For the entry point, we are going to make a sculpture using different materials or using just one type of
material, if you prefer (e.g. paper and card). Invite all the classes in the school to come together to decide
what their sculpture could be. It should represent the whole school community of children, teachers and
parents. Perhaps the sculpture could be based on the school emblem or motto, or re flect the local area in
some way. The material chosen could re flect the environment or the meaning of the sculpture, e.g. it
might re flect a local recycling issue or a global one (see the International Extension Task). The children
could be asked to submit their designs and ideas for consideration and selection. As part of the design
process, think also about where your sculpture could be placed – ideally, it will remain in the same place
until after the exit point.
When a final design or idea has been agreed upon, one class or group will need to have responsibility for
coordinating the work and collecting the materials that you are going to need. This could be decided by
ballot or the role given to older children in the school.
Try to use recycled or junk materials for the sculpture. Invite children to bring in discarded items from
home that could be reused as art. Alternatively, you might decide that the sculpture uses only naturallyfound materials from the local area. In this case, the children will have to go out on a ‘scavenger hunt’ for
suitable materials!
Each class or year group should be involved in making a part of the sculpture. For example, you could
divide the sculpture into sections and assign different sections to particular groups of children. This will
help give the children a sense of ownership and purpose that will underlie their involvement in the
whole sculpture.
How to join different materials together is going to be a chief concern and one which needs to be
addressed from the outset. Will you use rope, string, tape or glue? The method you choose will to a large
extent determine whether your sculpture can be displayed indoors or outdoors.
Make video recordings of the sculpture at various stages in its construction so that you can view the
videos in class and refer back to them for reference in your science and technology lessons later in the
unit. The children could go back to the sculpture during the course of the unit to add any new materials
as they discover them.
You could, if you wish, utilise the help of local artists who have experience of working on communitybased art projects. Display your sculpture in a public area in school or within the school grounds.
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Material World
Knowledge Harvest
Find a household item or toy that the children can take apart and then put back together again
afterwards. Bring this object to the knowledge harvest.
Invite the children to take the object apart carefully, piece by piece. As they do so, ask them to identify
each material and then group the pieces according to the type of material. For example, one group could
contain pieces made from plastic and another could contain metal pieces, and so on. Count the groups to
find out how many materials were used in the making of this object.
List the materials on the board and find out what the children know about these different materials
through questioning. You could ask:
What does this material feel like?
Is this material strong or weak (breakable)?
Why is this a good material to use for this purpose?
Look back at your list of materials. Can the children name any other materials not listed here? Invite
suggestions from the class.
Now invite the children to help you organise the materials into another grouping - materials that occur
naturally (e.g. wood, wool, cotton, silk, leather, oil, coal, rock) and those that are manmade (e.g.paper,
plastic, polystyrene, nylon, glass, bricks, concrete). As a home-learning task the children could find out
how one particular product or manmade material is produced and about the processes involved. Each
child could research a different product or material. There are useful websites listed at the back of unit.
(Links to the International Task later.)
Create a class mind map from the children’s ideas, observations and vocabulary about materials. You could
use mind-mapping software such as Inspiration 9 (inspiration.com/Kidspiration) or 2connect
(2simple.com), or download free software from the following website:
adrianbruce.com/computers/mindmap/mindmap.htm – Adrian Bruce website allows you to download
free mind-mapping software.
Display the mind map as your knowledge harvest in a prominent place in the classroom so that the
children can access it themselves and add to it as their learning develops.
Finally, you should ask the children what they themselves would like to know about materials. They could
write out their questions and then add them to the mind map.
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Material World
The Big Idea
Hundreds of different materials are used to make everyday objects. Some materials occur naturally, e.g.
wood from trees while others are manmade in factories, e.g. plastic. Some materials are magnetic; some
allow heat and electricity to pass through them. But with so many different materials to choose from, how
do we decide which to use?
Explaining The Theme
In Science, we’ll be finding out:
How and why different materials are used
How to test the properties of a material
About the uses for glass and plastic
About the metals that are attracted to magnets
Which materials allow electricity to pass through them
Which materials allow heat to pass through them
About solids, liquids and gases and the water cycle
How natural and manmade materials are different
In Technology, we’ll be finding out:
About moving mechanisms including gears, levers and linkages
How to design and make a product for a bicycle
In International, we’ll be finding out:
Where materials come from
Why plastic waste is a global problem and what we can do about it
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Material World
The Big Picture
What is a material?
A material is the substance used to make objects. Sometimes children confuse the word ‘material’ with
‘cloth’ or ‘fabric’. For the purpose of this unit, we have used the word ‘fabric’ when we are referring to
materials made from woven, knitted, or felted thread or fibres.
Properties you can test for
Materials have different properties that make them suitable or unsuitable for certain jobs. Here are some
of the properties you can test for:
Strength
Flexibility
Elasticity
Magnetic attraction
Lightness
Absorbency
Transparency
Conductivity to heat or electricity
Metals and their uses
Humans first used metals about 5,000 years ago. The first metals people used were those that occurred
naturally on the surface or were easy to mine and make into tools or jewellery, e.g. copper, silver and
gold. Later they learned to make alloys such as bronze (from tin and copper); they learned to extract iron
from ores and then to make steel.
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Material World
Plastic – a modern material
Perhaps the most significant modern material – in all its forms – has been plastic. Plastic is a general
word used to describe a range of synthetic products, made from natural materials such as oil or coal.
Celluloid was the first plastic, made in 1870 from wood (cellulose) by US inventor John Hyatt. But it was
the invention of Bakelite in 1909, the world’s first synthetic plastic by the US chemist Leo Baekeland that
started the modern plastics industry.
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Material World
Plastic is a synthetic material, non-magnetic, waterproof, corrosion-free. It is a poor electrical
conductor
Plastic is made from naturally-occurring materials
Plastic is widely used and has many modern applications
Plastic can be re-used or recycled. Some modern plastics are biodegradable
Remember…
Everyday materials vary in their properties – including hardness, strength and flexibility
We choose materials for a task on the basis of their properties
Some materials are better thermal insulators and electrical conductors than others
States of matter
Materials can generally exist in three states – solid, liquid, and gas.
Solid – a material that has a fixed shape and volume, e.g. if you put a solid into a container it will not
change shape
Liquid – a material that has a fixed volume but can change shape, e.g. if you pour liquid into a container it
will take the shape of the container
Gas – a material that can change in shape and volume, e.g. if you put gas into a container it will take the
shape of the container and fill it
Solids have molecules crammed together in a fixed shape – often a lattice. Liquids have molecules that
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Material World
are freer to move. When you pour milk into a bowl, the milk takes the shape of the bowl. You’d be
surprised if a packet of butter did the same, except on a hot day! Gases are free to move. They expand to
fill any space available.
Balloons can be filled with air – the air doesn’t collect at one end of the balloon.
Materials vocabulary
Alloy – a mix of two or more metals, e.g. bronze is made from tin and copper
Conductor – a material that allows electricity or heat to pass through
Impermeable – a rock or soil that does not allow water to pass through
Insulator – a material that does not allow electricity or heat to pass through
Malleable – a material that can be shaped easily
Opaque – a material that we cannot see through
Permeable – a rock or soil that allows water to pass through
Plastic – a modern synthetic material made by chemists from natural materials
Rigid – a material that cannot easily be shaped that allows only a little light to pass through
Transparent – a material that allows light to pass through
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Material World
Scientific Enquiry
Scientific enquiry
Scientific enquiry is the process of questioning, investigating, interpreting results, drawing conclusions,
communicating findings and re flecting on what we have discovered. It is the way we discover how the
world works. Scientific enquiry is ‘doing’ science.
Children should be actively involved in decision-making. In a science context this means having
opportunities to decide aspects of what they investigate and how to investigate.
Ways to investigate in science
There are many different types of scientific enquiry. Children need opportunities to explore and
familiarise themselves with this full range. Listed below are some common approaches to scientific
enquiry. Although not all of the methods are investigated during this unit, we have listed them here so
that you can get a big picture of the range of possible ways to ‘do’ enquiry science. The list is not
exhaustive.
1. Modelling
A model can be used to help children understand how a process works, or to explain ideas or a concept.
Some manufactured models can be useful, for example, you could use a weaving frame, a knitting kit or
felt-making kit to find out how fabrics can be woven, knitted or bonded. In this unit, we will be exploring
the materials that are made into everyday objects.
2. Pattern seeking
This method involves observing and recording natural events, or carrying out experiments where the
variables can’t easily be controlled. In pattern seeking, it is still important to note and record variables.
The investigator needs to try to identify patterns that result from these variables. This method is well
suited to studies of physical processes. For example, in this unit the children will discover that metals are
good at conducting heat and electricity.
3. Research
Researching in the scientific sense, involves gathering and analysing other people’s opinions or scientific
findings in order to answer a question or to provide background information to help explain observed
events. In the primary school, this might mean searching in non-fiction books, using the internet and
utilising experts in the community, for example, you could ask a product designer to come in to school to
talk to the children about the choices of materials used in the manufacture of different consumer
products.
4. Challenges
These sorts of investigations involve some kind of design task and/or a problem to solve. Challenges are
most often suited to the study of materials and physical processes. In such situations children apply their
scientific knowledge, skills and understanding to make (or design) something. Challenges can be very
effective and motivating assessment tasks. In this unit, the children will be faced with the challenge of
choosing appropriate materials to use to make an accessory for a bicycle.
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5. Fair testing
Fair testing finds relationships between factors (variables). A single variable is changed – this is the
variable you are testing. All other variables are kept the same, which is why it is said to be fair. Any
differences are said to be the result of the changed variable. So, if you wanted to test which material
(metal, wood, plastic, paper) is waterproof, the variable you should change is the type of material.
However, the way you carry out the test must be kept the same. Fair testing is particularly well suited to
investigations that record measurements. The fair test planning board (see below) will be useful for this
task.
6. Identifying and classifying
Identifying and classifying involves sorting objects or events into groups or categories, for example, you
could group materials as: absorbent or waterproof; hard or soft; magnetic or non-magnetic. In this unit,
the children will be identifying and classifying materials according to whether they are: strong or weak,
magnetic or non-magnetic, conductors or non-conductors of electricity and heat.
7. Observations
We can learn a great deal about the world around us from using our senses – through direct observation.
In this unit, the children will be observing the similarities and differences between materials and how the
properties of materials affect their use.
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Material World
Science Learning Goals
Children will:
2.01a Be able to carry out simple investigations
2.01b Be able to prepare a simple investigation which is fair, with one changing factor
2.01c Be able to predict the outcome of investigations
2.01d Be able to use simple scientific equipment
2.01e Be able to test ideas using evidence from observation and measurement
2.01f Be able to link evidence to broader scientific knowledge and understanding
2.01g Be able to use evidence to draw conclusions
2.02 Be able to gather information from simple texts
2.03 Understand the importance of collecting scientific evidence
2.04 Understand some of the effects of what they learn on people’-s lives
2.25 Know that some materials conduct electricity
2.26 Know that some materials conduct heat more effectively than others
2.27 Know that temperature is a measure of heat
2.31 Be able to compare common materials and objects according to their properties
2.32 Be able to distinguish between solids, liquids and gases
2.34 Understand that different materials are suited for different purposes
2.35 Know about the principles of magnets and magnetic and non-magnetic materials
2.36 Be able to construct electrical circuits to make devices work
2.38 Know that forces can have direction
2.40 Know about the effects of friction
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Material World
Science Task 1
Learning Goals
2.03 Understand the importance of collecting scientific evidence
2.04 Understand some of the effects of what they learn on people’-s lives
2.31 Be able to compare common materials and objects according to their properties
2.34 Understand that different materials are suited for different purposes
2.38 Know that forces can have direction
2.40 Know about the effects of friction
This task uses the following scientific enquiry methods:
Observations
Research
Identifying and classifying
Modelling
Research activity
In advance of the lesson, ask one of the children to bring a bicycle in to school for this task.
Hand out sticky labels to the children and invite them to label the different materials used
to make the bicycle, e.g. rubber for the tyres, steel for the frame and spokes, plastic for the
seat cover and reflectors, glass for the lamp, etc.
How many different materials have been used to make the bicycle? Why have these
particular materials been used?
Extension activity
Find out what is the best surface on which to ride a bicycle. Link to what the children know
about friction and forces - and riding bicycles! Refer also to the Milepost 2 science unit Feel
the Force. Invite the children to think about their own experiences. Ask them: is it easier to
ride on sand or on concrete? Is it easier to ride on tarmac or grass? Why?
Encourage the children to write down their own hypotheses about friction and then test to
see if they are right. Allow them to set up their own investigations. They could video their
experiment for review later.
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Recording activity
The children could draw a table to record their observations. See below.
Make a note of the children’s hypotheses and suggestions so that they can reflect on them
later and/or test them further in later tasks. One group of children could take a digital
photograph of the bicycle, annotate the image on the computer and then print out a copy
for display in the knowledge harvest.
As a class, review the videos the children made of their friction tests. What does the
evidence tell us about the best surface on which to ride a bicycle? The children should be
able to describe how friction works in their own words. For example: when two bumpy
surfaces meet an invisible force called friction holds them back and makes movement
difficult. When two smooth surfaces meet they slide and move easily over each other.
The children should also be able to describe how friction can stop the forwards movement
of the bicycle because it is pulling in the opposite direction.
Personal Goals
Communication
Cooperation
Enquiry
Thoughtfulness
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Material World
Science Task 2
Learning Goals
2.01a Be able to carry out simple investigations
2.01b Be able to prepare a simple investigation which is fair, with one changing factor
2.01c Be able to predict the outcome of investigations
2.01d Be able to use simple scientific equipment
2.01e Be able to test ideas using evidence from observation and measurement
2.01f Be able to link evidence to broader scientific knowledge and understanding
2.01g Be able to use evidence to draw conclusions
2.03 Understand the importance of collecting scientific evidence
2.04 Understand some of the effects of what they learn on people’-s lives
2.31 Be able to compare common materials and objects according to their properties
2.34 Understand that different materials are suited for different purposes
This task uses the following scientific enquiry methods:
Observations
Fair testing
Research
Identifying and classifying
Research activity
In the previous task, we observed that rubber was bendy; therefore, it was perfect for
making bicycle tyres. Steel was strong, perfect for the frame and spokes; and plastic was
soft, perfect for making a comfy seat.
Now ask the children to think about ways of testing materials to compare their properties
and uses.
Make a collection of materials for testing, which might include: steel, wood, rock, plastic
(hard and soft), paper, pottery, leather, cotton fabric, glass, etc. Help the children to devise
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their own tests of these materials. They could test for strength, hardness, weight,
absorbency, transparency, elasticity, flexibility, etc. (Note: Science Tasks 4, 5 and 6 will test
for magnetism and conductivity to electricity and heat.)
Divide the class into small groups. Each group could test for a different property. As much as
possible, you should encourage the children to follow their own ideas and methods for
testing. They could use the Fair Test Planning Board to help them plan their investigations.
Discuss any problems or issues the children might have. Make the children aware that
sometimes a fair test will prove difficult in a classroom situation when the materials
available are different weights and thicknesses.
The following example is just one way in which materials could be tested for strength:
I am investigating: Which material makes the strongest shopping bag – plastic, cotton or
paper?
I will change: The material used to make the bag
I will keep the same: Size of bag and weight of shopping inside each bag
I will measure and record: The maximum weight each bag can hold
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Recording activity
Ask the children to write about their investigation: what they did and what they discovered.
What conclusions can they draw from their results? For example, from the strength
investigation, the children could arrange the materials in increasing order of strength as
follows:
Paper -> Plastic -> Cotton
Try to compile the results from the different groups to produce a list of properties for each
material.
Now relate the properties of materials to their common uses. Ask the children to draw on
their own life experiences to think of some everyday examples. Consider ‘what if’ scenarios,
e.g. if you had to carry six litres of water, would you use a paper, plastic or cotton shopping
bag? Which material would be strong enough? Encourage the children to use the results
from their investigations to justify their answers to these scenarios.
Personal Goals
Communication
Cooperation
Enquiry
Thoughtfulness
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Material World
Science Task 3
Learning Goals
2.01a Be able to carry out simple investigations
2.01b Be able to prepare a simple investigation which is fair, with one changing factor
2.01c Be able to predict the outcome of investigations
2.01d Be able to use simple scientific equipment
2.01e Be able to test ideas using evidence from observation and measurement
2.01f Be able to link evidence to broader scientific knowledge and understanding
2.01g Be able to use evidence to draw conclusions
2.03 Understand the importance of collecting scientific evidence
2.04 Understand some of the effects of what they learn on people’-s lives
2.31 Be able to compare common materials and objects according to their properties
This task uses the following scientific enquiry methods:
Observations
Pattern seeking
Research
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Material World
Research activity
Refer back to the materials used to make the bicycle in Task 1. Ask the class: why was
plastic used to make the bicycle’s reflectors? Could glass have been used instead?
Divide the class into groups and give each group a plastic beaker and a glass beaker. Ask the
children to identify the properties of plastic and glass. Can they think of ways they might
compare and test the properties of plastic and glass? Encourage the children to try out their
own ideas as appropriate or, using a plastic beaker and a glassbeaker of approximately the
same size, they could test the following properties:
Transparency – place a textbook behind each beaker. Can you read the text? Which is
clearer/more transparent, or are they equally clear?
Weight – what is the difference in weight between the two beakers? Which is heavier?
Hardness – try a scratch test on the two beakers, e.g. scratch the surface with a steel
nail or rough stone. Which is harder: the plastic beaker or the glass beaker? Softer
materials will show scratch marks.
Safety note: the children should be supervised at all times when carrying out tests on the
glass beakers. As a precaution, the children should wear protective gloves and safety
goggles.
Organise the children into small groups for this research and ask them to record their
findings using written notes and diagrams.
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Material World
Recording activity
Discuss the children’s findings as a class. Try to apply what the children have learned from
their investigations to their everyday lives. For example, ask the children to consider some
common uses for glass and transparent hard plastic, both at home and in school. You will
find some examples in the classroom, e.g. windows, picture frames, TV and computer
screens, spectacle lenses, drinks bottles, etc. What are the similarities and differences in the
use of glass and plastic? Sometimes we can use either material, e.g. sunglasses can have
plastic or glass lenses. In which case, why might we choose one material over another?
The children could compare the properties and uses in a chart, see below:
Car windscreens have a layer of plastic (polyvinyl) sandwiched between layers of glass
to make them shatterproof. The children may have seen broken windscreens which
crack but don’t break into shards of glass. Similarly, glass panels found in doors in public
buildings (you may find examples in your school) are reinforced on the inside with a
layer of metal mesh.
Invite the children to add one small glass object and one small plastic object to the
materials sculpture.
The children could revise what they have learned about materials and their properties using
the following websites:
sciencekids.co.nz/gamesactivities/materialproperties.html –Science Kids website has
this science animation that allows you to test paper, fabric, rubber and glass for strength,
flexibility, absorbency and opacity.
bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks2/science/materials/material_properties/play – BBC Bitesize
website encourages you to select the wrong materials to build a spaceship and spoil the
plans of the evil Androvax!
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Material World
Personal Goals
Communication
Cooperation
Enquiry
Thoughtfulness
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Material World
Science Task 4
Learning Goals
2.01a Be able to carry out simple investigations
2.01b Be able to prepare a simple investigation which is fair, with one changing factor
2.01c Be able to predict the outcome of investigations
2.01d Be able to use simple scientific equipment
2.01e Be able to test ideas using evidence from observation and measurement
2.01f Be able to link evidence to broader scientific knowledge and understanding
2.01g Be able to use evidence to draw conclusions
2.02 Be able to gather information from simple texts
2.03 Understand the importance of collecting scientific evidence
2.04 Understand some of the effects of what they learn on people’-s lives
2.34 Understand that different materials are suited for different purposes
2.35 Know about the principles of magnets and magnetic and non-magnetic materials
This task uses the following scientific enquiry methods:
Observations
Fair testing
Pattern seeking
Research
Identifying and classifying
Research activity
Make a collection of objects made of different materials: glass, rock, pottery, paper, plastic,
fabric and a magnetic metal. You will also need a variety of small magnets, e.g. bar,
horseshoe, circle and button magnets.
Ask the children what they think ‘magnetic’ means. They might say it’s like an invisible ‘pull’
or ‘force’. They may have noticed that magnets can act at a distance and this is different
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Material World
from some other forces that need to have contact. Make a note of the children’s definitions
so that you can help them to reflect on their answers later. Can they predict which of
the materials are magnetic and which are not? Again, make a note of their ideas and
hypotheses. Now ask the children to test the objects to find out if their hypotheses are
correct. They should sort the objects into two sets or groups: ‘attracted to magnets’ and ‘not
attracted to magnets’.
The children will discover that non-metals are not magnetic. However, they might assume
from this that all metals are magnetic when they are not. Pose the question to the class: are
all metals attracted to magnets? Invite the children to find out for themselves.
They should test a variety of metals which might include: an iron nail, steel screw or paper
clip, stainless steel spoon, copper wire, silver ring, aluminium foil or can, copper and silvercoloured coins, etc. The children should then group the metals on the basis of whether they
are attracted to a magnet or not.
Using bar magnets, they could also find out which ends of the magnet (these are called the
‘north pole’ and the ‘south pole’) attract or repel each other.
Extension activities
Older children in the age group could investigate how the strength of a magnet (i.e. the
pull or the force) is affected when different materials are placed between the magnet
and the magnetic object. Try sheets of paper, plastic or glass, and observe what happens.
Encourage the children to devise their own fair tests of these different materials.
As a classroom-based research task or a take-home task, the children could find out how
magnetic materials are used. They could look for examples in their homes or research in
books and on the internet for a variety of everyday uses for magnets, e.g. fridge
magnets, door magnets, screwdrivers, jewellery, compasses, magnetic toys (Brio trains),
credit cards, etc.
Find out about the dangers of magnets, e.g. to children if swallowed and to people with
pacemakers. Magnets can damage TVs and magnetic storage media such as floppy disks,
credit cards and computer hard drives.
Find out how recycling factories use magnets to sort out tin cans from aluminium cans.
Tin cans have only a thin layer of tin on the outside; beneath this is a layer of steel. The
children could try sorting cans for themselves using magnets.
The following videos and website provide useful facts about magnets and recycling
materials:
youtube.com/watch?v=hcORdjvxvDg – YouTube has this video about magnets: how they
work and their uses.
youtube.com/watch?v=5C-RM4fh5Xg – this Science Bucket video provides a lesson
about magnets.
youtube.com/watch?v=rnfcAY6DUFA – YouTube has this video that shows you how
recyclables are sorted.
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Material World
(To watch a YouTube video in safe mode, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the ‘safety’ tab which brings up the
‘Safety mode’ information. Under this section, select the ‘on’ option, then click ‘save’)
Recording activity
Invite the children to reflect on their initial hypotheses and definitions about magnetism. Do
they need to adjust their ideas within the knowledge harvest in view of their results?
The children should record the results of their scientific investigations in tables. They will
discover that only a few metals (i.e. iron, steel, nickel, cobalt) are attracted to magnets.
Copper, silver, aluminium and some alloys (those that contain little or no iron or steel) are
not magnetic.
They should be able to describe and identify magnets as having two ends or poles. They
should know that magnets will attract each other when opposite poles (north/south) are
facing, or repel each other when like poles (south/south or north/north) are facing. They
could record this finding as a diagram and be able to predict this outcome.
The results of your research into the different uses of magnets could form a pictorial display
or the children could collect objects that contain magnets and display these as part of the
knowledge harvest and/or add them to the materials sculpture.
Personal Goals
Adaptability
Communication
Cooperation
Enquiry
Resilience
Thoughtfulness
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Material World
Science Task 5
Learning Goals
2.01a Be able to carry out simple investigations
2.01b Be able to prepare a simple investigation which is fair, with one changing factor
2.01c Be able to predict the outcome of investigations
2.01d Be able to use simple scientific equipment
2.01e Be able to test ideas using evidence from observation and measurement
2.01f Be able to link evidence to broader scientific knowledge and understanding
2.01g Be able to use evidence to draw conclusions
2.03 Understand the importance of collecting scientific evidence
2.25 Know that some materials conduct electricity
2.26 Know that some materials conduct heat more effectively than others
This task uses the following scientific enquiry methods:
Observations
Fair testing
Pattern seeking
Research
Challenges
Identifying and classifying
Research activity
In the last task, the children found out that some materials (metals such as iron and steel)
were magnetic and because of this special property these materials were useful to us. There
is another force, similar to magnetism, called electricity. Introduce the task by identifying
common appliances that are powered by electricity. Look for examples in the classroom, e.g.
computer, light bulb, battery-operated wall clock, projector, camera. Think about examples
in the home, e.g. refrigerator, TV, cooker, air conditioning, etc. Electricity can travel through
some materials but not through others. In this next task, invite the children to investigate
electricity and materials.
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Material World
Show the children some basic components that we can use to make electrical circuits, e.g.
batteries (or cells), wires, bulbs, switches, buzzers, etc. Can they identify and name the
parts? Start by making a simple series circuit with a battery, wires, a light bulb and a switch.
The children should know that a switch opens and closes the circuit to turn the light on or
off.
Now make a simple circuit with a battery, a bulb and two electrical wires. Tell the children
they are going to find out which materials will allow electricity to flow through them. Ask
the children if they can think of a way of testing this. Can they find out what scientific word
is used to describe materials that allow electricity to pass through them? And what
word describes materials that block electricity?
Teacher’s note: this task links to the Milepost 2 science unit Bright Sparks, Science Tasks 1
and 2.
The children will need to attach the material they are testing to this simple electrical circuit.
The bulb in the circuit will light up if the material allows electricity to pass though it.
They could test the following materials: metal spoon (or key), plastic spoon, wooden spoon,
metal coin, eraser, aluminium foil, fabric, cardboard, etc. Ask the children to devise a test
that will investigate these different materials.
The following website is useful for research about electrical conductors and/or revision.
bbc.co.uk/schools/ks2bitesize/science/physical_processes/circuits_conductors/play.shtml
– BBC Schools website has animation software that will help with the children’s revision
of electrical conductors.
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Material World
Recording activity
The children should discover from their investigation that materials which allow electricity
to pass through them are called ‘conductors’. Materials which do not allow electricity to pass
through them are called ‘insulators’.
The children could arrange the materials they tested into two distinct groups: ‘conductors’
and ‘insulators’.
Can the children apply what they have learned about conductors and insulators to their own
or other people’s lives and experiences? Here they might talk about plastic casings used to
insulate electrical components, coatings around electrical wires and lightning conductors,
etc.
Technology link: together with the children, you could take apart a bicycle lamp to see how
it works. Now invite the children to make their own light or bell for a bicycle. See
Technology Task later in the unit.
Personal Goals
Adaptability
Communication
Cooperation
Enquiry
Resilience
Thoughtfulness
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Material World
Science Task 6
Learning Goals
2.01a Be able to carry out simple investigations
2.01b Be able to prepare a simple investigation which is fair, with one changing factor
2.01c Be able to predict the outcome of investigations
2.01d Be able to use simple scientific equipment
2.01e Be able to test ideas using evidence from observation and measurement
2.01f Be able to link evidence to broader scientific knowledge and understanding
2.01g Be able to use evidence to draw conclusions
2.03 Understand the importance of collecting scientific evidence
2.04 Understand some of the effects of what they learn on people’-s lives
2.26 Know that some materials conduct heat more effectively than others
2.27 Know that temperature is a measure of heat
2.34 Understand that different materials are suited for different purposes
This task uses the following scientific enquiry methods:
Observations
Fair testing
Research
Identifying and classifying
Research activity
Refer the children to the findings from the previous task, i.e. metals are conductors of
electricity; they allow electricity to pass through them easily.
Ask the class if they think metals are also good conductors of heat. Invite the children’s
suggestions and ask them to explain their ideas.
What do the children already know about materials and heat? Try to use examples from
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Material World
their existing knowledge. For instance, you could ask: why do we make saucepans from
metal?
Metal allows the heat to reach the food more quickly. Some saucepans have a copper base
because copper is one of the best heat conductors. (Silver is better though, so why isn’t
silver used? Because it is too expensive.)
What materials do we use to make saucepan handles, and why? Saucepan handles are often
made from plastic or wood because these materials are good insulators; they don’t allow
heat to pass through them easily so we don’t burn our hands.
Ask the children to find out through investigation more about how materials conduct heat.
You will need:
Metal cup
Polystyrene cup
Porcelain cup
Warm drink
Cooking thermometer
Safety note: the teacher should demonstrate this investigation to the class and supervise
the children closely during this activity. The children will need to take care when touching
the metal cup or the warm drink.
Discuss with the class how you could use these items to carry out a fair test. What will you
change each time? (the type of cup) What will stay the same? (The drink must be the same
temperature when poured into the cups; the temperature should be recorded at the same
time intervals.)
1. Pour a warm drink into each of the cups. Measure the temperature of the drink at
intervals.
2. Which drink cools down the quickest? Why?
3. Where has the heat from the drink gone?
The drink was cooled by the surrounding air and by the cup. Metal is a good conductor so
the heat from the drink will have passed quickly into the metal cup, making it warm to
touch. However, heat did not pass quickly through the polystyrene cup; polystyrene is a
good insulator so this kept the drink warmer for longer.
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Material World
Recording activity
Ask the children what would be appropriate ways of recording the falling temperature of
the drink and the time taken. They might suggest a bar chart or line graph. Allow the
children to use their preferred method and then compare these. Which method presents the
findings in the clearest way?
The children should be able to conclude from this that the drink that cools down the
quickest is from the cup that is the best conductor of heat.
Can the children relate these findings to their own and other people’s lives and
experiences? For example, they might have used hot-water bottles, flasks, or take-away
cardboard cups for hot drinks, etc.
The children could add one insulating material and one material that is a good conductor of
heat to the materials sculpture.
Personal Goals
Adaptability
Communication
Cooperation
Enquiry
Resilience
Thoughtfulness
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Material World
Science Extension Task
Learning Goals
2.01a Be able to carry out simple investigations
2.01b Be able to prepare a simple investigation which is fair, with one changing factor
2.01c Be able to predict the outcome of investigations
2.01d Be able to use simple scientific equipment
2.01e Be able to test ideas using evidence from observation and measurement
2.01f Be able to link evidence to broader scientific knowledge and understanding
2.01g Be able to use evidence to draw conclusions
2.02 Be able to gather information from simple texts
2.03 Understand the importance of collecting scientific evidence
2.04 Understand some of the effects of what they learn on people’-s lives
2.27 Know that temperature is a measure of heat
2.32 Be able to distinguish between solids, liquids and gases
Extension activity
This task uses the following scientific enquiry methods:
Observations
Pattern seeking
Research
Identifying and classifying
Modelling
Refer back to the previous science tasks and the different ways in which you have
grouped materials: magnetic and non-magnetic; conductors and insulators; metals and nonmetals.
We can also group materials according to whether they are solids, liquids or gases.
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Material World
The children may already know what these terms mean if they have completed the Milepost
1 unit, Freeze It! Can the children think of any examples of materials that are solids,
liquids and gases?
If they haven’t met these terms before you could start by asking the children what they had
for breakfast: did they have any solids, liquids or gases? They might have had bread or cereal
– these are solids. Milk and juice are liquids. If they had a fizzy (carbonated) drink then they
would have swallowed some gas as well! Ask them to take a big gulp of air – now they’ve
swallowed some more gas. Air is a type of gas.
Draw a three-column chart on the board (or computer) headed: solids, liquids and gases, and
ask the children to fill in the chart with examples. Look at the materials in each column and
discuss what they have in common. For example, we can feel solids and they have a shape.
Liquids flow and we can pour them. Gases are often invisible, and we don’t often feel them
but we can sometimes smell them.
Note: most materials can exist in all three states but it is difficult to investigate some
of these in the classroom. Water is one of the easiest to work with and because it links to
the water cycle the children can also relate to this in their everyday lives.
Circle ‘water’ on the chart. The children have probably written it in the ‘liquids’ column. Tell
the children they are going to be ‘Weather Wizards’ and they are going to make
some weather using water.
You will need:
Transparent heatproof bowl
Hot water
A few ice cubes
Cling film
Cooking thermometer
Safety note: the teacher should boil the water in a kettle and pour it into the bowl. The
children should be supervised closely during this activity.
1. Pour the hot water into the bowl so it is about a third full.
2. Take the temperature of the water using a cooking thermometer. At this point it
will be a little less than boiling point (100 degrees Centigrade).
3. Cover the top of the bowl with cling film.
4. Put two or three ice cubes on top of the cling film.
5. What happens and why?
The water in the bowl was very hot (recall the temperature) so some of it evaporated
into vapour (which is a gas). When the warm vapour touched the cling film it cooled
quickly (this is called condensation) and it turned back into water.
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Material World
Tell the children they have made a ‘water cycle’ – with clouds and rainfall!
Sometimes rain turns to ice and we get hailstones or snow. How does this happen? The
children should be aware that hailstones and snow are associated with freezing air
temperatures (at 0 degrees Centigrade or below).
The children should draw a diagram of the water cycle experiment, labelling the following:
Hot water
Warm vapour rising
Cold ice
Rain falling
They should be able to relate their experiment to what happens in real life: the sun
heats the sea, water evaporates into the air, condenses to form clouds and falls as rain,
or freezes to fall as snow, before finally melting into water again... and the whole
process begins once more.
Now the children should be able to put water in all three columns in the chart from their
research (above). Water as ‘ice’ in the solids column, water as ‘liquid’ in the liquids
column and water as ‘vapour’ in the gas column.
Personal Goals
Adaptability
Communication
Cooperation
Enquiry
Thoughtfulness
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Material World
Technology Learning Goals
Children will:
2.02 Be able to design and make products to meet specific needs
2.03 Be able to make usable plans
2.04 Be able to make and use labelled sketches as designs
2.05 Be able to use simple tools and equipment with some accuracy
2.06 Be able to identify and implement improvements to their designs and products
2.07 Be able to identify the ways in which products in everyday use meet specific needs
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Material World
Technology Task
Learning Goals
2.02 Be able to design and make products to meet specific needs
2.05 Be able to use simple tools and equipment with some accuracy
2.06 Be able to identify and implement improvements to their designs and products
2.07 Be able to identify the ways in which products in everyday use meet specific needs
Research activity
Recall what you learned about the bicycle in Science Task 1. Now invite the children to take
a closer look at the technology involved in bicycle design.
To start the task, ask the children to consider how bicycles have changed over the years.
Enter ‘bicycles’ into a computer search engine to look for images. Since the first European
‘boneshakers’ and James Starley’s penny-farthing in the 1870s, bicycle design has evolved to
the point where bikes are now much lighter and faster than ever before. This is due mainly
to the use of materials such as aluminium in the frame, which is strong but lighter in weight
than other metals. (It might be interesting to compare the weight of a penny-farthing to that
of a racing bike today.) The bicycle and the rider are more streamlined too – the children
could research the latest cycling gear and aerodynamically-designed helmets. Notice the
smooth materials and pointed shapes designed to slice through the air. (Links to
the Technology Extension Task.)
For the next part of this task, you will need to examine a real bicycle. You could ask the
children to bring their bicycles in to school for this lesson. Ask the children to find the
following mechanisms on a bicycle:
Cogs (gears) – these are found behind the pedals and are linked to the back wheel by a
chain
Levers – these control the hand brakes and the bike stand
Electrical circuits – these control the lights to switch them on and off
Control program – this could be a programmable light sensor that turns flashing warning
lights on when it goes dark
Friction pads – these press against the wheels to stop them turning
Linkages – these mechanisms are found in the suspension and frame
Do the children know how the gears on a bicycle work? They should be able to tell you that
changing gears makes the bicycle speed up or slow down. But how do gears work?
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Material World
Use a construction kit or make a set of cardboard gears of different sizes and connect them
together to observe the speed at which they rotate and count the number of rotations they
make.
Note: you can make your own gears from card (see links below) but these will need to be
accurately cut so the use of construction kits is a good alternative.
hometrainingtools.com/a/gears-young-science-explorers-newsletter – Home Training
Tools website has instructions for making a set of gears and a PDF template – see
below.
hometrainingtools.com/media/reference/Gears.pdf – Home Training Tools has simple
gear templates that you can use to make paper gears.
Try connecting a 10-tooth gear with a 20-tooth gear to see what happens. The smaller (10tooth) gear will turn twice as fast and will fully rotate twice. (The penny-farthing didn’t have
gears – just a large wheel and a small wheel and a pedal to connect them. Riding one must
have been hard work!)
Challenge the children to create simple working models to show how the different parts of
a bicycle work. You could divide the children into groups for this activity, assigning each
group a part of the bicycle to construct. Set a design challenge to see which group creates
the best working model.
The children, working in different groups, could try creating models to show:
How the large gear behind a bicycle’s pedal moves the small gear on the back wheel
How the levers that control the hand brakes and the bike stand work
How the electrics on a bicycle work – refer to the Milepost 2 science unit Bright Sparks
How the brake pads apply friction on the wheel to stop it from turning
How linkages work to connect parts together in a bike’s suspension
Agree on the design criteria with each group beforehand so that there is no confusion about
what it is they are expected to do. This will vary depending on the age and ability of the
children in your class.
The following videos are also a useful starting point for research:
amazon.com – Amazon website sells a Gears, Lights and Action building set
from Learning Resources.
vimeo.com/30206625 – the Children’s Museum of Houston has this video that
demonstrates how gears work.
sciencekids.co.nz/videos/physics/gears.html – Hila Science has this video that explains
how the gears on a bicycle work.
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Material World
Recording activity
Allow for a degree of trial-and-error in the construction process for this task, particularly if
the children haven’t explored some of these mechanical devices before. You could video
the children as they make their models.
Invite the children to comment on each other’s models. Do they work as they were intended
to and do they follow the design criteria set out in the challenge? Can any improvements be
made? Set aside a little time to allow for these adjustments. The children could then vote
on which model they think works the best.
The children could display and demonstrate their working models at the exit point.
Personal Goals
Adaptability
Communication
Cooperation
Enquiry
Resilience
Thoughtfulness
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Material World
Technology Extension Task
Learning Goals
2.02 Be able to design and make products to meet specific needs
2.03 Be able to make usable plans
2.04 Be able to make and use labelled sketches as designs
2.05 Be able to use simple tools and equipment with some accuracy
2.06 Be able to identify and implement improvements to their designs and products
2.07 Be able to identify the ways in which products in everyday use meet specific needs
Extension activity
Recall the previous task and the materials used to make the bicycle.
In this Extension Task, you are going to draw on the children’s new science learning to
challenge the children to make either an accessory for a child’s bicycle, or an item of safety
clothing for the rider.
Talk about the different accessories designed for bicycles, e.g. lights, drinks holders,
panniers, baskets, bells, mirrors, reflective decorations, flags, furry seat covers, doll or teddy
seats, etc. What items of safety clothing do riders wear? Talk about helmets, knee and elbow
pads, reflective patches, bicycle clips, etc. Find out what materials are commonly used to
make these items, and why. The children could do some product research in mail order
catalogues and online stores to evaluate a range of existing products.
New products and designs are emerging on the market all the time. Research some of the
latest products that rely on control technologies in order for them to work and keep cyclists
safe on the road. For example, the ‘See Sense’ bike light responds to changes in light levels
to ensure that cyclists can be seen clearly by traffic and pedestrians. This type of product
uses a ‘sensing’ control system to respond to changes in the environment. For teachers
wanting to explore control systems in more detail, it is useful to refer to the big picture and
ICT tasks in the Milepost 3 unit Switched on. It is also possible to create control sequences
using Scratch - this enables children to program a set of instructions to give a particular
output. For more information on Scratch please refer to the Milepost 2 unit Digital Gamers.
The following websites offer information and videos about See Sense and Scratch:
kickstarter.com/projects/1670187625/seesense-the-intelligent-bike-light-with-roadsens – this website shows a short video explaining how the See Sense bike light
uses sensors to respond to changes in the environment.
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Material World
scratch.mit.edu – this website includes more information about Scratch and how it can
be used with your children.
Discuss the children’s product ideas as a class by linking back to their learning from
the science tasks, and talk about the different materials they would need to source to make
these products. You could leave the children free to choose their own materials or you
could challenge them to create a product that uses at least one or two of the following
materials:
Magnet - can be used to attach items
Mirror - can reduce the cyclist’s ‘blind spots’
Reflective material - can be seen at night
Velcro (or magnetic) fastening - can be used for joining materials
Electrical materials (battery, bulb, wires) - simple circuits can be used for lights
and alarms
Recycled plastic item - can help to reduce unnecessary waste (Link to the International
Extension Task.)
Together with the children, decide on the design criteria for the product before
beginning work. Above all, the children’s design needs to be innovative and functional. If
you decide to include a simple electrical circuit, you can refer to the Milepost 2 science
unit Bright Sparks for information on how to do this.
The children could work as individuals or as a small group to create prototypes for their
products. You could invite the children to bring their bicycles in to school so that they
can custom-make their products to fit their own bicycle.
Ask the children to sketch out their design ideas on paper first, or you could use computeraided design software. The children should annotate their sketches in detail, specifying the
materials they will need and why they are suitable for the task. They should also be aware of
ways in which they can strengthen or reinforce materials as necessary. Encourage the
children to select from a wide range of tools and equipment to cut, shape, join and finish
their products accurately.
Invite the children to comment on each other’s designs. Will their ideas work and do
they meet the design criteria you agreed at the start of the task? Have they chosen
appropriate materials for the job? The children should make any necessary adjustments to
their designs before starting production.
You could, if you wish, contact a local bicycle shop or bicycle manufacturer to invite them to
judge the children’s product ideas and provide useful feedback. Display the
children’s design ideas and their finished products for the parents to see at the exit point
activity.
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Material World
Personal Goals
Adaptability
Communication
Cooperation
Enquiry
Resilience
Thoughtfulness
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Material World
International Learning Goals
Children will:
2.01 Know about some of the similarities and differences between the different home countries and
between them and the host country
2.02 Know about ways in which these similarities and differences affect the lives of people
2.03 Be able to identify activities and cultures which are different from but equal to their own
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Material World
International Task
Learning Goals
2.01 Know about some of the similarities and differences between the different home countries and
between them and the host country
2.02 Know about ways in which these similarities and differences affect the lives of people
2.03 Be able to identify activities and cultures which are different from but equal to their own
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Material World
Research activity
Refer to the knowledge harvest and list all the materials the children have learned about so
far in this unit. Consider also the materials used in the sculpture from the entry point and
include these in the list.
Now pose the question to the class: where in the world do these materials come from? Link
back to the home-learning task (see knowledge harvest) and recall how some materials are
manmade, e.g. plastic, and others occur naturally, e.g. wood. The children could present
what they have learned from their research to the rest of the class.
Consider where your country or locality obtains the following common materials from:
Wood
Glass
Cotton
Silk
Wool
Iron
Steel
Plastic
Paper
Pottery
Leather
Rubber
Rock
As a home-learning task, ask the children to find out the answers to the following questions:
Which materials are produced in the host country and how are they made?
Are any materials produced locally? E.g. are there any local sawmills, quarries,
glassworks, steel works? Consider traditional crafts also.
If not, where are these materials produced and how?
The children could make comparisons with their home countries, if appropriate, or other
countries they have learned about. Encourage the children to locate the countries they
research on world maps and globes.
In addition, a visit to a local factory that produces a common material would be a great
learning experience for this topic.
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Material World
Recording activity
Create a ‘Material World’ classroom display to include samples of materials, photographs,
drawings and information about common materials and the places/countries that supply
these materials.
How does the availability or non-availability of certain materials affect the lives of people in
the countries the children have researched? Some countries may suffer from a lack of useful
material resources, e.g. they might have to import expensive iron and steel materials for
manufacturing and building work. This will leave them with less money to spend in
other areas.
Are the host and home countries different or similar with regard to the availability of useful
materials, and how does this affect people in these countries? Venn diagrams could be
useful for making comparisons here. See the example below:
Personal Goals
Adaptability
Communication
Cooperation
Enquiry
Respect
Thoughtfulness
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Material World
International Extension Task
Learning Goals
2.03 Be able to identify activities and cultures which are different from but equal to their own
Extension activity
Put a clean, empty plastic drinks bottle in the classroom waste bin. Ask the children,
what will happen to this plastic bottle when it leaves our classroom? Will it go into
landfill or will it be recycled? (Recap or explain what these terms mean.) You may already
recycle your school waste – if so, recall why recycling is good for the planet. Older children
in the age group could find out what percentage of your country’s waste is recycled and
how much goes to landfill. Could we recycle more?
Divide the children into four groups called: Rethink, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Give
each group a collection of products made of different materials that are commonly thrown
out in the waste. For each item in the collection, the children should apply these words:
Rethink – Is this material/product eco-friendly?
Reduce – Can we reduce our use of this material/product?
Reuse – Can we reuse this material/product?
Recycle – Can we recycle this material/product?
Recall any prior learning from previous IPC units and, in their groups, ask the children to talk
about their ideas. Then they could record their answers in drawings or words.
Plastic is not a natural material – it is made using oil and coal, which are nonrenewable resources. Plastic is difficult to recycle because there are over one hundred
different types of plastic and each type has to be treated differently. But can we reuse
plastic? Together with the children, think of ways in which plastic products can be reused.
For example, we can reuse empty margarine tubs as pencil containers, lunch boxes or toy
sailing boats!
Now challenge the children to think of a creative way of making a new product from a
waste plastic drinks bottle (or any other plastic product). Ask them: how could this
activity help the planet? Try to make the connection between reducing waste and saving
the planet’s resources. You could involve the whole school, particularly if the other
mileposts are working on the Grouping and Classifying Materials units at the same time.
The following websites are useful for research:
practicalaction.org/plastics-challenge-teachers – Practical Action website has
information and video resources for teachers about possible solutions to plastic waste.
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Material World
youtube.com/watch?v=lz4JyAPQwG0 – YouTube has this video from Mindset Learn
about recycling and reusing materials.
youtube.com/watch?v=wwHXnTj4Grs – YouTube has this video that explains how to
make a decorative cup from a plastic bottle.
youtube.com/watch?v=MZrUW4DAfvw – YouTube has this video that shows you how to
make a vase from a plastic bottle.
(To watch a YouTube video in safe mode, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the ‘safety’ tab which brings up the
‘Safety mode’ information. Under this section, select the ‘on’ option, then click ‘save’)
The children could share their ideas with the parents at the exit point.
Personal Goals
Adaptability
Communication
Cooperation
Enquiry
Morality
Respect
Thoughtfulness
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Material World
The Exit Point
Refer back to the knowledge harvest – have you answered all the questions the children had at the start
of the unit? Have you discovered any new materials during your research? If so, you could think about
ways in which you could add these to the sculpture you made at the entry point. Or, you might want to
replace some of the original materials you used with other materials you have now learned about.
When the sculpture is complete you could invite the parents to a whole-school grand unveiling party!
Challenge the parents to identify the different materials and objects you have used in the sculpture. You
could have a competition to see who can identify the most materials.
Alongside this event, set up a ‘Marvellous Materials’ exhibition with the children creating their own
stands. They could design posters and decorations for their stands, to highlight their science research and
showcase what they have made with different materials in technology. If the children took part in the
plastics challenge for the International Extension Task then they could display their ideas for rethinking,
reducing, reusing and recycling plastic waste and explain how this could help the planet.
Milepost 1 children could demonstrate how they tested materials in different ways. They could also
display their 3D model designs for their classroom makeover.
Milepost 2 children could explain how the property of a material affects its usefulness. They could also
display and explain how they made their bicycle accessories and safety clothing.
Milepost 3 children could report on the history and science of our use of materials. They could also
demonstrate their treasure-detectors, and put on a fashion show(refer to Science Task 6).
Encourage the visitors to ask questions about your discoveries and make the whole event as interactive
and fun as possible for both children and parents alike.
The IPC community would love to see examples of your learning, in any subject, at any stage of the
learning process. If you have any pictures or stories you would like to share please visit our Facebook
page at facebook.com/InternationalPrimaryCurriculum, tweet @The_IPC or email
[email protected].
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Material World
Resources
For this unit, you will need some, but not necessarily all, of the following:
Equipment
Everyday objects made from a variety of materials:
Wood (e.g. spoon, ruler)
Metal (e.g. spoon, key, paper clip)
Magnetic metal (e.g. iron nail, steel screw)
Hard plastic (e.g. toothbrush, beaker)
Soft plastic (e.g. carrier bag, bin bag)
Glass (e.g. marble, beaker)
Rubber (e.g. eraser, elastic band, balloon)
Pottery (e.g. mug, saucer, ornament)
Polystyrene (e.g. packaging)
Fabric (e.g. wool, cotton, silk)
Wax (e.g. candle)
Rock (e.g. slate tile)
Paper (e.g. book, newspaper)
Leather (e.g. shoe)
Magnetic items, e.g. toy, compass, fridge magnet
For the scratch test: rough stone, iron nail
Plastic beaker and glass beaker (approximately the same size)
Metal cup, polystyrene cup, porcelain cup
Battery, electrical wires and bulb to make a simple circuit
Magnet
Hand-magnifier
Sorting hoops or trays
Bicycle lamp or light
Product catalogues for reference
World map or globe
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Material World
Cooking thermometer
Clock or timer
Sticky tape
Scissors
Video camera
Digital camera
Software:
Presentation software, e.g. Microsoft PowerPoint
Mind-mapping software such as Inspiration 9
Links
http://www.adrianbruce.com/computers/mindmap/mindmap.htm
Adrian Bruce website allows you to download free mind-mapping software.
http://www.amazon.com
Amazon website sells a Gears, Lights and Action building set from Learning Resources.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks2/science/materials/material_properties/play/
BBC Bitesize website encourages you to select the wrong materials to build a spaceship and
spoil the plans of the evil Androvax!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/materials-and-their-uses/2160.html
BBC Learning Zone website has this video that shows materials being turned into useful
products.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks2bitesize/science/physical_processes/
BBC Schools website has animation software that will help with the children’-s revision of
electrical conductors.
http://classroom.materials.ac.uk/scanbot.php
Classroom Materials website has Scan-Bot: a game that allows you to check out the
materials in a typical home.
http://classroom.materials.ac.uk/quiz1.php
Classroom Materials website has this quiz about materials and their uses.
http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/videos/physics/gears.html
Hila Science has this video that explains how the gears on a bicycle work.
http://www.hometrainingtools.com/media/reference/Gears.pdf www.
hometrainingtools.com/media/reference/Gears.pdf
Home Training Tools has simple gear templates that you can use to make
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Material World
http://www.hometrainingtools.com/a/gears-young-science-explorers- newsletter/
Home Training Tools website has instructions for making a set of gears and
http://www.icteachers.co.uk/children/sats/science_materials.htm
IC Teachers website has information for children about natural and manmade materials.
http://practicalaction.org/plastics-challenge-teachers
Practical Action website has information and video resources for teachers about possible
solutions to plastic waste.
http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/gamesactivities/materialproperties.html
Science Kids website has this science animation that allows you to test paper, fabric, rubber
and glass for strength, flexibility, absorbency and opacity.
http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/magnets.html
ScienceKids website has some useful facts about magnets.
http://vimeo.com/30206625
The Children’-s Museum of Houston has this video that demonstrates how gears work
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bENYFXjr9W0
The History Channel has this video of the history of the paper clip and its uses.
http://www.usborne-quicklinks.com
The Usborne website has links to websites about materials.
http://scratch.mit.edu
This website includes more information about Scratch and how it can be used with your
children
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1670187625/seesense-the- intelligent-bike-lightwith-road-sens
This website shows a short video explaining how the See Sense bike light
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcORdjvxvDg
YouTube has this video about magnets: how they work and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lz4JyAPQwG0
YouTube has this video from Mindset Learn about recycling and reusing materials.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcMoZLlF0k4
YouTube has this video from Mindset Learn that investigates the properties of materials, and
which materials are natural and which are manmade.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwHXnTj4Grs
YouTube has this video that explains how to make a decorative cup from a plastic bottle
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnfcAY6DUFA
YouTube has this video that shows you how recyclables are sorted
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZrUW4DAfvw
YouTube has this video that shows you how to make a vase from a plastic bottle.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGFmpKKiMQ4&feature=related
YouTube has this video that sorts natural and manmade materials.
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Books
Everything Rocks and Minerals, by Steve Tomecek, National Geographic Kids, 2011
Science Rocks! by Robert Winston, Dorling Kindersley, 2011
The King fisher Science Encyclopedia, by Charles Taylor, Kingfisher, 2011
Everything You Need to Know About Science, by Mike Goldsmith, Kingfisher, 2009
The Most Explosive Science book in the Universe, by the Brainwaves, Dorling Kindersley, 2009
Online Science Encyclopedia, Dorling Kindersley, 2006
Young Oxford Encyclopedia of Science, consultant editor Professor Richard Dawkins, Oxford
University Press, 2001
INTERNATIONAL PRIMARY CURRICULUM
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[email protected]
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