Creating Our Collage

Lesson Overview

Unit: Nature Explorers: Material Discovery
Lesson: 5 of 5
Duration: 30 minutes
Class: Year 1 (ages 5-6)
Subject: Science

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National Curriculum Links (England)

• Working Scientifically (Years 1-2):

  • Observe closely, using simple equipment.
  • Perform simple tests.
  • Identify and classify.
  • Use their observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions.

• Materials (States of Matter and Uses of Everyday Materials):

  • Distinguish between an object and the material it is made from.
  • Identify and name a variety of everyday materials, including wood, plastic, glass, metal, water, and rock.
  • Describe the simple physical properties of a variety of everyday materials.
  • Compare and group together a variety of everyday materials on the basis of their simple physical properties.

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WALT

• We are learning to create a tactile collage using natural materials collected.
• We are learning to sort and group materials by properties such as texture, hardness, and absorbency.
• We are learning to explain and present our understanding of material properties.

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Success Criteria

• I can safely handle and organise natural materials.
• I can group materials by texture (rough/smooth), hardness (hard/soft), and absorbency (absorbent/non-absorbent).
• I can use descriptive words to explain my materials.
• I can share my tactile collage confidently with the class.

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Resources

• Natural materials collected during previous nature walk (leaves, bark, grass, feathers, stones, etc.)
• Cardboard bases or large sheets of paper for collages
• Glue sticks and/or PVA glue with brushes
• Labels or sticky notes for sorting and naming properties
• Soft markers for writing labels
• Magnifying glasses (simple hand lenses)
• Visual aids: photos or posters with examples of texture, hardness, absorbency

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Lesson Structure

1. Introduction & Recap (5 minutes)

• Gather children in a circle. Remind them of the nature walk and materials collected.
• Discuss briefly the three material properties: texture, hardness, and absorbency using simple definitions and examples (e.g., “Soft means easy to squish.” “Rough feels bumpy.” “Absorbent soaks water up.”). Use sensory words for clarity.
• Show tactile examples or pass around a few sample materials for children to touch.

Differentiation: Use picture cards with words and symbols for children with communication or processing difficulties. For EAL learners, model key vocabulary with actions.

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2. Activity: Creating the Tactile Collage (15 minutes)

• Each child receives a base sheet/cardboard to create their collage.
• Invite children to sort and arrange their collected materials according to texture, hardness, or absorbency before gluing. They can choose one property to focus on or do all three in sections.
• Encourage children to label each section with help from adults or peers (e.g., “Smooth,” “Rough,” “Soft,” “Hard”).
• Support children in gluing materials carefully to their base.
• Circulate, asking open questions about why they placed materials together, prompting them to describe properties using their acquired vocabulary.

Differentiation:

• For fine motor challenges, offer pre-cut materials or sticky pads instead of glue.
• Allow children to work in pairs to support language and social skills.
• Provide enlarged visual prompts for children needing extra guidance.

Extension Activity:

• Advanced learners create a "material map" on their collage, drawing symbols or pictures representing the properties and finding additional materials in the classroom to include.

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3. Presentations & Class Discussion (8 minutes)

• Invite each child to share their collage with the class or in small groups.
• Ask them to describe one or two materials and explain their choice of groupings using texture, hardness, or absorbency vocabulary.
• Encourage classmates to ask simple questions like “Which material is the softest?” or “Where did you put hard things?”

Differentiation:

• Provide sentence starters or prompt cards to support children's verbal expression (e.g., “This is...”, “It feels...”, “I put this here because...”).
• Allow some children to present through drawings or by pointing rather than speaking fully if preferred.

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4. Plenary & Reflection (2 minutes)

• Recap by asking children: “What did you learn about materials today?” “Can you name one property your materials had?”
• Praise efforts and reinforce that materials can be explored by touch as well as sight, encouraging curiosity for the world around them.

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Assessment

• Ongoing formative assessment through observation:

  • Are children able to group materials correctly by properties?
  • Do children use vocabulary linked to texture, hardness, and absorbency?
  • Quality of participation in explanations and presentations.

• Annotate learning journals or individual records to note children's understanding and vocabulary acquisition.

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Dyslexia-Friendly Support

• Use clear, large fonts for labels and instructions.
• Provide high-contrast colour materials (e.g., dark text on light background).
• Break instructions into small steps, using icons or pictures alongside words.
• Use multisensory teaching (touching, seeing, talking) to reinforce concepts.

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End of Lesson Tips for Teachers

• Celebrate creativity and reinforce the natural world connection.
• Encourage children to continue exploring properties of materials at home or in the classroom.
• Link with other curriculum areas such as art and literacy by inviting children to write or dictate a sentence about their collage next session.

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This lesson capitalises on hands-on, sensory experience to embed core science concepts aligned with the National Curriculum for England, supporting young learners’ developing observation and classification skills through engaging and meaningful activities.