Materials and Properties

Overview

This 50-minute lesson engages Year 5 students in exploring everyday materials and their properties, aligning with the National Curriculum for Science (Key Stage 2: Year 5). Using hands-on activities, discussion, and evidence recording, pupils will develop their ability to compare and group materials while linking properties to their practical uses, particularly in building contexts.

National Curriculum Links

• Working Scientifically:
  • Recording and presenting evidence
  • Using results to draw simple conclusions, make predictions, suggest improvements and raise further questions
• Science Subject Content (Year 5 – Properties and Changes of Materials):
  • 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
  • Understand and explain everyday uses of materials based on their properties (bricks, wood, glass, metals in buildings)

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Learning Objectives (LO)

• LO1: Compare and group a range of everyday materials based on observed properties (hardness, transparency, conductivity, magnetism).
• LO2: Explain how specific properties of materials make them suitable for particular uses, with a focus on building materials.
• WS: Accurately record and present evidence in a clear, structured chart or table format to support scientific reasoning.

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Success Criteria

• I can identify and describe properties of different materials.
• I can group materials according to these properties using a table or chart.
• I can explain why certain materials (bricks, wood, glass, metals) are used in building based on their properties.
• I can record evidence clearly and present it so others can understand my thinking.

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Resources

• Samples of everyday materials: small brick tile, wood block, glass panel, metal sheets (aluminium/copper), plastic, fabric, magnet
• Conductivity tester or simple circuit kits (optional)
• Worksheets with blank charts and space for notes
• Large whiteboard and pens
• Projector or printed images showing buildings (houses with visible brick, glass windows, wooden doors, metal pipes/roofing)
• Sticky notes or coloured stickers

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Lesson Structure

1. Starter (10 minutes)

Engage: Show images of different buildings (traditional brick house, wooden cabin, glass-fronted building, metal structures). Ask:

• “What materials can you spot in these buildings?”
• “Why do you think these materials were chosen?”

Activate Prior Knowledge:

• Briefly discuss what properties materials might have (e.g., hardness, transparency, strength).

Link to LO: "Today, we will investigate everyday materials by comparing their properties and explaining why they are used for building."

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2. Main Activity (30 minutes)

Investigation and Grouping (20 minutes)

• Pupils will work in pairs with the material samples.
• With guidance, they test and observe:
  • Hardness (can it be scratched, dented)
  • Transparency (can you see through it)
  • Magnetism (does a magnet stick)
  • Conductivity (optional/simple test or discuss known facts)

Recording:

• Each pair completes the worksheet by filling in a table with materials in rows and properties in columns, using tick/cross and brief notes.

Discussion and Chart Creation (10 minutes):

• On the whiteboard, collaboratively create a class chart grouping materials by property (e.g., all hard materials in one group).
• Highlight which materials are magnetic, transparent, conductive etc.

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3. Explanation and Application (7 minutes)

Link Properties to Uses:

• Discuss why bricks are used in walls (hard, strong, not transparent, not magnetic).
• Why glass is used in windows (transparent, brittle).
• Why wood is often used for doors and floors (hard but workable, not conductive, aesthetic).
• Why metals are important in roofs and pipes (conductive, strong, some magnetic).

Q&A to consolidate:

• Which property is most important for a window?
• Why wouldn't you use glass for a roof?

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4. Plenary and Assessment (3 minutes)

• Pupils complete a quick "exit ticket":
  “Name one property of a material and explain how that property makes it useful in buildings.”

• Collect exit tickets to assess understanding of property-use links and material grouping.

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Differentiation

• Support: Provide sentence stems and labelled diagrams on worksheets. Use simpler materials and guided observations.
• Challenge: Encourage pupils to suggest other properties (e.g., waterproofing, flexibility) and consider alternative materials for buildings.

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Assessment Opportunities

• Observe paired discussions and note understanding during investigation and group chart creation.
• Review worksheets for accuracy and completeness of recorded observations.
• Evaluate exit tickets for ability to explain links between properties and practical uses in a building context.

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Extension Ideas

• Investigate changes in materials (e.g., how heating affects wax or metal).
• Design a model building selecting materials based on properties for different parts.
• Explore recycling: how material properties affect reuse in construction.

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Notes for Teachers

• Encourage pupils to use scientific vocabulary confidently (e.g., hardness, transparent, magnetic, conductive).
• Reinforce the importance of evidence-based conclusions.
• Use probing questions to deepen thinking: “What would happen if you used glass instead of bricks for a house wall?”

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This lesson empowers pupils to think like scientists by hands-on investigating material properties and developing reasoning skills grounded in real-world contexts. It aligns closely with the National Curriculum for Year 5 Science and uses active, collaborative learning strategies to maximise engagement and understanding.