Materials, Properties and Uses (Lesson 2)

FOCUS QUESTION

What are some properties of common materials and their everyday uses?

SPECIFIC OBJS.

1. Identify correct and safe ways of using, storing and disposing of materials and household items.

2. Evaluate how the disposal of selected materials affects the environment.

CONTENT SUMMARY

Materials exist as solids, liquid or gases. Materials/objects have different properties, such as transparency absorbency, strength, magnetic property, and heat conductivity, which determine their everyday use.

Safety symbols, hazard symbols or safety labels are meaningful and recognizable graphical symbols that warn of or identify hazards associated with the location or item.

Improper disposal of some materials can affect the environment.

Materials can undergo reversible or irreversible changes. Irreversible changes cannot be undone and form new materials. Reversible changes can be undone. Reversible and irreversible changes can be useful in everyday life.

Substances can change their state by heating and cooling. Melting, freezing, evaporation and condensation can cause materials to change state.

ENGAGE

Let's review past lesson by way of questioning. Can you name some hazardous materials and tell why they are so described.

Now do you think these materials should be disposed of as other garbage? Give reasons for your answers. Share your responses with the groups for critique.

EXPLORE

We will watch this Youtube video clip to learn how some materials (eg. Cell phones, plastics, batteries, etc ) may affect the environment.

Video: Hazardous waste disposal.

EXPLAIN

Present their gleaned information to the class, explaining the effects of improper disposal, ways to disposing of these waste. (Key points will be written on the chalkboard. Students will read information together, paying attention to proper pronunciation and inflectional endings).

EXTEND/ELABORATE

Create a dub poem to summarize the concepts learnt about improper disposal of hazardous waste and its effect.

You may include content material from the video clip below as well.

Video: disposing hazardous materials

EVALUATE

1. Based on the picture below, which two (2) statements are likely effects that the improper disposal of the waste can have on the environment.

The hazardous materials can produce toxin which can harm the environment and human. ¡

The activity can cause the growth of germs and bacteria . ¡

The garbage can be washed into the sea and make the habitat safe for marine lives. ¡

The activity can add large amounts of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. ¡

3 Tick the practices that are appropriate to manage garbage and save our environment.

ü	PRACTICES
	Recycle, reuse
	Burning
	Burying
	Dumping in river

4. Circle the list with the garbage that would be least harmful to the environment.

¡ plastic bottles, soda cans, plastic bags

¡ paper bags, vegetable leaves, stale fruits

¡ batteries, aerosol cans, cell phones, pesticides containers

Justify your answer. ______________________________________________________________________________

3. 5. Which of the sets below would be best to recycle in an effort to save the environment?

¡ plastic bottles, soda cans, plastic bags

¡ paper bags, vegetable leaves, stale fruits

¡ batteries, aerosol cans, cell phones, pesticides containers

Give reasons to support your answer. ______________________________________________

FOLLOW UP PRACTICE EXERCISES

Activity 12 - Useful and harmful materials

Activity 13 Performance Task

5E Science Lesson Plan

Grade: 6
Topic: Materials, Properties, and Uses
Focus Question: What are some properties of common materials and their everyday uses?
Duration: 1 hour
Objectives:

Identify correct and safe ways of using, storing, and disposing of materials and household items.
Evaluate how the disposal of selected materials affects the environment.

1. ENGAGE (5 minutes)

Activity: Mystery Material Bag

Teacher passes around 4–5 sealed bags containing different household materials (plastic bottle, glass jar, aluminum foil, sponge, fabric scrap).
Students are encouraged to feel the bag without looking and guess:
- The possible material
- One property (e.g., hard, soft, flexible, waterproof)
- A possible use
Teacher writes down their guesses on the board.

Purpose: Stimulates curiosity and connects to prior knowledge of materials and their properties.

Differentiation:

Provide tactile learners with extra time to feel the items.
Offer hints for students struggling to recall properties.

2. EXPLORE (15 minutes)

Activity: Material Safety & Environmental Impact Stations
Students rotate through four stations:

Station 1 – Safe Handling & Storage: Examine cleaning agents, batteries, paints, and identify safe use/storage (labels, childproof caps, ventilation).
Station 2 – Safe Disposal: Learn about recycling bins, composting, and special disposal sites (electronics, chemicals).
Station 3 – Environmental Impact: Match pictures of disposed materials (plastic bags, oil, glass bottles) to environmental consequences (pollution, harm to wildlife, soil contamination).
Station 4 – Material Properties Testing: Test absorbency (cloth vs. plastic), strength (paper vs. cardboard), and heat conduction (metal vs. wood with warm water).

Students record observations on a Material Investigation Sheet.

STEM Integration:

Science: Investigating properties and environmental effects.
Technology: Discuss labeling and packaging safety features.
Engineering: Thinking about design choices for safer materials.
Math: Create a tally chart of recyclable vs. non-recyclable materials identified.

Differentiation:

Visual aids for ELL or struggling readers.
Peer pairing for students needing assistance.
Extension challenge for fast finishers: suggest an alternative eco-friendly material for an item.

3. EXPLAIN (10 minutes)

Teacher-led discussion:

Summarize key material properties (strength, absorbency, heat conduction, transparency, magnetic property).
Emphasize safe use (reading labels, wearing gloves, ventilating rooms).
Explain proper storage (keep chemicals away from children, store in original containers).
Link disposal to environmental effects (pollution, harm to wildlife, landfill issues, greenhouse gases).

Visual Aid: Use a slide or chart showing common materials, their safe handling, and disposal methods.

4. ELABORATE (15 minutes)

Activity: Design a "Safe & Green" Household Product Plan

In small groups, students design a safe-use plan for a household item (e.g., bleach, cooking oil, batteries).
Must include:
- Safe use steps
- Safe storage method
- Correct disposal method
- One environmental concern and solution

Groups present briefly to the class.

Differentiation:

Provide sentence starters for less confident students.
Allow advanced students to incorporate eco-friendly product redesign ideas.

5. EVALUATE (15 minutes)

Three-Tier Evaluation Activity

Tier 1 – Basic Recall (Knowledge)

Name two safe ways to store cleaning chemicals.
Give one example of a recyclable material.

Tier 2 – Application (Understanding)

A neighbor throws used batteries in the trash. Explain why this is unsafe and how to dispose of them properly.

Tier 3 – Higher-Order Thinking (Analysis & Evaluation)

Choose one material from today’s lesson. Describe its properties, uses, and how improper disposal affects the environment. Suggest a safer alternative or disposal method.

Homework / Extension

Interview a family member about how they store and dispose of household items.
Make a short poster showing the safe and eco-friendly handling of one material.

1. Materials Investigation Sheet

(Student Handout – Print one per student)

Name: _____________________ Date: _____________________

Focus Question: What are some properties of common materials and their everyday uses?

Station	Material(s) / Item(s)	Property Observed	Safe Use & Storage	Disposal Method	Environmental Impact
1 – Safe Handling & Storage
2 – Safe Disposal
3 – Environmental Impact
4 – Material Properties Testing

Reflection Question:

Which material surprised you the most? Why?

What is one change you could make at home to be safer and more eco-friendly?

2. Station Cards

(Print and place at each station – laminated if possible)

Station 1 – Safe Handling & Storage

Instructions:

Examine each item carefully (but do not open any containers).
Look for safety labels, warnings, or special caps.
Record at least two safety rules for using and storing each item.

Materials Here: Cleaning agent, batteries, small paint container, cooking oil bottle.

Station 2 – Safe Disposal

Instructions:

Look at the items and match them to the correct disposal method (recycling bin, hazardous waste drop-off, compost bin, landfill).
Record your answers on the sheet.

Materials Here: Plastic bottle, aluminum can, used battery, fruit peel.

Station 3 – Environmental Impact

Instructions:

Match the material (picture) to its possible environmental consequence.
Discuss: How long might this material take to break down?
Record your ideas on the sheet.

Materials Here: Printed images of plastic bag in ocean, oil spill, glass bottle in landfill, cardboard box.

Station 4 – Material Properties Testing

Instructions:

Test absorbency – Pour a small amount of water on cloth vs. plastic.
Test strength – Gently pull on paper vs. cardboard.
Test heat conduction – Touch spoon in warm water vs. wooden stick.
Record your observations in the “Property Observed” column.

Materials Here: Cloth, plastic, paper, cardboard, metal spoon, wooden stick, warm water in container.

GRADE 6 CONCEPTS - (NSC) by Janice Bowes-Wellington

Tuesday, January 12, 2021