Materials, Properties and Uses (Lesson 3)

FOCUS QUESTION

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

SPECIFIC OBJS.

1. Examine a selection of materials/objects to determine the transparency, absorbency, strength, magnetic property and heat conductivity of materials in everyday use.

2. Work cooperatively in groups

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.

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

Students will review past lesson on hazardous materials and why they have to be so stored in their various containers. Tell if all the materials are the same then.

EXPLORE

Students will watch a youtube video clips on materials to glean information on the different types of materials and their properties.

Video: Materials 1

Video: Properties of materials

Teacher will highlight terms like transparency, absorbency, strength, magnetic property and heat conductivity and have students providing their meanings based on video clips.

In groups students will be given sets of identical materials to investigate an assigned property: transparency, absorbency, strength, magnetic property, and heat conductivity. They will record observation in a table.(Each group will examine one property) Eg.

MATERIALS	PROPERTY : ( E.g.. Absorbency)
	Weak	Fair	Strong
Plastic slippers
Paper
Plastic
Spoon
Piece of glass
Plastic ruler
A T-Shirt

EXPLAIN

Students will discuss their findings in the different groups, explaining how they carried out the investigation.

EXTEND/ELABORATE

In groups, students will create a worksheet on Properties and uses of Materials. They will use materials found in their home/school and complete a table showing name of material, what it is used for/made from, why the material is a good choice and the property of the material (eg. Transparent, absorbent, conductor etc.)

Material	Made From	Property of material	Justification for its use
Enamel pot
Plastic garbage bin
Clothes iron
Spoon
Windscreen

Video clip: Properties of materials 2

EVALUATE

1. Which item below represents a good conductor of heat?

(a) Steel (b) paper (c) plastic (d) rubber

Give reasons to support your answer. ____________________________________________

. J June will be going a field trip in the summer to Dunn’s River Falls. She was told that it is forbidden to climb the falls without a foot wear. She is undecided as to type foot wear to buy. Which property of materials should she take into considerations when choosing her footwear? Is it ABSORBENCY or TRANSPARENCY?

Justify your answer. ______________________________________________________________

3. Use the words on the left to match the corresponding statements they refer to on the right.

COLUMN 1	COLUMN 2
Transparency	Some materials are waterproof and other materials let water through. This speaks of _______ of material.
Absorbency	Some materials are flexible and others are rigid.
Strength	Some materials let heat travel along them. They are good ____.
Heat conductivity	Some materials are see-through
Malleability	Some materials are strong while some are weak

4. Read through the statements below ((a -j). Match each property word below to the statement that best describes or explains it then complete the table with an example of an object that you know of, or have used, which has this property.

PROPERTIES OF MATERIALS

absorbent conductive elastic flexible magnetic metallic strong translucent transparent waterproof

Statement	Property word	Example of object
a) Is shiny, strong, malleable, a conductor
b) Is attracted to magnets
c)Takes in or soaks up liquids easily
d) Allows some light to pass through
e)Allows heat and electricity to pass through
f) Thing you see through clearly
g) Bends easily without breaking
h)Repels or resist water so it does not get wet
i) Can be stretch and returned to original length j) Will not break easily

5. Granny B went into the kitchen when she saw her granddaughter just about to stir a boiling hot soup with a spoon. Read what Granny B said as she handed Suzette a different spoon.

Use the cartoon to answer the questions below.

(a) Based on Granny B's comment, what type of material do you think Suzette's spoon was made of?

(b) Why would her grandmother give her that warning about that spoon?

(d) Explain how Granny B's spoon might behave differently in the hot soup than Suzette's spoon.

6. Shade the letter beside the correct responses.

The frying pan has two different materials because _____________.

a) the metal part and wooden handle look nice together.

b) the handle can protect your hand from heat

c) the metal part will insulate food when the pan is on the fire

d) wood does not conduct heat easily.

FOLLOW UP PRACTICE EXERCISES

ACTIVITY 1

ACTIVITY 2

ACTIVITY 3

ACTIVITY 4

ACTIVITY 5

ACTIVITY 6

ACTIVITY 7

Activity 8

Activity 9

ACTIVITY 10

Lesson Plan – 5E Model

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

Examine a selection of materials/objects to determine the transparency, absorbency, strength, magnetic property, and heat conductivity of materials in everyday use.
Work cooperatively in groups.

Materials Needed

Variety of objects (glass, plastic, wood, metal, fabric, sponge)
Magnet
Warm water
Thermometer
Paper towels
Chart paper and markers
Worksheets/checklists

Engage (10 minutes)

Purpose: Capture curiosity and connect to prior knowledge.

Activity: Show a short, 2-minute video or real objects showing items made from glass, metal, wood, fabric, and plastic.
Prompt Discussion Questions:
- Why do we use glass for windows instead of wood?
- Why are cooking pots made from metal and not paper?
Teacher Note: Use mystery bags with an object inside. Students feel the item without looking and guess the material based on touch clues.

STEM Link: Relating engineering design to material choice — "Engineers select materials based on their properties to solve real-life problems."

Explore (15 minutes)

Purpose: Hands-on investigation of material properties.

Materials per group: Glass jar, plastic cup, cotton cloth, aluminum foil, steel nail, magnet, sponge, cardboard, thermometer, warm water, paper towel.
Instructions: Students rotate through stations testing for:
1. Transparency – Hold up to light.
2. Absorbency – Place a few drops of water and observe.
3. Strength – Attempt gentle bending/tearing.
4. Magnetic property – Use a magnet to test attraction.
5. Heat conductivity – Wrap around thermometer bulb and place near warm water to observe heat transfer.
Group Work: Assign roles (recorder, tester, timer, reporter) to encourage cooperation.

Differentiation:

Support: Provide checklists with icons for each property for struggling readers.
Challenge: Ask early finishers to predict alternative uses for the materials based on their results.

Explain (10 minutes)

Purpose: Consolidate observations into scientific understanding.

Discussion: Each group shares their findings. Teacher records results in a class comparison chart.
Key Points to Emphasize:
- Transparency helps with visibility (windows, lenses).
- Absorbency is important in cleaning materials.
- Strength determines durability.
- Magnetic property is used in motors, compasses.
- Heat conductivity is critical for cookware.

STEM Link: Materials science — how understanding properties helps engineers, builders, and designers choose suitable materials.

Elaborate (15 minutes)

Purpose: Apply knowledge to real-world contexts.

Scenario Activity:
- "An engineer is designing a new lunch container to keep food warm and unbroken. Which materials would you recommend for the lid, body, and lining? Why?"
- Groups choose materials and justify their choices based on tested properties.
Differentiation:
- Tier 1: Match materials to uses from a given list.
- Tier 2: Explain reasoning for at least two property-use links.
- Tier 3: Propose an innovative use for a material not commonly used that way.

Evaluate (10 minutes)

Purpose: Assess learning through differentiated tasks.

Three-Tier Evaluation:

Tier 1 (Recall) – Match each property to a correct material (e.g., "Which is more transparent: glass or wood?"). (For students needing more support)
Tier 2 (Application) – Given a list of 5 everyday objects, identify at least one key property and explain why it’s important for that object. (For students at grade level)
Tier 3 (Analysis & Design) – Design a simple object (e.g., a shelter, tool, container) and explain the choice of materials based on at least 3 properties tested today. (For advanced learners)

Assessment Tools: Observation during group work, completed charts, oral explanations.

Materials Needed

Variety of objects (glass, plastic, wood, metal, fabric, sponge)
Magnet
Warm water
Thermometer
Paper towels
Chart paper and markers
Worksheets/checklists

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

Thursday, January 14, 2021