Sorting Materials by Properties Lesson Plan
Learning Objective: Pupils can identify and compare the properties of everyday materials
About this resource
This comprehensive lesson plan for Year 2 Science helps pupils explore and compare the properties of everyday materials. Teachers can use this resource to guide children in identifying various material characteristics, fostering their understanding of the physical world. It directly supports the UK National Curriculum by addressing key learning objectives related to materials and their properties.
Starter Activity
10 minutesPass around a 'mystery bag' containing objects made from different materials (wooden spoon, metal key, plastic cup, fabric scarf, rubber ball). Pupils feel each object and describe it. Introduce key vocabulary: hard, soft, stretchy, rigid, transparent, opaque.
Main Activity
30 minutesPart 1: Material Detectives Pupils explore a collection of objects and sort them by material: wood, metal, plastic, fabric, glass, rubber.
Part 2: Property Testing Set up testing stations where pupils test materials for: flexibility (can it bend?), transparency (can you see through it?), absorbency (does it soak up water?), strength (can it hold weight?).
Part 3: Recording Pupils complete a properties table, recording which materials have which properties.
Plenary
10 minutesClass discussion: 'Why do we use metal for keys and not fabric? Why are windows made of glass?' Pupils explain material choices using property vocabulary. Exit ticket: Name one material and two of its properties.
Differentiation
SEN Support
Sorting mat with material pictures. Simplified properties table with tick boxes. Paired support at testing stations.
EAL Support
Visual vocabulary cards for properties with demonstrations. Sentence frames: '[Material] is [property] because...'
Gifted & Talented
Design an object and choose the best material for it, explaining their choice using property vocabulary. Compare natural and man-made materials.
Key Vocabulary
Assessment Criteria
- Can sort objects by material
- Can describe at least 3 material properties
- Can explain why materials are chosen for specific uses