Materials

This module introduces children to a range of basic materials and their properties. They
will learn to name and identify wood, plastic, metal, glass, rock, brick, water and other materials,
many of which will be familiar to them. They understand that these materials can be made into
many different objects, from spoons made of plastic, wood or metal or any combination of the
three, to more complex objects. They recognise that the same material can be made into different
objects, for example, a metal can, a metal spoon and a metal car.

When working scientifically there is a strong emphasis throughout the module on children using
their senses to observe closely. In the first six lessons, when children are identifying, naming and
sorting materials, they learn how to group and classify them using separate and overlapping
sorting rings, simple tables and Carroll diagrams.