The three common states of matter are solid state, liquid state and gas state.

To recover is to get back something that had changed or was taken away.

If a change is reversible, it can be undone or changed back to its original state.

If a solid dissolves in a liquid, it mixes so completely with the liquid that it cannot be seen.

More reversible changes

Science

Properties of materials

Uses of everyday materials

Thermal insulators: plan

Thermal insulators: do and review

Everyday uses of thermal insulators

Insulating our homes and schools (non-statutory Climate Change & Sustainability)

Soluble and insoluble

Recovering insoluble solids

Providing safe drinking water (non-statutory Climate Change & Sustainability)

Separating soluble solids from solutions

Removing salt from seawater (non-statutory)

Reversible changes of state

Burning: an irreversible change

Burning plants as fuel (non-statutory Climate Change & Sustainability)

Greenhouse gases (non-statutory Climate Change & Sustainability)

Bioplastics (non-statutory Climate Change & Sustainability)

Rusting: an irreversible change

More irreversible changes

How scientists work

In this Properties, changes and separating materials unit, pupils learn to decide how mixtures might be separated, including through filtering, sieving and evaporating. In the Materials challenge unit, they will build on this knowledge to apply their understanding of separating materials to a wider range of everyday situations

In the Everyday materials unit, pupils learnt to compare and group together a variety of everyday materials on the basis of their simple physical properties. In this Properties, changes and separating materials, pupils will build on this knowledge to compare an group together everyday materials on the basis of a wider variety of properties

This unit explores the properties of everyday materials, including hardness, solubility, and conductivity. It covers reversible changes like dissolving and mixing, and irreversible changes such as burning. Emphasis is on scientific enquiries, data recording, and presenting findings with evidence.

Properties, changes and separating materials

Physical activity and equipment requiring safe use

Use of equipment that may require supervision for safety, e.g. scissors in KS1, needles, paint, knives, cooking.

it can be undone or changed back to its original state.

it cannot be undone or changed back to its original state.

What process can be used to reverse evaporation?

A mixture is material that contains two or more different substances, which can be physically ...

It is broken down to become so tiny we can no longer see it.

What happens to a soluble solid when it dissolves?

Is making a mixture a reversible or irreversible process?

How can you recover dissolved solids from a solution?

At what temperature does liquid water change to ice?

when a substance changes from its solid state to its liquid

when a solid is broken into very small pieces and disappears

Match the name of the process to the description:

What happens when you stir sand in water?

True or false? You can recover a dissolved solid from a solution by filtration.

More reversible changes

Lesson outcome

Content guidance