A material is the substance that objects are made from such as wood, metal or plastic.

The physical properties of a material are the features that can be observed or measured.

A thermal insulator is a material that does not allow heat to pass through it easily.

In a comparative test, the variable that is being changed has names or labels, such as the names of plants.

A variable is something that can be changed, measured or kept the same in an investigation.

Thermal insulators: plan

Science

Properties of materials

Uses of everyday materials

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

More reversible changes

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

Different materials often have {{}} physical properties.

does not allow heat to pass through easily.

A thermal insulator is a material that …

What type of enquiry is used when the variable that is being changed has names or labels, e.g. types of materials?

What makes a material suitable or unsuitable for thermal insulation?

Match the physical property to the expected observation.

What does it mean to control variables in an investigation?

What is the word or phrase used to describe what a material can do or how it behaves?

Match the material to the physical property.

What is the name for materials which do not allow electricity to pass through them easily?

What is the name for materials which do not allow sound to pass through them easily?

If you were choosing materials to build a bridge, which of these would be useful to base your choice on?

Starter Quiz

What is the word or phrase used to describe what a material can do or how it behaves?