Properties of materials

Properties of materials

Pencil and paper
Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
Further Resources
This task is about the properties of different materials.

Below is a table showing some different materials and their properties.

Material

Properties

Shiny

Can be bent

Heats up

Melts easily

Gold

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Wood

No

A little

No

No

Plastic

Sometimes

Yes

No

Yes

Iron

Yes

Yes

Yes

No
  
a)
  
Which one material would you put in the same group as gold? ________________
 
b)
What are the two main differences between plastic and iron?

 
 
 
 
 
c)
Objects when they are put on stoves or fires can get hot.

Which material from the table would be the best for making the handle of this object? __________________


Explain why you chose this material.

 
 
 
 
 
d)
What is the main difference between chalk and wood?

 
 
 
 
Task administration: 
This task can be completed with pencil and paper.
Level:
3
Curriculum info: 
Science, Communicating in science, Material World
Keywords: 
properties, materials, table interpretation
Description of task: 
Students are provided with a table that gives them some properties of five different materials. They answer four short answer questions that involve interpreting information from the table.
Curriculum Links: 
Science capabilities
The capabilities focus is brought about by the conversations you have and the questions you ask.
 
Capability: Interpret representations
This resource provides opportunities to discuss the importance of headings in interpreting data shown in tables.
Answers/responses: 

  

 Y5/6 (09/2002)
a) Iron very easy
b)
Plastic cannot be heated up/iron heats up.
Plastic melts easily/iron does not melt easily.
 2 correct - difficult 
1 correct - moderate
c)

Wood: Explanation that mentions that wood does not heat up, feel hot to touch/would not burn the hands, or melt like some of the other materials in the table.
Plastic: because it doesn't heat up.

difficult


very difficult
d) Wood is able to be bent a little (whereas chalk cannot). moderate