Properties of materials

Properties of materials

Pencil and paperOnline interactive
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

Question

a)  Which one material would you put in the same group as gold?

    • Gold

    • Wood

    • Plastic

    • Iron

Question 1Change answer

b)  What are the two main differences between plastic and iron?

Question 1Change answer

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?  GoldWoodPlasticIron

Question 2Change answer

Explain why you chose this material.

Question 1Change answer

d)  What is the main difference between chalk and wood?
Task administration: 
This task can be completed with pencil and paper or online (with SOME auto marking).
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