Basic 1 · Science · Materials
Grouping Materials by How They Look and Feel
In this topic you will describe materials. You will group them as shiny or dull, rough or smooth, hard or soft.
By the end of these notes you should be able to:
- Describe how materials look and feel
- Group materials that are alike
- Use words like shiny, dull, rough, smooth, hard and soft
What you already know
- Materials around us
Copy everything that has a blue line on its left into your notebook. The other parts are for reading.
- Strand
- Diversity of matter
- Sub-strand
- Materials
- Indicator
- B1.1.2.1.2 – Describe and group materials by their appearance
Introduction
Hold a metal spoon. It is shiny and smooth. Now hold a piece of wood. It is dull and may be rough. Materials look and feel different.
1. How Materials Look and Feel
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| shiny | reflects light | metal spoon |
| dull | not shiny | wood |
| smooth | even to touch | plastic bottle |
| rough | bumpy to touch | wood offcut |
| hard | does not bend easily | stone |
| soft | easy to squeeze | cloth |
| clear | you can see through it | glass |
2. Grouping Materials
We put materials that are alike in one group.
Example groups
- Shiny: spoon, coin, mirror
- Soft: cloth, sponge, cotton wool
- Clear: glass, clear plastic bottle
Remember: One material can be in more than one group. Glass is hard and clear.
New words
- shiny
- Bright because it reflects light.
- dull
- Not bright or shiny.
- clear
- You can see through it.
- group
- To put things that are alike together.
Summary
- Materials can be shiny or dull, rough or smooth, hard or soft.
- We group materials that are alike.
- One material can belong to more than one group.
Class activity: Feel and Group
- Close your eyes and feel the wood, spoon and bottle.
- Say if each one is rough or smooth.
- Open your eyes. Say if each one is shiny or dull.
- Make groups with other objects in the class.
You need: Wood offcut, Metal spoon, Clear plastic bottle
Exercises
Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.
1. Which is shiny?
- A. Wood
- B. Cloth
- C. Metal spoon
- D. Paper
Show answer
Answer: Metal spoonMetal reflects light.2. Which material is soft?
- A. Stone
- B. Cloth
- C. Glass
- D. Metal
Show answer
Answer: ClothCloth is easy to squeeze.3. We can see through clear glass.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: TrueClear means you can see through it.4. A stone is soft.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: FalseA stone is hard.5. Wood that is bumpy to touch is ______.
Show answer
Answer: roughRough means bumpy.6. Name two things that are shiny.
Show answer
Answer: Any two, e.g. spoon, coin, mirror.Shiny things reflect light.
Homework
- Find one hard thing and one soft thing at home. Draw them.