B5 Science · Term 1 Week 3: Materials

Lesson notes

Learning Objectives

Indicator: B5.1.2.1.1 - Classify everyday materials based on their properties (soft, hard, rough, smooth, opaque, transparent and bendable)

By the end of the lesson, learners can:

Collect and name at least five different everyday materials from their home, school or community.
Sort and group materials based on their observable properties: soft or hard, rough or smooth, transparent or opaque, and bendable or non-bendable.
Describe the properties of a given material using at least two correct property words.
Draw at least three materials and label each drawing with its correct property.
Explain why a material’s properties determine what it can be used for, using at least one local example.

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Curriculum details

Strand: Diversity of Matter (Strand 1)
Sub-strand: Materials (1.2)
Content standard: B5.1.2.1 - Recognise materials as important resources for providing human needs
Indicator: B5.1.2.1.1 - Classify everyday materials based on their properties (soft, hard, rough, smooth, opaque, transparent and bendable)
Suggested placement: Term 1, Week 3 (Week 3 of the year)
Our suggestion, laid out in curriculum order across three terms of twelve weeks. NaCCA does not fix the week, so follow your school's scheme of learning.
Curriculum reference: Science Curriculum (Basic 4-6), 2019, p. 18
Transcribed from the official NaCCA publication. Check this page against the source.

Exemplars (from the NaCCA curriculum)

- Learners are asked to collect and bring a variety of everyday materials from the home, school and community. Examples should include cotton wool, pieces of cloth, pieces of paper, cardboard, wood, plastics, polythene bags (coloured and transparent), soil samples, marbles (rough and smooth) chalk, crayon, pen and straw.
- Learners are assisted to sort and group the materials based on texture (hard or soft), and size (big or small).
- Demonstrate by assisting learners to group materials into those that we can see through (transparent) and those that we cannot see through (opaque).
- Learners sort the materials into those that can bend and those that cannot bend.
- Learners feel and draw materials that are hard, soft, smooth, etc.
- Learners are tasked to display their drawings in class for discussion.
- Learners are assisted to know that the properties of a given material enable it to be used for making certain products, e.g. clay is used for making pots because it can be moulded without breaking. raffia palm is used in basketry because it can bend easily.
- Learners work in groups to classify different materials based on various similarities and differences.
Project: Learners use different materials to create new items such as paper fans, toy cars, toy planes, cooking pans, hats and earthenware pots and bowls and exhibit their work.