Lesson Plan - Science

TOPIC: MATERIALS AND THEIR PROPERTIES
CLASSIFYING MATERIALS – LIVING / NON-LIVING THINGS.



In this lesson, pupils classify materials as either made from things that were once alive or things that were never alive.

They make a classification diagram, and then carry out literacy activities on the handouts provided.

ATTAINMENT TARGET:

Pupils should be taught to compare everyday materials and objects on the basis of their material properties, including hardness, strength, flexibility and magnetic behaviour, and to relate these properties to everyday uses of materials.

OBJECTIVES:

To classify materials as those that were once living, and those that have never lived.

Through the literacy activities, pupils read a wide range of information relevant to the properties of materials.

LESSON PLAN:

The teacher shares the objectives of the lesson.

The teacher selects a version of the passage provided and gives out appropriate handouts for the pupils to read.

The teacher uses IWB to display the passage and goes through it with the whole class with a question and answer session.

The teacher then shows and talks through the IWB and with this introduce the next part of the lesson.

Pupils work with the activities provided on classification of materials and instruction sheets to complete their diagrams.

The teacher then chooses, from the range of literacy materials available, relevant and appropriate activities.

At any time during the work on grouping and classifying materials the teacher can give the pupils crosswords.

TEACHING AIDS:

A range of materials, such as objects made from plastic, metal, wood, paper, ceramics and fabrics (e.g. cotton, linen) and oil.

Interactive Whiteboard (IWB) and computers.

Handout notes on Classifying Materials.

LITERACY:

Pupils have opportunity to work on the passage of different difficulties.

Whole class teaching by using a model passage. Introduce the structure of classification worksheet.

The Literacy worksheets focusing on words and sentences can be taught in the context of the science lesson.

There are a number of features of crosswords which are relevant to the development of pupils’ literacy. They help pupils in their spellings, vocabulary and definitions of technical terms. Also, pupils tend to enjoy them because they like puzzles.


NOTES:
CLASSIFYING MATERIALS

We can group materials in many ways. One way is to put those materials that are made from living things into one group. The materials that are made from things that were not alive go into the other group.



Some materials are made from living things. These materials come from plants and animals.

For example, we get wool from sheep and we get leather from a cow’s hide.

Plants also produce useful materials.

For example, we get rubber from rubber trees, we get hard wood from oak trees and we get cotton from cotton plants.

Some materials are made from things that were never alive. These materials come from the underground.

For example, we use rocks for building roads and houses, we often use metals to make things like keys, knives, nails and paper clips.

Materials like nylon, plastics, paint and fuels are made from oil. Glass and ceramics are made from sand and clay.


CLASSWORK:
CLASSIFYING MATERIALS (LIVING OR NON-LIVING MATERIALS)

You have been given the beginning of a classification diagram. You have to cut out the pictures below and stick them into the correct box on your diagram.



Cut out the pictures and put them in the correct place on the first row of your diagram.



Cut out the pictures and stick them in the correct place to show what they are made from.




EXTRA ACTIVITY:
GROUPING AND CLASSIFYING MATERIALS (LIVING OR NON-LIVING MATERIALS)



ACROSS
2 A verb which means to change natural materials into a different material. People often do this in factories. (11)
4 Lunch-boxes and bowls are usually made of this synthetic material. (7)
6 Paper is manufactured from these living things. (5)
7 This word means “man-made”. (9)
8 When you combine cement, sand, water and gravel you make this material which is used to make buildings. (8)

DOWN
1 Wood, rubber, cotton silk, leather, wool, clay and metals are all examples of ____________ materials. (7)
3 China cups and ceramic dishes are made from this natural material. (4)
4 All materials have certain ____________ which make them useful e.g. strength or hardness. (10)
5 You do this when you take empty bottles and old newspapers to bottle and paper “banks”. (7)
7 Glass is made from this natural material. (4)