Grade 1 · Everyday Materials, Objects, and Structures · Materials, Objects, and Structures
Choose the Right Material
Objects are made from materials. Designers choose materials whose properties fit what an object needs to do.
Visual model
See how the ideas connect
Name materials in familiar objects
Connect properties to purposes
Choose a suitable building material
Materials, Objects, and Structures
For students
Notice, predict, explain
Choose one part of the model. Predict how it connects to another part, then use the lesson evidence to explain your thinking.
For teachers
Pause for science talk
Show the model before the explanation. Ask “What do you notice?” and “What might change?” Then revisit student ideas after the worked example.
The big idea
A material's properties affect how it can be used
Materials may be rigid or flexible, rough or smooth, absorbent or waterproof, heavy or light. No material is best for every purpose.
Work it through
Design a shelter for a toy
- Step 1 The shelter must support its own roof, so the frame needs a material that is rigid enough.
- Step 2 It must keep out rain, so the roof needs a material that does not absorb water easily.
- Step 3 Paper may fold easily but weaken when wet; plastic may resist water but bend without support.
- Step 4 A strong frame with a waterproof covering combines useful properties from different materials.