Identifying Objects and Materials — Interactive Lesson & Activities (KS1)

Is glass an object, or the material an object is made from? This 31-slide interactive lesson teaches materials and their properties, using everyday objects children can picture.

Learning About Materials and Their Properties in KS1 Science

Children learn to distinguish between an object and the material it is made from, identify and name everyday materials including wood, plastic, glass, metal, water and rock, describe simple physical properties, and compare and classify materials. They discover that glass is transparent and brittle, used for vases and windows, that wood is hard and heavy, used for chairs and tables, and that fabric is soft and fluffy, used for socks. Identification questions describe a material by its properties and ask children to name it.

What’s Included

• 31-slide interactive lesson on materials and their properties
• Learning objectives on identifying, describing and comparing materials
• Everyday materials: wood, plastic, glass, metal, water and rock
• Property-based identification questions
• Interactive material-and-use matching, with instant feedback

Key Benefits for Students

• Builds the vocabulary of common materials and their properties
• Links each material to a real-life use
• Encourages comparing and classifying, not just naming
• Instant feedback on answer questions

Why Teachers Love It

• No prep — ready for whole-class teaching on an interactive whiteboard
• A structured lesson that can be split across sessions
• Self-marking questions support independent practice
• Suits small groups and whole-class sessions
• Pairs well with a hands-on materials-sorting worksheet

Love this? You’ll love…

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A dependable addition to a KS1 science topic, giving children a broad introduction to materials before narrower worksheet practice on specific materials. This lesson is a natural teaching partner to a materials-identification worksheet packet.

Bring materials to life — Add to Basket.

FAQs

What year group is this for?
KS1 — Years 1–2 (ages 5–7).

Which materials are covered?
Wood, plastic, glass, metal, water and rock, among others.

Is it self-marking?
Yes, with instant feedback on the questions.