Properties and Changes of Materials
Worksheet 6A
Name: _____________________________ Date: ____________________
Look at the Materials Cards. Use the Carroll diagram below to sort the
materials according to their properties.
Not waterproof
Not flexible
Flexible
Waterproof
Have another look at the cards and answer these question about the
properties of different materials:
Which materials are both magnetic and conductive?
Which materials are neither magnetic or conductive?
Name one object that is opaque:
Which materials are both flexible and waterproof?
Name one object that is translucent:
Which materials conduct electricity?
Copyright © PlanBee Resources Ltd 2014
www.planbee.com
Properties and Changes of Materials
Worksheet 6B
Name: _____________________________ Date: ____________________
Look at the Materials Cards. Use the Carroll diagram below to sort the
materials according to their properties.
Not waterproof
Not flexible
Flexible
Waterproof
Choose two of the everyday materials listed below, then create your
own Materials Cards which describe their properties.
Cling film
Leather
Concrete
Tissue paper
Marble
Copyright © PlanBee Resources Ltd 2014
www.planbee.com
Properties and Changes of Materials
Worksheet 6C
Name: _____________________________ Date: ____________________
Look at the Materials Cards. Draw a Venn diagram or Carroll diagram
to sort the materials according to two of their properties.
Choose two of the everyday materials listed below, then create your
own Materials Cards which describe their properties.
Cling film
Leather
Concrete
Tissue paper
Marble
Copyright © PlanBee Resources Ltd 2014
www.planbee.com
Properties and Changes of Materials
Oak wood
•heavy and dense
•hard
•can be cut and
shaped easily
•floats in water
Clay
•water-resistant if
treated with other
materials
•rigid
Silk
•thin and light
•translucent
•soft
•can be cut easily
•not waterproof
•flexible
•not conductive
•not magnetic
•not waterproof
•not transparent
•heavy and dense
•hard
•conductive
•not magnetic
•waterproof
•toxic
•fixed shape
•transparent
•rigid
•can be melted
and moulded
easily
•not conductive
•waterproof
•strong when thick,
fragile when thin
Sponge
•can be moulded
easily
•soft
•waterproof
Aluminium
•shiny and smooth
•conductive
•not magnetic
•light
•waterproof
•waterproof and
soft when wet, not
waterproof and
hard when fired in
a kiln
Glass
Rubber
•stretchy
•not conductive good insulator
•flexible
•light
•malleable - can
be moulded and
shaped easily
•heavy
•opaque
Lead
Corrugated
•light
•cheap
•flexible
•rigid when
layered
•absorbs impacts
Materials Cards
•soft
•not water-proof
•flexible
•light
•can be cut to
shape
•light
•absorbs water
Pumice stone
•can be moulded
or pressed into
different shapes
•rigid when thick,
flexible when thin
Copyright © PlanBee Resources Ltd 2014
•coarse, rough
surface
•very light
•rigid
•not water-proof
•opaque
•absorbs water
www.planbee.com
Properties and Changes of Materials
Activity Card 1
Flexibility
You will need:
•Spaghetti
•Plastic spoons
•Plastic straws
•Balsa wood sticks
•Kebab sticks or similar
•Metal spoons
•Bread sticks
•Weights
•String
•Eye protection
(Suggested materials could be substituted with whatever is available)
What to do:
• Move two tables close together, with a small gap of
around 10cm between them.
• Choose a material to test, then place it so that each end
rests on one of the tables.
• Put your eye protection on!
• Use string, a small plastic bag, a weight hook or
something similar to hang a small weight from the middle
of the material, hanging between the two tables. What
do you notice?
• Gradually add weights, one at a time. What do you
notice?
• When the material bends, breaks or you have no more
weights to add, stop and choose another material to
test.
• You could use a table or a Carroll diagram to record your
findings.
Copyright © PlanBee Resources Ltd 2014
www.planbee.com
Properties and Changes of Materials
Activity Card 2
Solubility
You will need:
•Sugar
•Salt
•Talcum powder
•Desiccated coconut
•Sand
•Flour
•Beakers
•Water
•Spoons
(Suggested materials could be substituted with whatever is available)
What to do:
• Look at the materials on the table. What do you think will
happen when they are mixed with water? Discuss with
your group.
• Choose one material. Add a small amount to a beaker
of clean water. Mix it with a spoon. What do you notice?
• Do you remember the properties of soluble materials?
✦ Soluble materials:
✴ Break down into particles smaller than water particles
✴ Mix with water to make a transparent solution
• When you have tested one material, pour the mixture
away and repeat the test using a new material and
clean water.
• You could record your results in a table.
• What did you notice about the materials? Were your
predictions correct?
Copyright © PlanBee Resources Ltd 2014
www.planbee.com
Properties and Changes of Materials
Activity Card 3
Conductivity
You will need:
•Batteries
•Wires
•Bulbs
•Cocktail sticks
•Plastic spoons
•Metal spoons
•Tin foil
•Paper
•Charcoal sticks
•Pencils
(Suggested materials could be substituted with whatever is available)
What to do:
• Do you remember how to make a simple electrical circuit
that will make a bulb light up? How could it be modified
to test the electrical conductivity of different materials?
Discuss with your group.
• Look at the materials on the table. Which do you think
will conduct electricity? Which are non-conductive?
Discuss with your group.
• Choose a material. Connect it to your circuit. Did the
bulb light up?
• Repeat the test using the other materials. What did you
notice? Were your predictions correct?
• If you have time, you could test the conductivity of some
other items in the class room. What could you test?
• You could record your results in a table.
Copyright © PlanBee Resources Ltd 2014
www.planbee.com
Properties and Changes of Materials
Activity Card 4
Magnetism
You will need:
•Magnets
•Plastic trays
•Sawdust
•Sand
•Gravel
•Paper clips
•Metal cutlery
•Iron turnings
•drinks cans
•soup/baked bean tins
•beads
•counters
(Suggested materials could be substituted with whatever is available)
What to do:
• Look at the materials on the table.
✴ Which do you think will be magnetic?
✴ Which will be non-magnetic?
✴ Which will be strongly magnetic?
✴ Which will not be strongly magnetic?
Discuss with your group.
• As a group, decide how you will test the materials.
• What did you notice? Were your predictions correct?
Were you surprised by any of your findings?
• You could record your findings using a table.
Copyright © PlanBee Resources Ltd 2014
www.planbee.com
Properties and Changes of Materials
Activity Card 5
Transparency
You will need:
•Torches
•Paper
•Card
•Felt
•Plastic bags
•Cotton cloth
•Cellophane or acrylic
sheets
(Suggested materials could be substituted with whatever is available)
What to do:
• Discuss the meaning of these words with your group:
✴ Transparent
✴ Translucent
✴ Opaque
What do they mean? If you are not sure, use a dictionary
or ask an adult to help you.
• Look at the materials on the table. Can you use torches
or daylight to help sort them into groups? Discuss with
your group.
• What happens to the light going through translucent or
transparent materials when you add more layers? Discuss
how you could test this idea and try out your ideas. What
did you notice?
• If you have time, test some more materials found in your
classroom. What could you test?
Copyright © PlanBee Resources Ltd 2014
www.planbee.com
0
