Materials 1.1 Exploring with the Senses
Sc3: Materials
1.1 Exploring with the Senses
Same & Different
P.O.S
Key Stage 1 Sc3 1a
Key Stage 2 Sc3 1a
Materials 1.1 Exploring with the Senses
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
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To experience a range of properties of everyday objects using all senses.
To be able to identify some similarities between materials.
To be able to identify some differences between materials.
To begin to develop the skill of observing.
To begin to describe some properties of materials.
ICT
LINKS
VOCABULARY
Use CD ROM with grouping and sorting activities
DT
Art
Materials 2 - Grouping
Wet, dry, fluffy, shiny, bendy, hard, soft, prickly,
rough, smooth, heavy, light, stretchy,
transparent, opaque, names of colours,
same/different
ACTIVITIES
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Explore every day objects and toys (ensuring that there is a range of man-made and natural
materials), by touching for the following characteristics:
- hard things – the “hardness” of hard, soft things, wet, dry, fluffy, shiny, bendy, prickly,
rough, smooth, heavy, light, stretchy .e.g. use feely-bags or box or blindfold
Explore every day objects and toys, man-made and natural by looking.
- transparent
- opaque
- coloured
- shiny
- dull
Explore every day objects and toys, man-made and natural, by listening
- wooden/metallic/plastic e.g. musical instruments.
- Push wheelchair over different surfaces e.g. bubble wrap, carpet, gravel
- Drag an object over rough/smooth surfaces.
For activities involving exploring materials by taste or smell see Units in
Humans – The Senses
Humans – Food and Drink
Select the “Odd one out” from three objects.
Experience grouping and sorting of a variety of objects in different ways e.g. teacher selects an
object from a group and pupil finds another like it. Whole class is included in agreeing which
group to put object.
RESOURCES
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A wide-ranging selection of
everyday, relevant objects,
e.g. carpet tiles (end of
range at carpet shops),
artificial turf, large sheets of
bubblewrap etc
Hoops or similar for
grouping activities.
Feely bag
VISITS
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Woodyard, builders yard,
garden centre
Recycling centre
Hardware store
Department store
Church
Glass factory
Crafts people – cooper,
farrier etc
Quarries, slate mines
POINTS TO
NOTE
 Safety issues
when touching
hot things, small
things
(swallowing),
mouthing things
(sharp, brittle)
 Be aware of
pupils with
hypersensitive
hearing.
 Pupils often focus
in the name of the
object or what it is
made of rather
than its
properties.
Materials 1.1 Exploring with the Senses
OWN ACTIVITIES
POSSIBLE INVESTIGATIONS
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Which material makes the loudest noise?
Which material is the roughest? This could be done using touch or seeing whether it rips a more delicate material like tissue.
Materials 1.1 Exploring with the Senses
Name:
Date Record Began:
Outcomes: ‘P’ Level 1 NC Level 1
P1 (i)
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Is present during an experience, may show no response, e.g. when hand placed on something wet or listening to a
musical instrument.
May be resistant.
P1 (ii)
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P2 (i)
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P2 (ii)
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P3 (i)
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Shows more consistent attention e.g. looks at all shiny objects but ignores non-shiny objects.
Shows differentiated response to specific stimulus, e.g. shows pleasure/displeasure each time in same way to same
experience.
Observes result of own action with interest e.g. pushes hard object into soft clay.
P3 (ii)
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Responds to choice of 2 materials e.g. by touching or eye-pointing towards one not the other.
P4
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Knows what to do with some everyday objects e.g. that a sponge can be squeezed, ball can be bounced.
P5
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Begins to initiate interaction with materials e.g. puts soft sponges onto face.
P6
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Begins to co-operate with turn taking, sharing e.g. passing objects round after feeling it with prompting.
Begins to anticipate, e.g. covers ears before metal cymbals are crashed together.
Shows clear preferences between properties of materials e.g. explores and handles stretchy materials in preference to
non-stretchy materials.
Recognises some differences between properties e.g. selects an object in the “odd one out” game, not always correctly
or with support.
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P7
P8
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Recognises features of object e.g. matches properties of materials by finding another shiny thing.
Observes by indicating something about an object when asked about it.
Begins to name some properties of materials using everyday words and not always correctly.
Uses appropriate sense to explore properties of familiar objects e.g. smells soap and does not mouth it.
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Begins to describe properties of familiar objects, e.g. flannel is wet, Teddy is soft.
Demonstrates the skill of observing by sorting by identity e.g. puts all the candles etc in one group.
Begins to group real obvious objects by their properties when given one object at a time e.g. places object in the
correct set.
Names properties with less support and more confidence using everyday words.
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N.C. Level
1
Shows random fleeting response to experience – e.g. looks briefly, touches, vocalises, blinks, turns away in response
to stimulus.
Begins to accept and engage in coactive exploration e.g. feeling materials hand over hand with adult.
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Demonstrates the skill of observing by finding an object in the classroom that has a particular property e.g. something
that is rough.
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Describes some similarities and differences between objects in terms of properties with support.
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Uses relevant senses to explore an unfamiliar object.
Sorts objects using given, less obvious, criteria e.g. stretchy, see-through.
Further Comments