Year 1 Science: Rock, brick and clay
Part of the Year 1 Science objects and materials chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page · Download worksheet (PDF) · Answers (PDF)
Rock, brick and clay
Rock is hard, and it is found in the ground. A pebble is a small piece of rock. Pebbles on a beach are made of rock.
Clay is a soft, wet material from the ground. We can squash it and shape it. When clay is baked in a very hot oven, it becomes hard.
Brick is made from clay. Bricks are shaped and then baked until they are hard. A wall is made from many bricks.
Key ideas
- Rock is hard and comes from the ground.
- A pebble is a small piece of rock.
- Clay is soft and wet, and we can shape it.
- Brick is made from clay that has been baked hard.
Key words. An object is a thing, like a chair. A material is what an object is made from, like wood.
Method. Think about what the wall is made from.
- Look at the wall. Think about the stuff it is made of, not what it is used for.Object: wall
- Find its material. The material is the stuff the wall is made from.wall = brick
- Write the answer. brick
Check. Say it as a sentence: The wall is made from brick. ✓
Watch out. Say the material, not the object. The wall is the object. Brick is what it is made from.
Method. Think about how bricks are made.
- Think about the start. A brick starts as soft, wet clay that is shaped.soft, wet clay
- Think about what happens next. It is baked in a very hot oven, so it becomes hard.clay baked = hard brick
- Write the answer. clay
Check. Bricks are made from clay that is baked. ✓
Watch out. A brick is not made from wood, even though it is a building material.
Key words. An object is a thing, like a chair. A material is what an object is made from, like wood.
Method. Think about what the pot is made from.
- Look at the pot. Think about the stuff it is made of, not what it is used for.Object: pot
- Find its material. The material is the stuff the pot is made from.pot = clay
- Write the answer. clay
Check. Say it as a sentence: The pot is made from clay. ✓
Watch out. Say the material, not the object. The pot is the object. Clay is what it is made from.
Watch out
Watch out: a brick and a pebble can both be hard, but they are not made from the same material. A pebble is rock. A brick is made from clay.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Collect a few pebbles from a garden path, or from a beach with a grown-up. Let your child squash modelling clay into a little pot. Wash hands after touching soil, clay and pebbles.
Try it at home
With a grown-up, collect three small pebbles from a garden path or a beach. Look at them closely. Then squash some modelling clay in your hands and shape a little pot. Wash your hands afterwards.
Working scientifically
What did you notice when you squashed the clay? Was it hard or soft? What do you think will happen to a pebble if we put it in a bowl of water?
Exercise 7D Rock, brick and clay
Key words. An object is a thing, like a chair. A material is what an object is made from, like wood.
Method. Think about what the wall is made from.
- Look at the wall. Think about the stuff it is made of, not what it is used for.Object: wall
- Find its material. The material is the stuff the wall is made from.wall = brick
- Write the answer. brick
Check. Say it as a sentence: The wall is made from brick. ✓
Watch out. Say the material, not the object. The wall is the object. Brick is what it is made from.
Key words. An object is a thing, like a chair. A material is what an object is made from, like wood.
Method. Think about what the pebble is made from.
- Look at the pebble. Think about the stuff it is made of, not what it is used for.Object: pebble
- Find its material. The material is the stuff the pebble is made from.pebble = rock
- Write the answer. rock
Check. Say it as a sentence: The pebble is made from rock. ✓
Watch out. Say the material, not the object. The pebble is the object. Rock is what it is made from.
Method. Think about wet clay.
- Think about how clay feels when it is wet. Wet clay is soft, so we can squash it into a shape.wet clay = soft
- Pick the word. Soft is the word for clay that squashes easily.soft
- Write the answer. soft
Check. Squash wet clay with your fingers. It feels soft. ✓
Watch out. Clay is hard only after it has been baked.
Method. Check the statement against what you know.
- Read the statement. Read every word, and think about what it says.Clay is hard when it is wet.
- Check the facts. Wet clay is soft. We can squash it and shape it.False
- Write the answer. False
Check. Say the answer back with the reason: Wet clay is soft. We can squash it and shape it. ✓
Watch out. Check each word. One wrong word makes the whole statement wrong.
Key words. An object is a thing, like a chair. A material is what an object is made from, like wood.
Method. Look at each choice. Pick the one made from brick.
- Look at each choice. Think about what each one is made from.wall: brick; T-shirt: fabric
- Find the one made from brick. Only one choice has this material.wall is made from brick
- Write the answer. wall
Check. The other choices are made from different materials. ✓
Watch out. Look at the material, not the shape. Only the wall is made from brick.
Key words. An object is a thing, like a chair. A material is what an object is made from, like wood.
Method. Look at each choice. Pick the one made from clay.
- Look at each choice. Think about what each one is made from.pot: clay; window: glass
- Find the one made from clay. Only one choice has this material.pot is made from clay
- Write the answer. pot
Check. The other choices are made from different materials. ✓
Watch out. Look at the material, not the shape. Only the pot is made from clay.
Key words. An object is a thing, like a chair. A material is what an object is made from, like wood.
Method. Think about what the pebble is made from.
- Look at the pebble. Think about the stuff it is made of, not what it is used for.Object: pebble
- Find its material. The material is the stuff the pebble is made from.pebble = rock
- Write the answer. rock
Check. Say it as a sentence: The pebble is made from rock. ✓
Watch out. Say the material, not the object. The pebble is the object. Rock is what it is made from.
Key words. An object is a thing, like a chair. A material is what an object is made from, like wood.
Method. Think about what the wall is made from.
- Look at the wall. Think about the stuff it is made of, not what it is used for.Object: wall
- Find its material. The material is the stuff the wall is made from.wall = brick
- Write the answer. brick
Check. Say it as a sentence: The wall is made from brick. ✓
Watch out. Say the material, not the object. The wall is the object. Brick is what it is made from.
Key words. An object is a thing, like a chair. A material is what an object is made from, like wood.
Method. Think about what the pot is made from.
- Look at the pot. Think about the stuff it is made of, not what it is used for.Object: pot
- Find its material. The material is the stuff the pot is made from.pot = clay
- Write the answer. clay
Check. Say it as a sentence: The pot is made from clay. ✓
Watch out. Say the material, not the object. The pot is the object. Clay is what it is made from.
Method. Look at the pebble first, then at the wall.
- Look at the pebble. A pebble is a small piece of rock.pebble = rock
- Look at the wall. A wall is made from bricks, and bricks are made from clay.wall = brick = clay
- Write the answer. Mixed up. A pebble is rock, but the wall is made from brick.
Check. Only the pebble is rock. ✓
Watch out. Two things can look like stone, but be made from different materials.
Key words. An object is a thing, like a chair. A material is what an object is made from, like wood.
Method. Count only the things made from rock.
- Look at each thing in the picture. Check what each one is made from.pebble: rock; wall: brick; pebble: rock; pot: clay
- Count the things made from rock. Count only those, and leave out the others.pebble, pebble = 2
- Write the answer. 2
Check. Count the things again from the start. You get 2 again. ✓
Watch out. Count only the things made from the material you are asked about.
Method. Think about what happens when clay is baked.
- Think about the clay. Clay is soft when wet, and it is baked to make it hard.soft, then baked
- Think about the oven. A very hot oven makes the clay hard and strong.baked = hard
- Write the answer. It becomes hard.
Check. Bricks and clay pots are hard after they are baked. ✓
Watch out. Baking changes clay. Squashing it does not make it hard.
Method. Think about what a brick and a pot are made from.
- Look at the brick wall. A brick is made from clay that has been baked.brick = clay
- Look at the pot. A clay pot is made from clay that has been baked.pot = clay
- Write the answer. Yes. Bricks and clay pots are both made from clay.
Check. Both are baked clay, so they are made from the same material. ✓
Watch out. Being hard is not the same as being the same material. Check what each one is made from.