Year 1 Science: Wood, plastic and metal
Part of the Year 1 Science objects and materials chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page · Download worksheet (PDF) · Answers (PDF)
Wood, plastic and metal
Some materials are very common in our homes. Here are three of them.
Wood comes from trees. A wooden chair or a wooden spoon is made from wood. Wood often has lines in it, called grain.
Plastic is made in a factory. Plastic can be a bright colour. It is used for bottles, bags and toys.
Metal is often hard and shiny. Spoons and tins can be made of metal.
Key ideas
- Wood comes from trees. It often has grain, which looks like lines.
- Plastic is made in a factory. It can be many colours.
- Metal is often hard and shiny.
- Look at the object and ask: What is it 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 tin is made from.
- Look at the tin. Think about the stuff it is made of, not what it is used for.Object: tin
- Find its material. The material is the stuff the tin is made from.tin = metal
- Write the answer. metal
Check. Say it as a sentence: The tin is made from metal. ✓
Watch out. Say the material, not the object. The tin is the object. Metal 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. Look at each choice. Pick the one made from plastic.
- Look at each choice. Think about what each one is made from.chair: wood; bottle: plastic
- Find the one made from plastic. Only one choice has this material.bottle is made from plastic
- Write the answer. bottle
Check. The other choices are made from different materials. ✓
Watch out. Look at the material, not the shape. Only the bottle is made from plastic.
Key words. An object is a thing, like a chair. A material is what an object is made from, like wood.
Method. Put each object in the group for the material it is made from.
- Look at each object. Think about what it is made from.chair, bottle, tin
- Put each one in its group. Objects made from the same material go in the same group.wood: chair; plastic: bottle; metal: tin
- Write the answer. wood: chair; plastic: bottle; metal: tin
Check. Each object is in one group, and the groups are right. ✓
Watch out. Sort by the material, not by the shape or the colour.
Watch out
Watch out: a wooden spoon is made of wood, but a metal spoon is made of metal. Both can have the same shape. Look at the material, not only the shape.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Gather a wooden spoon, a metal spoon and a plastic cup from the kitchen. Ask your child which is which, and why. Remind them that the material is what the thing is made from.
Try it at home
With a grown-up, sort three kitchen things into piles: wood, plastic and metal. Use things that are safe to hold, such as a wooden spoon, a plastic cup and a metal teaspoon. Ask a grown-up to check each pile.
Working scientifically
What did you notice about how each material looks? How could we find out if our piles are right?
Exercise 7B Wood, plastic and metal
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 spoon is made from.
- Look at the spoon. Think about the stuff it is made of, not what it is used for.Object: spoon
- Find its material. The material is the stuff the spoon is made from.spoon = wood
- Write the answer. wood
Check. Say it as a sentence: The spoon is made from wood. ✓
Watch out. Say the material, not the object. The spoon is the object. Wood 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 spoon is made from.
- Look at the spoon. Think about the stuff it is made of, not what it is used for.Object: spoon
- Find its material. The material is the stuff the spoon is made from.spoon = metal
- Write the answer. metal
Check. Say it as a sentence: The spoon is made from metal. ✓
Watch out. Say the material, not the object. The spoon is the object. Metal 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. Look at each choice. Pick the one made from metal.
- Look at each choice. Think about what each one is made from.tin: metal; bottle: plastic
- Find the one made from metal. Only one choice has this material.tin is made from metal
- Write the answer. tin
Check. The other choices are made from different materials. ✓
Watch out. Look at the material, not the shape. Only the tin is made from metal.
Method. Check the statement against what you know.
- Read the statement. Read every word, and think about what it says.A bottle is made from metal.
- Check the facts. A bottle like this one is made from plastic, not metal.False
- Write the answer. False
Check. Say the answer back with the reason: A bottle like this one is made from plastic, not metal. ✓
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. Put each object in the group for the material it is made from.
- Look at each object. Think about what it is made from.chair, spoon, tin
- Put each one in its group. Objects made from the same material go in the same group.wood: chair; metal: spoon, tin
- Write the answer. wood: chair; metal: spoon, tin
Check. Each object is in one group, and the groups are right. ✓
Watch out. Sort by the material, not by the shape or the colour.
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 wood.
- Look at each thing in the picture. Check what each one is made from.chair: wood; spoon: wood; bottle: plastic; tin: metal; spoon: metal; spoon: wood
- Count the things made from wood. Count only those, and leave out the others.chair, spoon, spoon = 3
- Write the answer. 3
Check. Count the things again from the start. You get 3 again. ✓
Watch out. Count only the things made from the material you are asked about.
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 metal.
- Look at each thing in the picture. Check what each one is made from.spoon: metal; tin: metal; bottle: plastic; spoon: metal
- Count the things made from metal. Count only those, and leave out the others.spoon, tin, spoon = 3
- Write the answer. 3
Check. Count the things again from the start. You get 3 again. ✓
Watch out. Count only the things made from the material you are asked about.
Method. Look at each spoon, and check what it is made from.
- Look at the first spoon. The first spoon is made from wood.first spoon = wood
- Look at the second spoon. The second spoon is made from metal.second spoon = metal
- Check Tom’s idea. Tom said every spoon is metal, but the first one is not.not every spoon
- Write the answer. No. The first spoon is made from wood. The second spoon is made from metal.
Check. Two spoons, two materials. Tom is not right. ✓
Watch out. Look at what each object is made from before you decide.
Method. Think about what a tin is made from.
- Look at the tin. A tin is a food tin, and it is a metal object.tin = metal
- Check what being bright means. Bright colour does not tell us the material. The tin is still made of metal.shine does not decide
- Write the answer. No. A tin is made from metal.
Check. The tin is made from metal. ✓
Watch out. A bright colour can be on many materials. Look at what the object is made from.
Method. Think about how hard a chair is, and what it is made from.
- Look at the chair. This chair is made from wood.chair = wood
- Think about hardness. Being hard does not tell us the material. Wood is hard too.hard is not the same as plastic
- Write the answer. No. This chair is made from wood. Being hard does not tell us the material.
Check. Wood is hard, so a hard chair can be made from wood. ✓
Watch out. Many materials are hard. Only the material tells us what it is made from.
Method. Think of things at home that are made of wood.
- Look around the home. Furniture and kitchen tools are often made of wood.table, chair, wooden spoon
- Pick two, and say how you know. You can see the material, or a grown-up can tell you.two things
- Write the answer. Any two wooden things, such as a table and a wooden spoon.
Check. Name the things and the material: they are made of wood. ✓
Watch out. Check with a grown-up if you are not sure.