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Objects vs Materials

Distinguish between an object and the material from which it is made, understanding that objects can be made from different materials

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What a learner can do afterwards

  • Explain the difference between an object (e.g. a chair) and the material it is made from (e.g. wood)
  • Give examples of the same object made from different materials (e.g. plastic cup, glass cup)
  • Identify what material a given object is made from by looking at and touching it

The lesson

An object is a thing, like a cup or a chair. The material is what the object is made from. Wood, glass, and plastic are materials. The same object can be made from many materials.

Try it together

Look at two cups. One cup is made of plastic. Another cup is made of glass. Both are cups, the same object. But they are made from different materials.

Tap each dot and count out loud.
A cup can be plastic, glass, or metal. Count the materials: 1, 2, 3.
Good to know

You can tell the material by looking and touching. Metal feels cold and hard. Wood feels warm and a bit rough. Plastic feels smooth and light.

Try it together

Look at two spoons. One spoon is wood. One spoon is metal. Both are spoons, the same object. The material is different.

The object stays the same, but the material can change.

Watch it

Where it sits

Learn first

Nothing; this is a starting point.

This opens up

Where this leads

Jobs that lean on this skill. Follow one to see everything it is built on.

Then practise

8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.

Objects vs Materials · Science, ages 5 to 6 · LightMySky