Module 2: Science – investigating materials

Section 1: Investigating and classifying materials

Key Focus Question: How can you use games and investigations to help pupils identify and classify materials?

Keywords: properties; solid; liquid; gas; games; investigations

Learning outcomes

By the end of this section, you will have:

  • used games to assess and develop pupils’ awareness of materials around them;
  • explored ways of demonstrating properties of matter to pupils and helped them to classify materials around them;
  • guided pupils to more independence in setting up their own investigations.

Introduction

Most of us take our material world for granted. Thinking scientifically can cause us to pay more careful attention to the matter around us. Have you ever stopped to think how many substances we come into contact with and use?

This section looks at how you can help pupils scientifically identify, sort, and classify the matter around them. Using games, labelling and simple investigations, you will help your pupils build a ‘mental’ map of the material world.

1. Using games to explore materials