Science·Matter & Materials·procedural
Testing Materials for Uses
Give reasons, based on evidence from comparative and fair tests, for the particular uses of everyday materials including metals, wood, and plastic
Suggested ages 7–10
Learning journey
Your child is investigating how materials behave — classifying substances by their properties, understanding why different materials are used for specific purposes, and exploring how heating and cooling can change materials.
Evidence of understanding
- Design a fair test to compare a specific property of two or more materials
- Present test results as evidence for why a material is suited to a particular use
- Explain the link between a material's tested properties and its real-world application
Assessment prompt
After testing different materials, can Testing Materials for Uses explain with evidence why saucepans are made of metal but their handles are plastic?
Standards alignment
2-PS1-2US · ngss-k5
2-PS1-2
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) K-5
Y5.Sci.PCM.4GB · uk-nc-2013
Reasons for uses of everyday materials
The national curriculum in England: Key stages 1 and 2 framework document · Key Stage 2