All about Materials!

We completed the topic of "Materials" few days ago. We covered the following:

• Atoms and Molecules - Basic
• Natural Materials / Man made Materials
• Different kinds of things made of different kinds of Materials
• Properties of Materials
• Rocks - Basic
• Magnets - Basic

We used the Usborne First Encyclopedia of Science and read about Atoms and Molecules. Did not go into details but gave her a basic introduction as to how Allaah has created all things. Talking about atoms also paved the way for the discussion of the meaning of the last aayaahs of Soorah Zalzalah

 "So whosoever does good equal to the weight of an atom (or a small ant), shall see it." (Az-Zalzalah 99:7)

"And whosoever does evil equal to the weight of an atom (or a small ant), shall see it." (Az-Zalzalah 99:8)

The good thing about using this encyclopedia is that you get many online activities to go along with each page here.

We learnt about Natural and Man made Materials and did the activities on the CGP Science Work Book

I asked her to get some things in the house that is made from each different materials and told her to label them. She enjoyed this.

When we learnt the properties of the Materials, I asked her to check each material she has labelled and told her to tick or put a cross for each property of the Material. This way she understood what it really means, the only things she is still confused is about "Waterproof or not"!

The Properties of the Materials we learnt:

• Bendy
• Rigid
• Stretchy
• Transparent
• Opaque
• Shiny
• Dull
• Smooth 
• Rough
• Squashy
• Magnetic
• Waterproof

 

 

We also learnt about Rocks. I had planned to give a detail introduction to Rocks this year as I got down a Rock Activity Set to do some hands on Activities while teaching, but due to relocations I do not have the set with me right now. So Inshaa Allaah we will do in detail next year. For now we used the Raintree book on Rocks and did a colouring worksheet on this. (the worksheets are from Great School website. All links for the worksheets are here )

As for Magnets, experimented with north and south poles and learnt the basics of Magnets along with attraction and repulsion and the uses of Magnets.

 

Here are some online activities that we did on Materials. (some links are suitable for older kids)

http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks2/science/material_matters/index.htm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/6_7/grouping_materials.shtml

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/7_8/characteristics_materials.shtml
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks3/science/chemical_material_behaviour/atoms_elements/activity/

http://www.nyscience.org/marvelousmolecules/index.html