Materials Around Us: Wood, Metal, Plastic, and Fabric
Sorting everyday objects by what they are made of
Materials Around Us: Wood, Metal, Plastic, and Fabric
Sorting everyday objects by what they are made of
Science - Grade K-1
- 1
A table is made from a hard brown material that comes from trees. What material is the table most likely made of?
Think about a tree trunk.
The table is most likely made of wood because wood comes from trees. - 2
A spoon is shiny, hard, and cold to touch. Is it made of wood, metal, plastic, or fabric?
The spoon is made of metal because metal is often shiny, hard, and cool to touch. - 3
Circle the object that is usually made of fabric: a shirt, a coin, or a plastic bottle.
Fabric is soft and bendy.
The shirt is usually made of fabric because fabric is used to make clothes. - 4
A toy bucket is light and can get wet at the beach. It is often made of plastic. Draw or write one more thing made of plastic.
One more thing made of plastic could be a plastic cup, a plastic toy, or a plastic bottle. - 5
Look around your classroom or home. Name one thing made of wood.
Look for something hard that may be brown or painted.
One thing made of wood could be a chair, table, pencil, door, or shelf. - 6
Look around your classroom or home. Name one thing made of metal.
One thing made of metal could be a key, spoon, coin, pan, or paper clip. - 7
Sort these objects by material: wooden chair, metal key, plastic cup, fabric sock.
Say each object and think about how it feels.
The chair is wood, the key is metal, the cup is plastic, and the sock is fabric. - 8
Which material is usually soft: metal, fabric, or wood?
Fabric is usually soft because it is used for clothes, blankets, and towels. - 9
Which material is usually very hard and strong: metal, fabric, or plastic bag?
Think about a metal spoon or a metal bike.
Metal is usually very hard and strong compared with fabric or a plastic bag. - 10
A blanket bends and folds easily. What material is a blanket usually made of?
A blanket is usually made of fabric because fabric can bend and fold easily. - 11
Circle the best material for a raincoat: wood, metal, plastic, or fabric.
Choose a material that water does not go through easily.
Plastic is a good material for a raincoat because it can help keep water off. - 12
A pencil has a hard outside that can come from trees. What material is the outside of many pencils made of?
The outside of many pencils is made of wood because wood comes from trees. - 13
Look at a metal pan and a fabric towel. Which one is better for cooking on a stove?
A towel can burn if it gets too hot.
The metal pan is better for cooking on a stove because metal is strong and can handle heat better than fabric. - 14
Draw a line to match each material to how it may feel: wood - hard, metal - shiny, fabric - soft, plastic - light.
Wood can feel hard, metal can look shiny, fabric can feel soft, and plastic can be light. - 15
Choose one object near you. Write or say what it is made of: wood, metal, plastic, or fabric.
Touch the object gently and think about whether it is hard, shiny, soft, or light.
The answer should name an object and its material, such as a chair is made of wood or a bottle is made of plastic.