Students test and compare materials by their properties — hardness, magnetism, whether they conduct or float — and learn that every material can be identified by its own set of measurable traits.
Students will be able to…
A detective identifies a suspect by their traits. How can you identify a material — metal, plastic, glass — by testing what it does?
Project this and tap each material. Have students record its properties — hard or soft, magnetic, conductor, float or sink — as a way to identify it.
Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.
Could you identify a material blindfolded, by testing it?
Students investigate.
Teacher explains.
Apply to design.
Three quick checks.
Aligned to Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core literacy. State-standard crosswalks available on request.
Make observations and measurements to identify materials based on their properties.
Develop a model to describe that matter is made of particles too small to be seen.
Measure and graph quantities to provide evidence that mass is conserved.
Draw on information from multiple sources to answer a question or solve a problem.
Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.
Have students test several materials for magnetism, conductivity, and floating, record the results in a table, then use the table to identify a mystery material. A printable property-lab sheet is in the Science library.
Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.
A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.
A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.