This World of Things
Class 3 · The World Around Us
4 ideas in Class 3 The World Around Us, explained in plain words, with games and quizzes to practise.
Materials and Their Origins
Part of: Materials and Matter
Everything around us is made of materials like wood from trees, metals from mineral ores, and glass from sand.
Why it matters. Tracing where materials come from helps us appreciate nature's gifts and understand manufacturing.
Try it in two minutes
- Identify wooden items like desks and doors, tracing them back to forest trees.
- Learn that metals like iron and copper are extracted from mineral rocks called ores dug from the Earth.
- Discover that clear glass is manufactured by heating silica sand.
- Understand that alloys like steel and brass are mixtures of different metals.
Try at home. Spot three things in your room and classify what material each is made of: wood, metal, plastic, or glass.
Seeing Through: Transparent, Translucent, and Opaque
Part of: Materials and Matter
Materials can be see-through (transparent like clean glass), partially see-through (translucent like butter paper), or blocking light (opaque like wood).
Why it matters. Understanding optical properties explains why windowpanes use glass while classroom doors use wood.
Try it in two minutes
- Test transparent materials: look through clear glass or clean water to see objects crisply.
- Examine translucent materials: hold thin tracing paper or frosted plastic to see blurry outlines.
- Identify opaque materials: observe that wooden boards or metal sheets block all light.
- Remember safety: never stare directly at the bright sun through any object.
Try at home. Hold a flashlight behind a sheet of clear glass, a sheet of butter paper, and a cardboard book.
Properties of Materials: Hardness, Flexibility, and Sound
Part of: Materials and Matter
Materials have unique properties: wood is rigid, cloth is flexible, metals ring when tapped, and rubber bends.
Why it matters. Matching material properties to specific needs ensures that everyday objects like umbrellas and tables function well.
Try it in two minutes
- Compare wood (hard and rigid for furniture) with fabric (soft and flexible for clothing).
- Spot mismatched odd pairs: a paper umbrella would tear in rain; wooden clothes would not bend.
- Listen to acoustic properties: tap a metal spoon on metal (clear ting) versus wood (dull thud).
- Notice sensory textures: metals feel smooth and cold, while unpolished wood feels warm and textured.
Try at home. Tap a spoon gently against a ceramic mug, a wooden spoon, and a metal pot to hear the different sounds.
States of Matter and Natural vs Artificial
Part of: Materials and Matter
Materials exist as solids (fixed shape), liquids (flowing, take cup shape), or gases (float in air), and can be natural or human-made.
Why it matters. Classifying states of matter and knowing natural from artificial helps us understand environmental conservation.
Try it in two minutes
- Identify solids: items like stones, ice, and desks that maintain their own fixed shape.
- Identify liquids: substances like water and milk that flow and take the shape of their container.
- Identify gases: air and steam that spread out freely and float in and out of open spaces.
- Distinguish natural (plants, rocks, air, water) from artificial (plastic switches, tables, shoes).
Try at home. Look around your kitchen: find one solid (spoon), one liquid (cooking water), and one gas (steam above warm soup).
What your child will practise
- Materials and Their Origins: Ocean Quick Fire (Quick Fire)
- Materials and Their Origins: Treasure Quest (Collect the Answer)
- Properties of Materials: Hardness, Flexibility, and Sound: Jungle Quick Fire (Quick Fire)
- Seeing Through: Transparent, Translucent, and Opaque: Desert Puzzle (Clue Puzzle)
- States of Matter and Natural vs Artificial: Lab Explorer Sort (Sort It Out)
- Quiz: Materials and Their Origins (8 questions)
- Quiz: Properties of Materials: Hardness, Flexibility, and Sound (8 questions)
- Quiz: Seeing Through: Transparent, Translucent, and Opaque (8 questions)
- Quiz: States of Matter and Natural vs Artificial (8 questions)