Materials Around Us
Class 6 · Science
5 ideas in Class 6 Science, explained in plain words, with games and quizzes to practise.
Choosing and Grouping Materials
Part of: Materials and grouping
Every object around us is made of one or more materials, such as wood, glass, metal, cloth or plastic. Sorting things into groups by a shared property is called classification. For example, a spoon, a ladle and a pan lid can be grouped together because they are all made of metal.
Why it matters. Choosing the right material is why a raincoat is not made of paper and a pan is not made of cloth. Children who link a property to a purpose start to reason like a scientist.
Try it in two minutes
- Collect six household items, such as a steel spoon, a wooden spatula, a plastic mug, a glass bowl, a cloth napkin and a paper cup.
- Ask your child to name the material of each and then sort the items in two different ways.
- Ask: why is the pan handle often made of plastic or wood and not of metal?
Try at home. Ask your child to pick one object at home and explain why its material suits the job it does.
Lustre and Hardness
Part of: Properties of materials
Materials that have a shiny surface are lustrous, and most metals are like this. Materials like paper or wood are non-lustrous. Materials that are hard to press or scratch are hard, and those that are easy to press or scratch are soft. Hard and soft are comparisons: rubber is softer than iron but harder than a sponge.
Why it matters. Noticing how things look and feel is the start of scientific observation. It also explains why jewellery is made of metal and why cushions are filled with something soft.
Try it in two minutes
- Gather a steel spoon, a piece of chalk, a wooden ruler, an eraser and some aluminium foil.
- Ask your child to say which ones shine and which are dull.
- Press each with a thumb and scratch each gently with a key. Ask: which is the hardest and which is the softest?
Try at home. Ask your child to line up five household objects from softest to hardest and explain the order.
Seeing Through Materials
Part of: Properties of materials
Some materials let us see clearly through them, such as clear glass and water. These are transparent. Some let us see only a hazy picture, such as butter paper and frosted glass. These are translucent. Others, like wood and cardboard, do not let us see through them at all. These are opaque.
Why it matters. This idea explains why windows are made of glass, why bathroom glass is frosted and why walls are not see-through. It also helps children match a material to a job.
Try it in two minutes
- Hold a clear glass, a sheet of butter paper and a piece of cardboard in front of a toy, one after another.
- Ask your child what they can see through each one: clearly, faintly or not at all.
- Name the three groups together and ask your child to place each item in a group.
Try at home. Ask your child to find two transparent, two translucent and two opaque things at home.
Soluble and Insoluble Materials
Part of: Materials and water
When some materials are stirred into water they spread out and seem to vanish. We say they dissolve, or are soluble in water. Sugar and salt are like this. Other materials, such as sand or sawdust, stay as bits even after long stirring. They are insoluble. Some liquids mix with water, while others, like oil, form a separate layer. Some gases, such as oxygen, dissolve in water too.
Why it matters. Dissolving explains how drinks like lemonade are made and how fish get oxygen from water. It also helps children predict what will happen before they try something.
Try it in two minutes
- Fill three glasses with water. Add a spoon of sugar to one, sand to another and a few drops of oil to the third.
- Ask your child to predict what will happen, then stir each one.
- Ask: which one disappeared, which one stayed as bits and which one made a layer?
Try at home. Let your child test two more kitchen items, such as tea leaves and salt, and say whether each is soluble or insoluble.
Matter, Mass and Volume
Part of: What is matter?
Anything that has mass and takes up space is matter. Mass tells us how much matter there is, and a heavier object has more mass. The space an object takes up is its volume. Mass is measured in grams (g) and kilograms (kg). Volume of liquids is measured in litres (L) and millilitres (mL). A number and its unit have a space between them, as in 500 mL.
Why it matters. Mass and volume are the first measurements of science. They help children read labels on food and bottles, and understand that even air, which we cannot see, is matter.
Try it in two minutes
- Take two identical cups. Fill one with water and the other with rice, both to the same level.
- Lift each and ask: which has more mass? Which one takes up more space?
- Blow up a balloon and ask: what is inside, and does it take up space?
Try at home. Ask your child to read the net quantity on three packets or bottles at home and say what each shows.
What your child will practise
- Choosing and Grouping Materials: Space Quest (Collect the Answer)
- Lustre and Hardness: Space Quick Fire (Quick Fire)
- Matter, Mass and Volume: Candy Puzzle (Clue Puzzle)
- Seeing Through Materials: Castle Sort (Sort It Out)
- Soluble and Insoluble Materials: Treasure Quest (Collect the Answer)
- Quiz: Choosing and Grouping Materials (8 questions)
- Quiz: Lustre and Hardness (8 questions)
- Quiz: Matter, Mass and Volume (8 questions)
- Quiz: Seeing Through Materials (8 questions)