Year 2 Science Block 2

Download free year 2 autumn term overview

Year 2
Topic – Everyday Materials

In this block of learning, you will cover the following lessons:

🌡️ Week 1: Can we identify and describe materials?
🌡️ Week 2: Is this material suitable?
🌡️ Week 3: Can we change the shape of solid objects?
🌡️ Week 4: How can we recycle materials?
🌡️ Week 5: How can materials be recycled in new ways?
🌡️ Week 6: Is it transparent or not?

Unit Outcomes (secure)

Everyday Materials
✅ Identify and compare the suitability of a variety of everyday
materials, including wood, metal, plastic, glass, brick, rock,
paper and cardboard for particular uses.
✅ Find out how the shapes of solid objects made from some
materials can be changed by squashing, bending, twisting
and stretching.

Working scientifically
✅Asking simple questions and recognising that they can be
answered in different ways
✅ Observing closely, using simple equipment.
✅ Identifying and classifying.
✅ Using their observations and ideas to suggest answers to
questions.
✅ Performing simple tests.

 

Year 2 Science: Everyday Materials

Explore the fascinating world of everyday materials with this structured Year 2 science unit. Aligned with the KS1 science curriculum, this scheme encourages pupils to investigate the properties, uses, and suitability of different materials. Through hands-on activities, enquiry-based learning, and engaging discussions, children will develop essential working scientifically skills, building on their prior knowledge from Year 1.

What’s Included?

Our KS1 science resources provide teachers with ready-to-use materials to deliver engaging and effective lessons, including:

  • Interactive animated slides for whole-class teaching
  • Differentiated worksheets tailored for all ability levels
  • Knowledge organisers covering key vocabulary and concepts
  • Hands-on investigations and practical activities
  • Age-appropriate assessments to track pupil understanding

Developing Scientific Enquiry

This unit encourages pupils to think critically about materials and their uses. Through structured enquiry and experimentation, children will:

  • Identify and compare a variety of materials based on their properties
  • Test and observe how materials can be manipulated
  • Investigate the suitability of materials for different uses
  • Explore how materials can be recycled and repurposed
  • Use observations and ideas to answer scientific questions

Key Learning Outcomes

By the end of this unit, pupils will be able to:

  • Identify and compare different materials, such as wood, metal, plastic, and glass
  • Describe how materials change when squashed, bent, twisted, or stretched
  • Observe and test the transparency, absorbency, and flexibility of materials
  • Understand the importance of recycling and reusing materials

Lesson Structure

Each lesson follows a structured approach to support learning and engagement:

  • Whole-class teaching: Interactive slides introduce key concepts
  • Guided activities: Hands-on experiments and investigations
  • Independent work: Differentiated tasks for varied learning needs
  • Discussion and reflection: Opportunities for pupils to present findings

Investigating Materials Through Practical Science

Pupils will explore the properties of materials through **interactive and practical investigations**. Activities include:

  • Testing different materials to see how they react to bending, twisting, and stretching
  • Investigating waterproof and absorbent materials
  • Exploring which materials are best suited for specific purposes
  • Sorting and classifying materials based on their characteristics
  • Observing how recycled materials can be repurposed in creative ways

Embedding Scientific Vocabulary

This unit also focuses on developing scientific language, helping pupils confidently describe materials and their properties. Key vocabulary includes:

  • Rigid, flexible, transparent, opaque
  • Absorbent, waterproof, rough, smooth
  • Recycle, repurpose, suitability

Flexible Teaching Approach

While this unit is recommended as the **second science topic in Year 2**, it can be adapted to fit within a different sequence. Lessons build on prior learning from **Year 1 science** and introduce fundamental concepts that will be expanded in **KS2 science**.

Differentiation and Assessment

This unit provides a differentiated approach to support all learners. Independent tasks follow a star system:

  • ⭐ One star – for children working below the expected level
  • ⭐⭐ Two stars – for children meeting the expected level
  • ⭐⭐⭐ Three stars – for children exceeding the expected level

Assessments include teacher observations, questioning, and simple tests that allow pupils to apply their learning in practical ways. Pupils will also have opportunities to explain their findings and demonstrate their understanding through discussion and written tasks.

Why Choose Our Year 2 Science Scheme?

Our Year 2 science resources make science engaging, accessible, and easy to teach. This scheme provides:

  • Clear, structured lesson plans with step-by-step guidance
  • Exciting, hands-on activities that promote **scientific enquiry**
  • Opportunities to develop and reinforce **scientific vocabulary**
  • Interactive teaching slides to support whole-class learning
  • Built-in differentiation to support all pupils

Perfect for teachers looking for high-quality KS1 science lesson plans, this unit ensures pupils develop essential working scientifically skills while exploring the properties and uses of **everyday materials**.