Lesson 1: What Materials Are Objects Made From?

Year 1 everyday materials lesson – what materials are objects made from?

Help pupils identify and name common materials with this Year 1 everyday materials lesson. Through practical sorting activities and classroom investigations, pupils learn to distinguish between an object and the material from which it is made, building essential knowledge from the Year 1 science curriculum.

Using real objects from around the classroom, pupils investigate materials including wood, plastic, metal, rock, glass and ceramic. They sort objects into groups, discuss their ideas and begin recognising that some objects can be made from more than one material.

What is included in this Year 1 materials lesson?

• Interactive teaching slides featuring Minifluff the alien
• Detailed lesson plan with vocabulary, assessment opportunities, prior learning and common misconceptions
• Classroom object hunt activity using real materials
• Venn diagram sorting activities exploring different materials
• Differentiated worksheets to support and challenge learners
• Teacher notes and discussion prompts throughout the lesson

Exploring everyday materials in Year 1 science

Pupils learn that objects are made from materials and begin identifying common materials found in everyday life. Through sorting and classification activities, they develop scientific vocabulary and start recognising that some objects may contain more than one material.

The lesson also introduces Venn diagrams as a way of organising and comparing information, helping pupils build early scientific classification skills while deepening their understanding of everyday materials.

This lesson supports the Year 1 National Curriculum objective to identify and name a variety of everyday materials and distinguish between an object and the material from which it is made.

Explore the rest of our Year 1 Everyday Materials resources or browse the full Scintillating Science scheme of work.