Materials Teaching Resources
Explore the properties of materials and where they are found with your students this school year! Explore worksheets, hands-on activities, lesson plans and more teacher-created resources for teaching students about materials found in nature and made by humans.
The printable and digital resources in this collection are aligned with the Australian science curriculum, and each one has undergone a careful review by a member of the Teach Starter teacher team.
Is this your first year teaching about materials? Or perhaps you're simply looking for some fresh information and ways to teach this science topic? Read on for a primer from our teacher team, including a materials definition to share with your students, plus explanations of the differences between matural and man-made materials!
What Are Materials? A Kid-Friendly Definition
Do you need a way to explain what materials are to your students? Here's a helpful definition from our teacher team that you can add to your lessons:
A material is a substance that is used to make an object. For example, a desk can be made from wood. Wood is the material.
Materials can come from nature, but they can also be man-made.
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What If? Choosing Materials Worksheets
Explore everyday objects and identify the best materials to make them with our What If? Choosing Materials Worksheet pack.
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Mixed Materials Task Cards
Explore the different materials that things are made of and why those materials were used with our printable Mixed Materials Task Cards.
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Recycling Plastic and Glass Worksheet Pack
Explore the role of heat in recycling materials and boost reading comprehension skills with a Recycling Plastic and Glass worksheet pack.
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Functional and Structural Properties of Materials Worksheets (4-6)
Explore and identify the properties of materials with a set of Functional and Structural Properties of Materials Worksheets for upper-primary grades.
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Recycling With Heat Worksheet
Explore how reversible and irreversible changes lend themself to recycling with a printable Recycling With Heat Worksheet.
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Physical Properties of Matter Poster Pack
Discover the physical properties of matter with a set of printable Properties of Matter Posters for the classroom.
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Describing Matter Interactive Game
Practise describing matter with an engaging science game for early years students.
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Natural and Processed Materials PowerPoint
A teaching presentation comparing natural and processed materials and how humans make scientific comparisons.
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Which Material is Best? Worksheet Pack
Explore everyday objects, the materials they’re made from, and the properties that make them useful with our Which Material Is Best? Worksheet Pack.
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Plantable Seed Paper Activity Pack
Make your own Plantable Seed Paper and learn about physical changes, recycling, and biodegradable materials with a printable Make Your Own Paper Activity pack.
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Observing Matter Worksheet Pack
Practise observing the properties of materials used in a range of objects with our Observing Matter Worksheet Pack.
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Properties of Materials Task Cards
Explore materials and their most valuable traits with a set of printable Properties of Materials Task Cards.
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Manmade vs Natural Materials Worksheets
Identify examples of natural and processed materials with a set of Man-Made vs Natural Materials Worksheets.
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Searching For Natural and Processed Materials Activity
Explore the environment, identify common materials, and learn where they come from with a scavenger-hunt-styled Natural and Processed Materials Activity.
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What's It Made Of? Identifying Materials Interactive Game (F-1)
Learn to recognise what things are made of with our ‘What’s It Made Of?’ Identifying Materials Interactive Game.
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What's It Made Of? Matching Materials Game (F-1)
Identify objects made of different materials with our hands-on ‘What’s It Made Of?’ Matching Materials Game.
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Materials and Their Properties Worksheets (F-1)
Explore the properties of different materials with a set of printable Materials and Their Properties Worksheets for little learners.
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Changing Materials Scavenger Hunt - Year 2
Explore ways materials can be altered with a Bend, Twist, Stretch or Crush? Changing Materials Scavenger Hunt activity.
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Which Material is Best? Interactive Game
Explore a variety of materials and how they can be used with an engaging Which Material Is Best? Interactive Game.
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Combining Materials Worksheets
Explore ways that different materials are used and why they’re chosen with a set of Combining Materials Worksheets.
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Natural and Man-Made Materials Worksheets
Introduce your students to different materials and their properties with these Natural and Man-Made Materials Worksheets.
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Changes I Can See Worksheet Pack (Differentiated)
Explore physical changes and scientific predictions with a set of Changes I Can See Worksheets for Years 1-3.
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Types of Physical Change - Science Sort
Sort examples of physical changes with a printable Types of Physical Change Science Sort.
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Properties of Materials Sorting Game
Teach your little learners about the basic properties of materials with an engaging sorting activity.
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Types of Materials - Printable Anchor Charts
Introduce your students to the different types of materials with a pack of printable anchor charts.
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Science Experiment - Suck It Up!
A science experiment which investigates the absorptive properties of various materials.
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Exploring Natural and Processed Materials PowerPoint
Explore natural and manmade materials with an interactive Natural and Processed Materials PowerPoint presentation.
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Identifying Materials Worksheets - Mazes
Escape the maze by identifying the materials used in everyday objects with printable Identifying Materials Worksheets.
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Bend, Twist, Stretch Investigation Activity
Explore materials and their properties with a Bend, Twist, Stretch Investigation Worksheet Pack.
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Physical Properties of Metals Crossword Puzzle
Review vocabulary and and various properties of metals with a printable science crossword puzzle.
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Combining Materials PowerPoint
Explore everyday objects, the materials they’re made from, and why those materials are chosen with an engaging, interactive Combining Materials PowerPoint Presentation.
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Why Do We Use That? Properties of Materials Game
Explore the properties that make different materials useful with an interactive, self-checking Properties of Materials Game.