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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Properties of Materials PowerPoint
Explore the world of materials and the traits that make them useful with a Properties of Materials PowerPoint presentation.
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Changing Materials PowerPoint - Bend, Twist, & Stretch
Explore materials and how they can be changed by bending, twisting, stretching, tearing, and crushing with a Changing Materials PowerPoint.
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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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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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Material Properties Worksheets (4-5)
Explore the properties that make materials useful with our printable Material Properties Worksheets for upper years' students.
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Material Sorting Worksheets (Year 4)
Explore materials made of metal, fibre, glass, and more with a printable set of Material Sorting Worksheets for Year 4.
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Types of Materials Flashcards
Explore things made of wood, glass, plastic, metal and other materials with our printable Types of Materials Flashcards.
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What’s It Made Of? Materials PowerPoint (F)
Explore the world and discover the materials we use to make everyday objects with our ‘What’s It Made Of?’ Materials PowerPoint Presentation.
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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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Pick the Best Property - Materials Game
Identify the properties that are most important in making things with an Interactive Properties of Materials Game for Year 4.
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What’s It Made Of? Material Sorting Activity
Identify everyday objects made of paper, wood, metal, and more with a hands-on Material Sorting Activity.
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Recyclable Materials Sorting Activity
Cut and sort recyclable materials with a printable Recyclable Materials Sorting activity.
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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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Exploring Everyday Materials Posters
Recognise and identify objects made from different materials with a set of Everyday Materials Posters for early learners.
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Build a Bird Feeder Project (Recycling Materials)
Experience the engineering process and introduce your students to sustainable design with an exciting Build-a-Bird Feeder project using recycled materials.
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Material Mistakes Task Cards
Identify the appropriate materials needed to make everyday objects with a set of differentiated Material Mistakes Task Cards.
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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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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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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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Physical Properties of Metals Crossword Puzzle
Review vocabulary and and various properties of metals with a printable science crossword puzzle.
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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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Materials in the Classroom Worksheets
Observe and identify the materials used to make things in the classroom with a set of printable Materials in the Classroom Worksheets.
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Mapping Mixed Materials Worksheets
Explore objects made of various materials and identify the properties that make them useful with a set of printable Mapping Mixed 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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Materials Around Us - Draw and Colour Worksheets
Observe and identify the materials around us with a set of Material Observation Draw and Colour Worksheets.
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Properties of Materials - Graphing Worksheets
Explore materials and mathematics with engaging Properties of Materials Graphing Worksheets.
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Alternatives to Single Use Plastics - Worksheet Pack
Explore ways to reduce plastic waste with a printable Alternatives to Single-Use Plastics 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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Material World Classroom Display (F-2)
Kick off your Materials Unit with a printable ‘Material World’ Classroom display kit.
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Observing Physical Changes Investigation Booklet (Year 2)
Explore materials that bend, break, tear, twist, and stretch using a printable Observing Physical Changes Booklet for Year 2.
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Material Mistakes - Problem Solving Worksheets
Analyse the properties of materials and boost critical thinking skills with our Material Mistakes Problem Solving Worksheets.
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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.