Properties of Matter
Aligned to 2-PS1 — Next Generation Science Standards.
What this lesson teaches
Objects are made of materials with properties we can observe — hard or soft, flexible or stiff — and we choose materials based on what they're for.
Worked examples
Example 1
A rubber band is flexible and stretchy, good for holding things together; a brick is hard and stiff, good for building.
Example 2
Glass is see-through and smooth, which makes it good for windows but bad for a bouncing ball.
Example 3
The same material can be shaped many ways. Metal can be a thin flexible foil or a hard stiff nail.
Practice questions
- Describe two properties of a material in the room.
- Why are windows made of glass and not wood?
- Sort objects by hard or soft.
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
Propiedades de la Materia
Los objetos están hechos de materiales con propiedades que podemos observar — duro o suave, flexible o rígido — y elegimos los materiales según para qué los vamos a usar.
Ejemplo 1: Una liga es flexible y elástica, útil para sujetar cosas; un ladrillo es duro y rígido, útil para construir.
Ejemplo 2: El vidrio es transparente y liso, lo que lo hace bueno para ventanas pero malo para una pelota que rebota.
Ejemplo 3: El mismo material se puede formar de muchas maneras. El metal puede ser una lámina delgada y flexible o un clavo duro y rígido.
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