🔬 ScienceLevel 1Lesson 17
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Objects Around Us and Their Uses

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What you will learn

  • 1Match everyday objects to their uses
  • 2Describe key material properties such as hard, waterproof, and flexible
  • 3Explain why the material an object is made from suits its job
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Mini Lesson

Look around the room you are sitting in. Every single object was designed with a purpose in mind. The material it is made from was chosen because it is the best match for the job the object has to do.

Objects and their uses

  • Scissors are used to cut paper or fabric — they are made of hard, sharp metal.
  • A sponge is used to clean surfaces — it is soft and soaks up water.
  • A window is made of glass — it lets light in while keeping wind and rain out.
  • Example: A raincoat is waterproof so rain runs off instead of soaking through.

Why does the material matter?

  • A chair needs to be strong and hard so it supports our weight — a cotton chair would collapse.
  • A raincoat needs to be waterproof and flexible — a metal raincoat would keep rain out but be impossible to move in!
  • Choosing the right material for the right job is exactly what engineers and designers do.

Words to know

Hard

Resists scratching or bending

e.g. metal, stone, wood

Soft

Squishes or compresses

e.g. cotton, foam, sponge

Waterproof

Water cannot soak through

e.g. rubber, plastic, waxed fabric

Flexible

Bends without breaking

e.g. rubber, cloth, thin plastic

Transparent

You can see through it

e.g. glass, clear plastic

Everyday objects grouped by what they are used forFour tiles showing objects grouped by use: cut (scissors and knife), write (pencil and pen), clean (sponge and cloth), and cook (pot and spoon).Objects grouped by their useCUTscissors · knifeWRITEpencil · penCLEANsponge · clothCOOKpot · spoon
Common objects grouped by the job they do.
Object, material, and use shown as a flowA flow diagram: a raincoat object, made from the material rubber, serves the use of keeping you dry. Three cards connected by arrows.Object → Material → UseObjectraincoatMaterialrubberUsekeep dryWhy rubber?waterproof — rain runs offflexible — you can still move
The material is chosen so the object does its job well.
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Ask yourself: "What is this object used for? What property does its material need? Is it hard, soft, waterproof, or flexible?"

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