Materials — Starter Test
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About this resource
The warm-up materials assessment. Naming common materials (wood, plastic, glass, metal, water, rock) and their basic properties (hard, soft, rough, smooth, transparent, opaque).
What you'll learn
- Identifying materials DfE NC Science KS1 everyday materials (Y1)
- Physical properties DfE NC Science KS1 everyday materials (Y1)
Inside this resource
- 12 questions
For the student — how to do this
This test is about materials — the stuff things are MADE of. A chair is the OBJECT; the WOOD is the material.
You'll learn to spot wood, plastic, glass, metal, water and rock, and describe whether things are hard, soft, rough, smooth, see-through (transparent) or not (opaque).
For parents and carers
The Y1 materials warm-up. The key Year 1 idea is distinguishing the OBJECT from the MATERIAL it's made of. A spoon is an object — its material might be metal, plastic, or wood. Children often confuse these.
The test also probes simple physical properties (hard/soft, rough/smooth, transparent/opaque, waterproof/absorbent) — vocabulary they need for the Y2 "uses" work.
For teachers and tutors
Y1 materials warm-up. Coverage: identifying materials (5 questions), object-vs-material distinction (2 questions), physical properties (5 questions: hard/soft, rough/smooth, transparent/opaque).
Common misconceptions: calling all clear materials "glass" (much is plastic); thinking metal is always cold; not recognising water as a material; calling fabric "wool" generically.
How to check the work
Auto-marked. Hands-on follow-up: gather 8-10 household objects and group them by material. Real touch and feel beats any worksheet for this topic.
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