• Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Properties of materials). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
• Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.

1. A wooden door blocks light, so you cannot see through it. It is… (opaque / stretchy / absorbent / transparent) → opaquePrompt: No light passes through it.
2. Which material is the hardest? (butter / chalk / diamond / foam) → diamondPrompt: It is used on the tips of drills that cut rock.
3. Properties of materials: which statement is true? (Fabric is always waterproof. / Glass is transparent. / Wood is transparent. / All metals are magnetic.) → Glass is transparent.Prompt: Think about a coin, a window and a raincoat.

• Pass round objects made of different materials and ask why each one was chosen.
• Share the objective: Choosing materials for a job. Read the success criteria together.

• Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
• Example: Why is a towel made of fabric like cotton?
• Step 1: Absorbent fabric soaks up water from your skin.
• Step 2: So the answer is: It is soft and absorbent
• Answer: It is soft and absorbent
• Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

• Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
• Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.

1. Why is a towel made of fabric like cotton? (It is soft and absorbent / It is transparent / It is hard / It is waterproof) → It is soft and absorbentPrompt: A towel needs to dry you.
2. Which material is best for the handle of a frying pan? (ice / copper / glass / a hard plastic that is a thermal insulator) → a hard plastic that is a thermal insulatorPrompt: The handle must not get hot.

• Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
• Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.

The 6 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

• Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.

1. Which material is best for a raincoat? (waterproof plastic-coated fabric / cotton wool / glass / paper) → waterproof plastic-coated fabricPrompt: It must keep the rain out and still bend.
2. Choosing materials: which statement is true? (Cotton wool is good for a raincoat. / Metal is best for a window you want to see through. / Glass is a good material for a football. / A material's properties make it suitable for a job.) → A material's properties make it suitable for a job.Prompt: Match the property to the job.

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/science/grade-2.