materials experiments year 2

This website uses cookies in order to provide basic functionality. By continuing to use this website, you are consenting to their use. For more information, please read the relevant part of our privacy policy .

Primary Science Resources for the National Curriculum

Year 2 uses of everyday materials.

• Outstanding Science Year 2
• Uses Of Everyday Materials

Knowledge and Understanding

Statutory requirements, notes and guidance, ks1 - working scientifically, properties of materials year 2.

Pupils carry out a range of experiments to predict and record the material properties of classroom objects, including magnetism, transparency, elasticity and flexibility. They identify the materials from which objects are made and explain why their material properties make them useful. Supported by a word bank, they choose suitable materials for a purpose. Pupils write in the first person as inventors of new materials, including John McAdam, Charles Mackintosh, and John Dunlop, to explain their achievements.

Identifying Materials Worksheet Free!

Outstanding science year 2 | uses of everyday materials | os2d001.

• Description
• National Curriculum
• Key learning

Learning objective

I can identify the materials that different objects are made from.

Children identify the materials from which common objects are made.

• 2d1 : identify and compare the suitability of a variety of everyday materials, including wood, metal, plastic, glass, brick, rock, paper and cardboard for particular uses

Properties of materials Investigation

Outstanding science year 2 | uses of everyday materials | os2d002.

I can investigate the properties of different materials.

Children carry out an investigation into the properties of 10 small objects. They predict and test whether it is magnetic, transparent, floats, or can be squashed or stretched.

• ks1w3 : performing simple tests
• ks1w2 : observing closely, using simple equipment
• ks1w6 : gathering and recording data to help in answering questions

Materials and their uses Worksheet

Outstanding science year 2 | uses of everyday materials | os2d003.

I can explain how materials are useful in different situations.

Children learn about objects, materials, and properties. They look at 8 objects, identify the materials they are made from, and explain why they are suitable in each situation.

• ks1w4 : identifying and classifying

Choosing the right material Worksheet

Outstanding science year 2 | uses of everyday materials | os2d004.

I can suggest suitable materials for new situations.

Children use a word bank of materials and their properties to choose the right material for 8 different situations. They draw a picture and explain their reasons.

Grouping objects by material Worksheet

Outstanding science year 2 | uses of everyday materials | os2d005.

I can group objects by the material that they are made from.

Children learn about objects, materials and properties. They look for objects in the classroom, identify their main materials and draw pictures of them, grouping by material.

Properties of metals Investigation

Outstanding science year 2 | uses of everyday materials | os2d006.

I can investigate and compare the properties of different metal objects.

Children learn about how metals are made. They carry out an investigation into the properties of up to 8 metal objects.

Inventors of new materials Worksheet

Outstanding science year 2 | uses of everyday materials | os2d007.

I can explain how inventors have made new materials.

Children learn about three inventors of new materials - John Dunlop, John McAdam, and Charles Macintosh. They match statements to the correct inventor.

Changing shape Investigation

Outstanding science year 2 | uses of everyday materials | os2d008.

I can investigate how I can change the shape of different objects.

Children carry out an investigation into how they can change the shape of up to 8 classroom objects. They predict before they test and then discuss their findings.

Get instant access to all of our Year 2 resources.

Outstanding science - year 2 contains all of the following units:.

Unit 2A - Living Things And Their Habitats

Unit 2B - Plants

Unit 2C - Animals, Including Humans

Unit 2D - Uses Of Everyday Materials

Outstanding Science

Primary science resources.

Browse resources

128 Gordon Drive Dovecot Liverpool England L14 7PZ

0151 558 1485

[email protected]

Terms and conditions

Privacy policy

Outstanding Science © Copyright Minerva Education Ltd. 2015-2024. Responsive design built upon Bootstrap .

• STEM Ambassadors
• School trusts
• ITE and governors
• Invest in schools
• Student programmes
• Benefits and impact
• Our supporters
• Advertising and sponsorship
• Become a STEM Ambassador
• Request a STEM Ambassador
• Employer information
• Training and support
• STEM Ambassadors Partners
• Working with community groups
• Search icon
• Join the STEM Community

Everyday materials: materials matter

This block of resources provides 6 sessions on materials aimed at Year 2. They explore the useful properties of materials with a range of investigations involving absorbency and flexibility.  These include activities for finding out which type of kitchen towel or cloth is most effective at mopping up spills, exploring the properties of building materials and creating artwork by exploring the textures of materials. Activities are:

• Are bricks absorbent?
• Waterproofing materials
• Resist the wax!
• Melting and moulding

These resources have been provided by the Hamilton Trust.

Show health and safety information

Please be aware that resources have been published on the website in the form that they were originally supplied. This means that procedures reflect general practice and standards applicable at the time resources were produced and cannot be assumed to be acceptable today. Website users are fully responsible for ensuring that any activity, including practical work, which they carry out is in accordance with current regulations related to health and safety and that an appropriate risk assessment has been carried out.

Show downloads

Share this resource

Did you like this resource, lists that tag this content, year 1 - materials , posted by [email protected].

• International
• Education Jobs
• Schools directory
• Resources Education Jobs Schools directory News Search

Year 2 Science Materials Overview

Subject: Primary science

Age range: 5-7

Resource type: Unit of work

Last updated

6 December 2020

• Share through email
• Share through twitter
• Share through linkedin
• Share through facebook
• Share through pinterest

This is my overview of the Year 2 Unit on materials. It uses enquiry based learning. Each week there is a question around the learning and concepts covered. These are linked to https://seerih-innovations.org/enquiringscience4all/

I have included, knowledge organiser ideas, which are dual coded with some images that could be used for a display.

There is a week by week plan and links back to curriculum coverage of skills as well.

At the end of the unit do a short quiz which is also included.

There is a paid version of this resource: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/year-2-everyday-materials-planning-12447163

Which includes all of resources (powerpoints and worksheets etc).

Creative Commons "Sharealike"

Your rating is required to reflect your happiness.

It's good to leave some feedback.

Something went wrong, please try again later.

lucindabrown

Amazing resource thank you!

Empty reply does not make any sense for the end user

chrisshbang

Fantastic resource, I'd recommend to anyone in year 2.

Report this resource to let us know if it violates our terms and conditions. Our customer service team will review your report and will be in touch.

Not quite what you were looking for? Search by keyword to find the right resource:

Popular searches in the last week:

Year 2 science.

The National Curriculum Year 2 Science objectives are covered by Hamilton's science scheme, with investigations, working scientifically, and meaningful outcomes embedded in every Block.

We are sorry but we are no longer able to provide all Science Blocks free of charge. The first block suggested for each term remains free but others are now only available to Friends of Hamilton or to teachers in schools who subscribe. Friends and School Subscribers can also access year and block overviews, key concept/ background science documents and assessment grids.

Healthy Animals

• 1.  Hatching eggs!
• 2.  Babies!
• 3.  Stranded!
• 4.  Healthy hearts!
• 5.  Deep inside my lunch box
• 6.  Pack a healthy picnic!

Materials Matter

• 1.  Mopping up
• 2.  Are bricks absorbent?
• 3.  Waterproofing materials
• 4.  Printing
• 5.  Resist the wax!
• 6.  Melting and moulding

Ready, Steady, Grow!

• 1.  Spreading seeds part 1
• 2.  Spreading seeds part 2
• 3.  Hydroponics in the classroom
• 4.  Growing cress
• 5.  How has the bean grown?
• 6.  Eating cress
• 1.  Dead or alive!
• 2.  Microhabitats
• 3.  Go large!
• 4.  Food chains
• 5.  Designing a bug hotel
• 6.  Making a bug hotel

Squash, Bend, Twist, Stretch

• 1.  Which ball is the bounciest?
• 2.  Which fabric is the stretchiest?
• 3.  Testing rigidity
• 4.  Tough and flexible
• 5.  Which is the strongest paper?
• 6.  Paper bridges

Gardens and Allotments

• 1.  Making a playground allotment
• 2.  Making a micro-habitat
• 3.  Farming and food chains
• 4.  Food chain game
• 5.  Transfer of energy
• 6.  Eating the spoils

This site uses cookies to give you the most relevant information. Learn more

Log in or sign up to get access to this resource

School subscription, reduce teacher workload.

From £155 (+ VAT) per year. Access to all key stages for multiple users.

Individual Subscription

For inspirational teaching.

Just £45 (£37.50 + VAT) per year to get access to all resources.

Early Career Teacher

Develop your teaching.

Just £33 (£27.50 + VAT) to get access to all resources for 2 years.

Taster Account

100s of resources.

Register to access all free resources.

Already subscribed?

Log in to get access.

• Grades 6-12
• School Leaders

Get our mega Halloween worksheets bundle! 👻

Every product is independently selected by (obsessive) editors. Things you buy through our links may earn us a commission.

50 Exciting 2nd Grade Science Projects for the Classroom and Beyond

These simple ideas will help kids fall in love with science.

Kids love science, especially when it involves hands-on experiments. These 2nd grade science projects, experiments, and activities are guaranteed to bring excitement and enthusiastic vibes into your classroom. Your students will learn basic concepts about physics, chemistry, biology, and more while having a blast!

To make it even easier to find the best 2nd grade science projects, we’ve given each a rating based on difficulty and the materials you’ll need.

Difficulty:

• Easy: Low or no-prep experiments you can do pretty much anytime
• Medium: These take a little more setup or a longer time to complete
• Advanced: Experiments like these take a fairly big commitment of time and/or effort
• Basic: Simple items you probably already have around the house
• Medium: Items that you might not already have but are easy to get your hands on
• Advanced: These require specialized or more expensive supplies to complete

Nature and Earth Science 2nd Grade Science Projects

Food science activities and projects for 2nd graders, more 2nd grade science experiments and activities.

Explore animals, ecosystems, geology, plate tectonics, and more with these interesting and interactive 2nd grade science activities.

Pollinate like a bee

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic

Use pipe cleaner bees to discover how these pollinators pick up and move cheese powder “pollen” from one juice box flower to the next. Simple, fun, and adorable!

Learn more: Cheese Powder Pollination Activity at Around the Kampfire

Simulate a landslide

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic ADVERTISEMENT

This NASA video shows you how to create an indoor landslide in a milk carton, showing students the power of weather, erosion, and nature in action.

Grow a sprout house

Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium

This two-part science project first challenges kids to use their engineering skills to construct a miniature house made of sponges . Then, they plant chia, alfalfa, or other quick-sprouting seeds and keep the sponges moist until they start to grow.

Learn more: Sponge Garden at The STEM Laboratory

Re-create the water cycle in a bag

This simple but effective experiment explores the water cycle. Fill a plastic bag partway with water and set it on a sunny windowsill to see how the water evaporates up and eventually “rains” down.

Learn more: Water Cycle Bags at Grade School Giggles

Create an earth model from play dough

Play-Doh has so many uses in the classroom! Use it to teach 2nd grade science students about the layers of the earth by building a fun and colorful model.

Learn more: Layers of the Earth at The Crafty Classroom

Explore erosion with sugar cubes

Simulate the effects of erosion by shaking sugar cubes in a cup with some pebbles to see what happens. Get more ideas for 2nd grade science activities about erosion and weathering at the link.

Learn more: Weathering and Erosion at The First Grade Roundup

Find out which liquid is best for growing seeds

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Medium

As you learn about the life cycle of plants , explore how water supports their growth. Plant seeds and water them with a variety of liquids to see which sprout first and grow best.

Learn more: Watering Experiment at Lessons for Little Ones

Build a folded mountain

This clever demonstration helps kids understand how some types of mountains are formed. Use layers of towels to represent rock layers and boxes for continents. Then pu-u-u-sh and see what happens!

Learn more: Towel Mountain at The Chaos and the Clutter

Explode a balloon seed pod

After you learn about pollination, take the next step and explore how plants disperse their seeds far and wide. One way is with exploding seed pods. Use a balloon to see how it works.

Learn more: Seed Dispersal Activity at Around the Kampfire

Watch a leaf “breathe”

Plants “breathe” through transpiration, and you can see the process in action simply by submerging a leaf in water.

Learn more: Leaf Transpiration at KC Edventures With Kids

Grow a self-sustaining ecosystem

Plant seeds inside a sealed plastic bottle and observe both the water cycle and the plant life cycle in one simple 2nd grade science experiment.

Learn more: Plastic Bottle Planter at Carly and Adam

Compare and contrast animal habitats

Build a variety of habitats (woodland, arctic, savanna, etc.). Then have kids compare to see how they are similar (all have water) and how they are different (trees, temperatures, etc.).

Learn more: Animal Habitats at KC Edventures With Kids

Discover plate tectonics with graham crackers

Use graham crackers as the Earth’s crust floating on a bed of whipped topping “mantle” to learn about how tectonic plates interact.

Learn more: Graham Cracker Plate Tectonics at Playdough to Plato

Collect and classify rocks

Take a nature walk to pick up rocks of all kinds. Bring them back and have kids examine them closely and sort them into groups by properties (color, size, shape, texture, and so on). This is a fantastic lead-in to learning about the types of rocks.

Learn more: Classifying Rocks at Rhythms of Play

Make edible dirt cups

Help your students remember the four types of soil with this tasty 2nd grade science experiment. Layer pudding, graham crackers, and Oreos for a mouthwatering, memorable lesson.

Learn more: Edible Soil Cups at The Kitchen Is My Playground

Raid the pantry and try these kitchen science experiments with your second graders! They all use common food items to explore all sorts of fascinating science concepts.

Power up a lemon battery

Here’s another classic science experiment every kid should try. They’ll be amazed to learn a citrus fruit can generate an electric current!

Learn more: Lemon Battery at Education.com

Conduct a cookie dunk experiment

Introduce or review the scientific method with a fun and easy experiment to determine which cookies float or sink when dunked in milk. Then you can eat the results! ( Find more great edible science experiments here. )

Learn more: Milk and Cookies Scientific Method Experiment at Around the Kampfire

Use bread to learn about handwashing

There’s never been a better time for an experiment involving the importance of washing your hands! All you need for this one is bread, plastic bags, and some dirty hands.

Learn more: Moldy Bread Experiment at Parenting Isn’t Easy

Drink root beer floats to learn about states of matter

What’s easy to make, delicious to eat, and demonstrates all three states of matter at once? Root beer floats! This will easily be your students’ favorite science lesson of the year.

Learn more: Root Beer Float Science at Learning Lab Resources

Mix flavors in a lollipop lab

Candy science experiments are always a hit with kids! In this one, they’ll dissolve sugary lollipops in water, then mix flavors to make something new.

Learn more: Lollipop Lab at Fantastic Fun and Learning

Learn about osmosis with gummy bears

This is one of those classic experiments your 2nd grade science students will love to see in action. Soak the gummies in water to watch them grow through the power of osmosis.

Learn more: Osmosis Gummy Bears at Nurture Store UK

Freeze and observe liquid expansion

As you explore the states of matter, experiment to see if some types of liquid expand more than others when frozen.

Learn more: Freezing Liquids Experiment at Education.com

Use crackers to learn about properties of matter

Practice sorting, comparing, and classifying using properties of matter in this tasty experiment. All you need is a variety of snack crackers and inquiring minds! (These magnifying glasses would be fun too.)

Learn more: Properties of Matter Cracker Lab at Around the Kampfire

Demonstrate heat energy with chocolate kisses

Give each student two chocolate kiss candies to hold onto for five minutes. Students should keep one palm open, while closing their other around the kiss. See what happens simply from our body heat.

Learn more: Chocolate Kiss Experiment at Sandy Fiorini/TPT

Explode a watermelon

How many rubber bands does it take to make a watermelon explode? Find out while observing the concepts of potential and kinetic energy with your students.

Learn more: Exploding Watermelon Science at 123 Homeschool 4 Me

Turn an egg into a bouncy ball

Simply soak an egg in vinegar for 48 hours for this amazing chemical reaction. This is guaranteed to blow your students’ minds!

Learn more: Bouncy Egg Experiment at Cool Science Experiments Headquarters

Build a solar oven to make s’mores

Observe the power of solar energy while baking a delicious, gooey dessert in the process. Yum!

Learn more: Solar Oven Project at Desert Chica

Conduct an egg drop

In this STEM project, your students will create a protective egg holder from simple materials. They will love seeing if their contraption keeps their egg in one piece during the competition.

Learn more: Egg Drop at Buggy and Buddy

Drop a Mento in soda and watch it erupt

Here is another 2nd grade science experiment that will make your students explode with excitement. Drop a Mento candy in different types of soda, and see which one causes the tallest geyser.

Build marshmallow-and-pretzel structures

Get creative while practicing engineering skills by building structures with marshmallows and pretzels. Sweeten the deal by eating them afterwards!

Learn more: Pretzel Marshmallow STEM Challenge at The STEM Laboratory

Kids will love these 2nd grade science ideas, from making their own slime to projecting stars on their ceiling, and everything in between!

Brew up tie-dye slime

Slime is more than just an ever-popular toy. It’s also got a lot of great science behind it. Mix up some eye-popping tie-dye slime and take the opportunity to learn about polymers and non-Newtonian fluids.

Learn more: Tie-Dye Slime at I Heart Arts and Crafts

Dissect a seed

Soak a large seed (beans are ideal) in water, then carefully take it apart to see what’s inside. Draw a diagram to label parts like the seed coat and plant embryo.

Learn more: Seed Dissection at The Applicious Teacher

Use cereal to learn about states of matter

Learn how atom arrangements affect the states of matter with this easy 2nd grade science activity that doubles as a snack!

Learn more: Cereal States of Matter at The First Grade Roundup

Make a bouquet of chromatography flowers

Use chromatography to split secondary paint colors into their original hues. The results are both pretty and fascinating!

Learn more: Chromatography Flowers at 123 Homeschool 4 Me

Concoct a foaming rainbow

Every kid loves the classic baking soda and vinegar chemical reaction experiment. This version makes a foamy rainbow, thanks to some added food coloring.

Learn more: Foamy Rainbow at Messy Little Monster

Sculpt pipe cleaner constellations

Help kids find the constellations in the night sky by making these models from pipe cleaners . The little star beads are such a clever touch!

Learn more: Pipe Cleaner Constellations at 123 Homeschool 4 Me

Tell time with a sundial

How did people tell time before clocks and watches? Help 2nd grade science students find out by making their own sundials from paper plates.

Learn more: DIY Sundial at Paging Supermom

Race clothespin cars

Explore simple machines by building race cars from basic supplies like clothespins and drinking straws . It’s a really fun way to learn about wheels and axles.

Learn more: Clothespin Cars at The Primary Brain

Build a body from play dough

Play-Doh activities are always fun to do! Visit the link below for free printable mats to use as you have your 2nd grade science students sculpt the bones, organs, and muscles of the body.

Learn more: Play-Doh Body at 123 Homeschool 4 Me

Turn pom-poms into crystal balls

Every kid loves making crystals! They’ll learn about supersaturated solutions as they make these cute little crystal pom-pom balls.

Learn more: Crystal Pom-Poms at A Dab of Glue Will Do

Test sunscreen for effectiveness

Kids might wonder why they need to wear sunscreen when they’re at the park or playing soccer. This experiment shows them the power of the sun’s rays and the protection sunscreen provides.

Learn more: Sunscreen Experiment at JDaniel4’s Mom

Design and build an index card tower

Challenge your 2nd grade science students to a little early engineering. Given only index cards , how tall and/or strong of a structure can they build?

Learn more: Index Card STEM Challenge at Education to the Core

Repel glitter with dish soap

Every teacher knows that glitter is just like germs … it gets everywhere and is so hard to get rid of! Use that to your advantage, and show students how soap fights glitter and germs.

Bend objects to test flexibility

Explore one of the properties of matter with this easy experiment. Kids plan how to test flexibility, then try it out with a variety of basic objects.

Learn more: Flexibility Experiment at Around the Kampfire

Discover density with saltwater solutions

This simple experiment covers a lot of 2nd grade science concepts. Learn about solutions, density, and even ocean science as you compare and contrast how objects float in different water mixtures.

Learn more: Water Density at The Science Kiddo

Blast off drinking-straw rockets

Engineer rockets from drinking straws and have a blast when you send them flying! Kids can tweak the design to see whose can fly the highest.

Learn more: Straw Rockets at Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls

Create a solar system out of play dough

This is a perfect culminating project for your space unit. Your students can display their models at home when the project is complete.

Learn more: Play Dough Solar System at Good to Know

Count how many water drops will fit on a penny

How many water drops fit on a penny? Find out with this fun and easy experiment that focuses on surface tension. Your students will be amazed by the results!

Learn more: Penny Surface Tension at Little Bins for Little Hands

Project stars on the ceiling

Everyone loves visiting a planetarium. Turn your very own 2nd grade science classroom into one with this simple DIY star projector.

Learn more: Star Projector at Mystery Science

Write secret messages with invisible ink

Make your own invisible ink from just baking soda and water, then have your students write messages to one another. Reveal the secret messages with a flashlight once the ink is dry.

Learn more: Invisible Ink at ThoughtCo

Looking for more? Try these 25 Second Grade STEM Challenges To Help Kids Think Creatively .

For more articles like this, be sure to sign up for our newsletters to find out when they’re posted.

You Might Also Like

Forces and Motion

• Science Fair Projects
• STEM Challenges
• Science Sparks Books
• Contact Science Sparks
• Science Resources for Home and School

Key Stage 2 Science Experiments

May 1, 2020 By Emma Vanstone Leave a Comment

These  Key Stage 2 science experiments are great for school or home and perfect to sit alongside science in the classroom for  Key Stage 2  in the UK or for children aged between around 7-11 who love science!

If a science challenge is more your thing, we’ve got easy STEM challenges using newspaper , FREE STEM Challenge cards and lots of easy ideas for science fun at home created in association with the Primary Science Teaching Trust .

If you like a good science book This IS Rocket Science has lots of easy ideas that cover forces including gravity, air resistance and friction as well as a science activity linked to each planet in the solar system.

Plant Science Investigations for Key Stage 2

Dissect a flower to identify the different parts, learn about the transport of water in plants or grow new plants from tissue cuttings.

Make a flowering plant lifecycle spinner .

Make colour changing flowers to learn about transpiration and transport of water in plants. This one always provides a bit of wow factor!

Animals including Humans

Diet and exercise.

Set up an experiment with eggs to discover how and why different foods and drinks stain teeth .

Find out how much sugar some common drinks contain and compare them.

Discover how exercise affects heart rate with a simple investigation.

Human Body – Key Stage 2 Science Experiments

Find out how the lungs and heart work with a model lung and model heart .

Make a model brain using play dough !

Learn about Charles Darwin with a fun natural selection activity .

This sedimentary rocks and fossil activity from Teach Beside Me looks fantastic!

Habitats and changes to environments

Make shoebox habitats and model changes to polar ice caps with ice.

Make your own food chains and food webs with these easy ideas.

Light Experiments for Kids

Make a light maze to learn about light travelling in straight lines and reflection.

Learn about light and refraction with these direction swapping arrows .

Try one of our simple shadow investigations including drawing around 3D shapes, making a sundial and creating shadow puppets.

Electricity

Learn how to make a simple switch .

Design and build a torch using a simple circuit .

For a bigger project you could light up a street !

Magnet Experiments

Defy gravity with this floating magnet trick !

Learn about gravity with one of my easy gravity experiments including launching a film canister rocket, a bottle rocket or even a straw rocket!

Air Resistance

Find out about air resistance with a simple egg drop experiment or by making paper spinners .

Learn about friction by making a friction ramp , a garden teddy bear zip line or slow down a marble run by adding something to increase the friction between the slope and marble.

Materials – Key Stage 2 Science Experiments

Find out which solids dissolve in water with an easy investigation using water, salt, suagr and sand.

Clean up dirty water by filtering . This is a great way to discover how to separate insoluble materials.

Make and separate mixtures using sweets or toys!

Changing States

Learn about changing states by making mint chocolate leaves.

If you fancy some science fun in the kitchen transform cream into butter or egg white into meringue !

Evaporation and Condensation

Learn about ev aporation by leaving wet sand outside on a hot day.

Make a straw flute ( great for learning about pitch ), find out how to see sound with rice and a drum .

Earth, Moon and Space

Learn about space and the solar system with a week long DIY Space Camp .

Do you know of any great Key Stage 2 Science Experiments we’ve missed?

Last Updated on July 7, 2021 by Emma Vanstone

Safety Notice

Science Sparks ( Wild Sparks Enterprises Ltd ) are not liable for the actions of activity of any person who uses the information in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources. Science Sparks assume no liability with regard to injuries or damage to property that may occur as a result of using the information and carrying out the practical activities contained in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources.

These activities are designed to be carried out by children working with a parent, guardian or other appropriate adult. The adult involved is fully responsible for ensuring that the activities are carried out safely.

Reader Interactions

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Find out why teachers and school leaders love PlanBee

• 📚 Cross-Curricular Topics
• ✂️ Design & Technology
• ♻️ Education for Social Responsibility
• 🌍 Geography
• ⛪️ Religious Education
• 🎉 Special Days
• 🦸‍♀️ Special People
• 📝 Knowledge Organisers
• School Curriculum
• FREE teaching resources
• Objective Checker
• How does it work?

Exploring Everyday Materials

This Year 2 Materials lesson planning pack, 'Exploring Everyday Materials', contains seven ready-to-teach KS1 Science lessons to help your class identify, classify and describe the everyday materials around them. Through fun activities and investigations, your Year 2 children will explore the properties of materials, such as wood, plastic, metal, glass and fabric, and start to explore the uses of everyday materials.

Unlock huge savings with a PlanBee Subscription

Instant access to our entire library of resources from just £6.49 a month. Find out more

What's Your Email?

#TheCompleteSeries7lessons

These Year 2 Materials lessons are completely ready for you to download and deliver to your class. Each of the seven lessons comes with a detailed lesson plan with differentiated activities and an alternative activity, a slideshow for the whole-class teaching input and a range of printable teaching resources, such as worksheets, challenge cards and information sheets, to support your class as they explore the uses of everyday materials.

#Lesson1SortingMaterials

In this Sorting Materials Year 2 Science lesson, your KS1 class will take a look at some familiar materials, such as wood, glass and plastic, and generate vocabulary to describe these materials. They will then go on to explore how materials can be sorted into different groups according to various criteria.

This Sorting Materials Year 2 planning pack contains everything you need to deliver this lesson to your class, including a lesson plan, a fun and engaging slideshow for the whole-class input, differentiated activity ideas and a range of printable teaching resources.

What's included:

• Lesson plan
• Activity ideas
• Picture sheet
• Differentiated worksheets

#Lesson2NaturalandManMadeMaterials

Your KS1 class will explore the difference between natural and man-made materials in this lesson. The included slideshow presentation for the teaching input explains the differences between natural and man-made materials and gives your Year 2 children the chance to identify examples of each.

During their independent learning activities, they can then express their understanding of natural and man-made materials in a variety of ways.

This ready-to-teach lesson comes fully prepared with an easy-to-follow lesson plan with three-way differentiation plus an alternative activity, a slideshow for the teaching input, and a range of printable teaching resources.

#Lesson3ChangingShape

This fun, tactile lesson encourages your Year 2 class to think about which materials can be squashed, bent, twisted and stretched, as well as whether the changes made are permanent or temporary.

Your children will start by exploring how plasticine changes from squashing, bending, twisting and stretching. They will then have the opportunity to explore different materials, such as sponges and elastic bands, to see what happens when they are manipulated. Do they keep their shape? Can you change the shape back?

This lesson pack contains all the resources you need in order to deliver this lesson, including a lesson plan, slideshow and printable teaching resources. It's all ready for you to download and teach!

#Lesson4MetalandPlastic

During this lesson your Year 2 class will explore objects that are sometimes made from metal and sometimes made from plastic. They will begin to think about the purpose of the object and circumstances when using a particular material is appropriate.

Your class will also explore objects that are made from metal and plastic, like a frying pan, and discuss why each material has been used.

A lesson plan, slideshow and printable teaching resources are all included in this planning pack, leaving you

#Lesson5TurningWoodintoPaper

In this lesson, your Year 2 class will discover how wood is made into paper. They will be encouraged to think logically about why we write on paper and not wood, and why wood is generally cut into uniform planks before it is used.

During their independent learning activities, your KS1 children can learn more about the paper making process, explore deforestation or try making a bridge out of paper that a toy car can cross.

Everything you need in order to teach this lesson is included within this download – a lesson plan, a slideshow for the teaching input, differentiated activity ideas and a range of printable teaching resources.

• Challenge card

#Lesson6InvestigatingSpoons

Now that your Year 2 class have begun to look at materials scientifically, they will explore in more detail how the material used effects the purpose of an object. They will do this by looking at different objects (like a plastic, a metal and a wooden spoon) and discussing where and when they are likely to be used and by who.

To finish the lesson your class will decide the best materials to use when making products for characters with different problems.

This lesson contains a lesson plan, a slideshow presentation for the teaching input, differentiated activity ideas and a range of printable teaching resources.

#Lesson7MaterialInventionsandDiscoveries

The final lesson in this series looks at the inventions of Dunlop, Macintosh and McAdam and why their material inventions were so important. Your Year 2 class will also find out about some modern day material inventions in order to gain an understanding that materials are still being changed today.

The activities for their independent learning time encourage your KS1 children to think about materials like denim and come to conclusions about why it was invented. Your class will also have the opportunity to come up with their own material inventions before completing the End of Unit Quiz.

This lesson comes fully planned and ready to teach, including a detailed lesson plan, a slideshow for the teaching input, differentiated activity ideas and a range of printable resources.

• Reason cards
• Invention sheets
• End of unit quiz

Free Overview (Medium-Term Plan)

Download a free overview to support your teaching of this scheme of work.

Free Assessment Grid

Download a free, editable assessment grid to support your teaching of this scheme of work.

Curriculum Objectives covered

Year 1/2 working scientifically objectives.

• asking simple questions and recognising that they can be answered in different ways
• observing closely, using simple equipment
• performing simple tests
• identifying and classifying
• using their observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions

Year 5 Uses of Everyday Materials Objectives

• identify and compare the suitability of a variety of everyday materials, including wood, metal, plastic, glass, brick, rock, paper and cardboard for particular uses
• find out how the shapes of solid objects made from some materials can be changed by squashing, bending, twisting and stretching

Customer Reviews

The resources are lovely with great questions and investigations but I was disappointed that the ppts are all PDFs. Perhaps I should’ve read the small print. We have non-negotiables at our school that have to be added to slides etc but I’m not able to edit anything which is a pain.

Thank you for your feedback about our resources, Joanna. We use PDFs to ensure that everyone can access them, no matter what version of software they have. We have sent you an email with further details on some free PDF readers and editors - we hope this helps! If we can assist you any further, you can contact us at [email protected]

amazing product it made my planning easy.

Factastic !!

Really useful in lockdown.

Added to your cart:

Let customers speak for us.

Sliding Thermometer

Excellent resources

Thank you for taking the time to leave a review Natalie. :)

Living in Habitats

Thank you, Luiza! We're so pleased you've found the resource helpful :-)

Great resource .

Superb resource. Easy to edit. Would highly recommend.

We're so pleased to hear that you're happy with this resource, Mike!

BASF Group: Reporting on the 2023 business year BASF’s financial strength supports proposed stable dividend of €3.40 per share for the 2023 business year

• EBITDA before special items: €7.7 billion (minus 28.7 percent)
• Cash flows from operating activities of €8.1 billion (plus 5.2 percent); free cash flow of €2.7 billion (minus 18.5 percent)

Outlook 2024:

• EBITDA before special items of between €8.0 billion and €8.6 billion expected
• Free cash flow of between €0.1 billion and €0.6 billion expected due to temporarily higher capital expenditures
• Further program for Ludwigshafen site announced, targeting annual cost savings of €1 billion by the end of 2026

In a market environment shaped by economic uncertainty, BASF Group reported sales of €68.9 billion in the 2023 business year, compared with €87.3 billion in the previous year. This sales development was mainly driven by considerably lower prices and volumes. Lower raw materials prices in particular led to lower prices in almost all segments. Sales volumes fell in all segments as a result of weak demand from many customer industries. Nevertheless, BASF demonstrated economic strength with cash flows from operating activities rising 5.2 percent year on year to reach €8.1 billion. The company had already released preliminary figures for the full year 2023 on January 19, 2024. Today, Dr. Martin Brudermüller, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF, and Dr. Dirk Elvermann, Chief Financial Officer, presented the 2023 business development in detail and announced a further program for the Ludwigshafen site with additional annual cost savings of €1 billion by the end of 2026. This is in addition to the existing cost savings program in non-production units with a focus on Europe and the adaptation of production structures in Ludwigshafen.

Earnings development of BASF Group in 2023

Income from operations (EBIT) before special items in the 2023 business year amounted to €3.8 billion; the decline of €3.1 billion compared with the prior-year figure was primarily due to a considerably lower earnings contribution from the Chemicals and Materials segments. EBIT before special items decreased in the Chemicals segment, primarily due to reduced margins and volumes, as well as lower contributions from shareholdings accounted for using the equity method. Earnings declined in the Materials segment, largely as a result of lower polyamide and ammonia margins. The Nutrition & Care and Industrial Solutions segments’ EBIT before special items was considerably below the prior-year figure, mainly as a result of lower volumes and margins. Conversely, the Agricultural Solutions segment strongly increased EBIT before special items, primarily as a result of price increases and the receipt of a one-time payment. The slight earnings growth in the Surface Technologies segment was attributable to the considerably higher EBIT before special items in the Coatings division due to price and volume increases, which more than compensated for the significant decline in earnings of the Catalysts division. EBIT before special items attributable to Other improved considerably, mainly as a result of higher income from other businesses and lower corporate research costs.

BASF reported EBIT of €2.2 billion in 2023; the steep decline compared with the prior-year figure resulted primarily from special items amounting to minus €1.6 billion. Special expenses resulted in particular from impairments totaling around €1.1 billion. These comprised impairments on property, plant and equipment in the Surface Technologies and Agricultural Solutions segments and on tangible and intangible assets in the Materials segment.

EBITDA before special items in 2023 was €7.7 billion, €3.1 billion below the 2022 figure. EBITDA decreased by €3.6 billion to €7.2 billion. Net income increased by €852 million to €225 million, compared with minus €627 million in 2022.

BASF Group’s cash flow in 2023 and key financial indicators as of December 31, 2023

Cash flows from operating activities amounted to €8.1 billion for the full year 2023, compared with €7.7 billion in the previous year. This improvement was primarily due to cash inflow from net working capital. The reduction in inventories in 2023 alone released cash amounting to €1.9 billion. Free cash flow, which remains after deducting payments made for property, plant and equipment and intangible assets from cash flows from operating activities, amounted to €2.7 billion in 2023 following €3.3 billion in the previous year.

Net debt of €16.6 billion as of December 31, 2023, was almost on a level with the figure of €16.3 billion at the prior year-end. The equity ratio of 47.3 percent at the end of 2023 nearly matched the figure of 48.4 percent as of December 31, 2022. “The very solid equity ratio and strong cash performance are proof of BASF’s continued financial strength, even in challenging times,” said Elvermann.

Proposed dividend of €3.40 per share

A dividend of €3.40 per share, equal to the prior-year level, will be proposed to the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, representing a payment of €3.0 billion to shareholders of BASF SE. With this proposed dividend, the BASF share offers a high dividend yield of 7.0 percent based on the year-end share price for 2023. BASF is part of the DivDAX share index, which contains the 15 companies with the highest dividend yield in the DAX 40.

Earnings at Ludwigshafen site weaken further in 2023

In 2023, in an extremely difficult market environment with low demand, EBIT before special items declined by double-digit percentages in all regions. “In absolute terms, however, our teams delivered a positive earnings contribution in all significant countries – with the exception of Germany,” Brudermüller said. Results in Germany suffered due to substantially negative earnings at the largest production site in Ludwigshafen. There are two main reasons for this: The temporary low-demand environment is affecting the volume development in both the upstream and downstream businesses. And higher production costs due to structurally higher energy prices predominantly burden the upstream businesses.

Brudermüller: “On the one hand, this situation demonstrates the high competitiveness and health of BASF Group under challenging conditions at the global level. On the other hand, the negative earnings at our Ludwigshafen site show the urgent need for further decisive actions here to enhance our competitiveness.”

Cost savings program already initiated in 2022

In October 2022, BASF was one of the first chemical companies to initiate a significant cost savings program. And in February 2023, the company launched a set of concrete measures to save costs in non-production areas in Europe and to adapt production structures at the Ludwigshafen site. As confirmed in BASF’s third quarter 2023 reporting, total annual cost savings from all the previously announced measures are expected to reach €1.1 billion by the end of 2026. An annual cost reduction run rate of around €600 million was already achieved by the end of 2023. The measures announced in October 2022 and February 2023 will achieve another €500 million in annual cost savings by the end of 2026.

Additional measures necessary at Ludwigshafen site

With an additional cost savings program, it is planned to reduce costs at the Ludwigshafen site by a further €1 billion annually by the end of 2026. The program will generate cost savings in both production as well as non-production areas. Fixed costs will be lowered by driving efficiency in company structures and adapting production capacities to market needs. Moreover, the company aims to significantly trim variable costs by redesigning processes. Brudermüller: “The program will therefore also unfortunately lead to further job cuts.” The details are currently being worked out. Employee representatives will be closely involved in this process going forward.

Besides the required cost reductions, BASF will do everything possible to again significantly increase the utilization rates of its competitive assets in Ludwigshafen. To generate solid earnings here, the company needs additional contribution margins from normal levels of plant utilization. At the Ludwigshafen site, the upstream plants in the Chemicals and Materials segments, in particular, are currently operating with utilization rates considerably below normal levels.

In parallel to this short-term program announced today, the Board of Executive Directors will update the longer-term positioning of the Ludwigshafen site. The target picture for the main site in Ludwigshafen will be presented in the second half of 2024. It will reflect both the regulatory framework and the changed market realities in Europe and Germany.

Brudermüller: “The Board team will remain strongly committed to the Ludwigshafen site. We want to develop Ludwigshafen into the leading low-CO 2 -emission chemical production site with high profitability and sustainability. We will focus Ludwigshafen on supplying the European market to remain the partner of choice for our customers. To achieve this, it is essential that we implement the program consistently and as quickly as possible. At the same time, we are systematically driving forward our business in those regions of the world that are growing more dynamically and offer attractive conditions for investments.”

BASF Group outlook for 2024

BASF expects the weakness in global economic momentum from 2023 to continue in 2024. Global economic growth is only expected to accelerate somewhat later in the year, meaning that BASF expects the global economy to grow by 2.3 percent overall in 2024 (2023: plus 2.6 percent). In Europe, the comparatively high energy prices and unfavorable framework conditions for industrial value creation continue to slow down economic development.

BASF also assumes that global industrial production will likely expand by 2.2 percent overall (2023: plus 1.4 percent). Global chemical production is expected to grow faster in 2024, by 2.7 percent (2023: plus 1.7 percent). This will be driven primarily by the expected growth in the Chinese chemical industry. BASF’s planning assumes an average oil price of $80 for a barrel of Brent crude and an exchange rate of $1.10 per euro.

The BASF Group’s EBITDA before special items is expected to rise to between €8.0 billion and €8.6 billion in 2024 (2023: €7.7 billion). BASF forecasts the free cash flow of the BASF Group will be between €0.1 billion and €0.6 billion (2023: €2.7 billion). This is based on expected cash flows from operating activities of between €6.6 billion and €7.1 billion, minus expected payments made for property, plant and equipment and intangible assets in the amount of €6.5 billion. The high investment-related cash outflow is mainly due to investments in the new Verbund site in China, which will reach their absolute peak in 2024 and then decline in the following years.

CO 2 emissions are expected to be between 16.7 million metric tons and 17.7 million metric tons in 2024 (2023: 16.9 million metric tons). Compared with the previous year, the company anticipates additional emissions from higher production volumes based on rising demand. BASF will counteract this increase with targeted measures to reduce emissions, such as increasing energy efficiency and optimizing processes as well as continuing the shift to electricity from renewable energies.

At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Around 112,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio comprises six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of €68.9 billion in 2023. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the United States. Further information at www.basf.com .

On February 23, 2024, you can obtain further information from the internet at the following addresses:

Forward-looking statements and forecasts

This release contains forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current estimates and projections of the Board of Executive Directors and currently available information. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of the future developments and results outlined therein. These are dependent on a number of factors; they involve various risks and uncertainties; and they are based on assumptions that may not prove to be accurate. BASF does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements contained in this release above and beyond the legal requirements.

Important Figures 2023