Look around your classroom. Your desk is made of wood. Your water bottle may be made of plastic. The window has glass. Your uniform is made of cloth.
Everything around us is made of some material. Different materials have different properties, and that is why we use them for different things.
| Material | Examples of Things Made From It |
|---|---|
| Wood | Table, chair, door, cricket bat, temple carvings |
| Metal | Spoon, cooking pot, keys, bicycle, railway tracks |
| Plastic | Water bottle, comb, bucket, toys, lunch box |
| Glass | Window pane, mirror, drinking glass, spectacles |
| Rubber | Eraser, tyre, rubber band, chappal sole |
| Cloth | Shirt, saree, curtain, school bag, handkerchief |
| Paper | Notebook, newspaper, kite, greeting card |
Properties We Can Feel
| Property | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Hard | Difficult to press or bend | Metal spoon, stone, glass |
| Soft | Easy to press or squeeze | Cotton, sponge, rubber ball |
| Rough | Not smooth; feels bumpy | Brick, sandpaper, jute bag |
| Smooth | Even surface; feels nice to touch | Glass, silk cloth, plastic bottle |
| Heavy | Weighs a lot | Iron rod, stone mortar |
| Light | Weighs very little | Feather, paper, plastic bag |
Transparent vs Opaque
Transparent materials let light pass through them -- you can see through them. Example: glass, clear plastic, clean water.
Opaque materials do not let light pass through -- you cannot see through them. Example: wood, metal, cardboard, stone.
What material is a cooking vessel (patila) made of?
A cooking vessel is made of metal (steel or aluminium). Metal is hard, smooth, and can take heat.
Can you see through a wooden door? No. Wood is opaque.
Can you see through a glass window? Yes. Glass is transparent.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Material | What a thing is made of |
| Property | A quality of a material (how it looks, feels, or behaves) |
| Transparent | Can see through it (like glass) |
| Opaque | Cannot see through it (like wood) |
| Natural | Found in nature (wood, cotton, rubber) |
| Man-made | Made by people in factories (plastic, nylon) |
Walk around your home and find one object made of each material. Write the object name and one property you notice.
| Material | Object Found | Property (hard/soft/rough/smooth) |
|---|---|---|
| Wood | ____________________ | ____________________ |
| Metal | ____________________ | ____________________ |
| Plastic | ____________________ | ____________________ |
| Glass | ____________________ | ____________________ |
| Rubber | ____________________ | ____________________ |
| Cloth | ____________________ | ____________________ |
| Paper | ____________________ | ____________________ |
Want to use this as a worksheet? Switch to the A4 printable view.
Look around your classroom. Your desk is made of wood. Your water bottle may be made of plastic. The window has glass. Your uniform is made of cloth.
Everything around us is made of some material. Different materials have different properties, and that is why we use them for different things.
| Material | Examples of Things Made From It |
|---|---|
| Wood | Table, chair, door, cricket bat, temple carvings |
| Metal | Spoon, cooking pot, keys, bicycle, railway tracks |
| Plastic | Water bottle, comb, bucket, toys, lunch box |
| Glass | Window pane, mirror, drinking glass, spectacles |
| Rubber | Eraser, tyre, rubber band, chappal sole |
| Cloth | Shirt, saree, curtain, school bag, handkerchief |
| Paper | Notebook, newspaper, kite, greeting card |
Properties We Can Feel
| Property | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Hard | Difficult to press or bend | Metal spoon, stone, glass |
| Soft | Easy to press or squeeze | Cotton, sponge, rubber ball |
| Rough | Not smooth; feels bumpy | Brick, sandpaper, jute bag |
| Smooth | Even surface; feels nice to touch | Glass, silk cloth, plastic bottle |
| Heavy | Weighs a lot | Iron rod, stone mortar |
| Light | Weighs very little | Feather, paper, plastic bag |
Think about it: A steel thali is hard and smooth. A jute bag is rough and light. Every material has more than one property!
Transparent vs Opaque
Transparent materials let light pass through them -- you can see through them. Example: glass, clear plastic, clean water.
Opaque materials do not let light pass through -- you cannot see through them. Example: wood, metal, cardboard, stone.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Material | What a thing is made of |
| Property | A quality of a material (how it looks, feels, or behaves) |
| Transparent | Can see through it (like glass) |
| Opaque | Cannot see through it (like wood) |
| Natural | Found in nature (wood, cotton, rubber) |
| Man-made | Made by people in factories (plastic, nylon) |
What material is a cooking vessel (patila) made of?
A cooking vessel is made of metal (steel or aluminium). Metal is hard, smooth, and can take heat.
Can you see through a wooden door? No. Wood is opaque.
Can you see through a glass window? Yes. Glass is transparent.
A. Fill in the Blanks
B. Write the Material
C. Write Transparent or Opaque
D. Multiple Choice Questions
Walk around your home and find one object made of each material. Write the object name and one property you notice.
| Material | Object Found | Property (hard/soft/rough/smooth) |
|---|---|---|
| Wood | ____________________ | ____________________ |
| Metal | ____________________ | ____________________ |
| Plastic | ____________________ | ____________________ |
| Glass | ____________________ | ____________________ |
| Rubber | ____________________ | ____________________ |
| Cloth | ____________________ | ____________________ |
| Paper | ____________________ | ____________________ |