Science · Year 1

Active learning ideas

Material Properties: Absorbency and Waterproofing

Active learning works for this topic because students need to physically interact with materials to truly grasp differences in absorbency and waterproofing. When children handle samples, test predictions, and observe changes firsthand, the concepts become tangible and memorable rather than abstract.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9S1U03
• AC9S1I03

• 15–40 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Inquiry Circle
• 40 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: The Slime Lab

Students mix cornflour and water to create 'Oobleck'. They investigate how it acts like a solid when squeezed and a liquid when released, discussing how combining two simple materials created something with strange new properties.

Analyze why a towel is absorbent and a raincoat is waterproof.

Facilitation Tip

During The Slime Lab, remind students to compare the texture and behavior of their slime to the original materials to reinforce the idea of changed properties.

What to look for

Provide students with three material samples (e.g., cotton cloth, plastic wrap, paper towel). Ask them to test each with a small amount of water and record on their card: 'Absorbent' or 'Waterproof' for each material, and one reason why.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Stations Rotation
• 40 min · Small Groups

Stations Rotation: Change Makers

Stations include: 1. Melting ice, 2. Scrunching/folding paper, 3. Mixing sand and water, 4. Stretching playdough. Students record if the change can be 'undone' (reversed) or if the material is changed forever.

Design a test to compare the absorbency of different fabrics.

Facilitation Tip

In Change Makers, circulate and ask guiding questions such as 'What do you notice about how the paper towel absorbs water compared to the plastic wrap?' to deepen observations.

What to look for

Present students with a scenario: 'Imagine you are designing a new pet bed. What material would you choose for the outer cover, and why? Would you want it to be absorbent or waterproof?' Facilitate a class discussion on their choices and reasoning.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 15 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: The Chocolate Dilemma

Show a piece of melted chocolate and a solid piece. Ask pairs to discuss what happened and how they could turn the melted chocolate back into a solid. Share ideas about cooling and freezing with the class.

Justify the choice of material for an umbrella based on its properties.

Facilitation Tip

For The Chocolate Dilemma, provide sentence starters on the board to support students who need help articulating their thoughts during the pair and share phase.

What to look for

Show students pictures of different objects (e.g., a beach towel, an umbrella, a paper napkin, a raincoat). Ask them to hold up a green card if the primary material is absorbent and a red card if it is waterproof. Discuss their answers.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Approach this topic by starting with hands-on explorations before introducing vocabulary or definitions. Let students discover properties through testing, then name the properties together. Avoid rushing to explain; instead, ask questions that guide them to notice patterns, such as 'Why do you think one material soaked up the water while the other didn’t?' Research shows that when students generate explanations themselves, they retain the concepts longer.

Successful learning looks like students confidently explaining why a material is absorbent or waterproof based on its structure and testing results. They should also begin to connect these properties to real-world uses, like choosing materials for specific tasks in their daily lives.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During The Slime Lab, watch for students who think the slime has disappeared or 'melted away' when it turns from a solid to a liquid-like state.

  Ask students to weigh their slime before and after mixing to show the mass remains the same, reinforcing that the material is still present even if it looks different.

• During Change Makers, watch for students who believe mixing sand and marbles creates a new material because the colors or textures combine.

  Have students separate the sand and marbles back into their original piles to demonstrate that the materials are unchanged, contrasting this with the permanent color change in paint mixtures.

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Methods used in this brief

• Inquiry Circle
• Stations Rotation
• Think-Pair-Share