Activity Icon Science of Materials Textiles KS2

Textiles Worksheets KS2

Bright colourful rolled up textiles

The worksheets on this page will help young people understand the science of textiles at Key stage 2 (8-11 years old). We hope doing these activities will create better scientists and more critical thinkers. We know the wicked problems (complex and difficult issues like climate change and biodiversity loss) we are leaving the next generation will need some innovative thinking to solve them!

Downloadable Worksheets

Textiles Worksheets KS3-4

Bright colourful rolled up textiles

The worksheets on this page will help young people understand the science of textiles. We hope doing these activities will create better scientists and more critical thinkers. We know the wicked problems (complex and difficult issues like climate change and biodiversity loss) we are leaving the next generation will need some innovative thinking to solve them!

Downloadable Worksheets

Icon and title for science of materials Glass KS2 worksheets

Glass Worksheets KS2

Downloadable Worksheets

Glass Worksheets KS1

Downloadable Worksheets

image of the science of glass

Glass Worksheets

We all rely on the science of materials every day as it tells us which are the best materials to use for different things – like not using chocolate to make teapots, or glass to make trampolines. It also shows us how to dispose or recycle items safely and sustainably at the end of their lives.

Glass is used to carry and transport liquids and solids, make windows and decoratively in vases, figurines, jewellery and as stained glass. It is extremely unreactive, being a type of silicon-based ceramic, making it ideal for holding food and drink. It is heavy and brittle, but can be recycled endlessly, without losing quality, as long as colours are separated.

Glass can be recycled everywhere in Devon. Most districts collect glass in kerbside collections (see our District Recycling Sheets) while glass can be taken to banks at recycling centres. Find your nearest one on our main Recycling website.

The worksheets on this page will help young people understand the science behind glass. We hope doing these activities will create better scientists and more critical thinkers. We know the wicked problems (complex and difficult issues like climate change and biodiversity loss) we are leaving the next generation will need some innovative thinking to solve them!

Fizzy water in a glass

Downloadable Worksheets




Metals Worksheets KS2

Downloadable Worksheets

Fast Fashion

Fast Fashion Facts



Use these resources to change your attitude towards fast fashion at school or home to ensure the way you buy, use and discard clothes is as sustainable as possible.

See more External Resources about Clothing and Fast Fashion here: https://zone.recycledevon.org/external-resources/#clothing

Videos

Quiz


A fun, interactive quiz to test your knowledge…


Solutions


Find out about the solutions to our fast fashion problem…


Recycling at Home


Use our Recycling at Home worksheet to help teach about responsibility for the environment as part of PSHE. With the help of the internet or a council recycling leaflet and student’s creativity they can make their own poster that showing their different waste containers, what goes in them, and when they are collected. Then encourage students to do the recycling at home, find out where the containers are stored and help take the recycling out to the street on the day it is collected.

Don’t forget to send us any pictures of any home challenges you tackle at @RecycleDevon on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook!

Download 3Rs at Home Worksheet: Recycling at Home

NOTE: This Activity Worksheet was first released as part of our series of 3Rs at Home worksheets created during the first coronavirus lockdown in Spring 2020, but is a stand-alone activity suitable for home schooling or teaching in-school.

Find related videos and links below:

Find out what district you live in

Click here for more information about your local council recycling service

Download Thank You Recycling Poster

Recycling Wordsearch

students talk through a problem in a team

Financial Awareness

Financial knowledge and decision-making skills use concepts from Maths and Computing to understand how to make decisions about what to buy and how to stay within a budget.

We have developed a project based learning activity to help KS3 and 4 students use real-world examples to practice financial decision-making skills. Our activity is based around reusable versus disposable products.

Comparing Reusable and Disposable Products

There are a variety of reusable products available which have disposable options as well. Use this comparison project to develop student’s budgeting and calculation skills. Many adults find this difficult, so they will develop important financial awareness skills with this engaging activity.

Subject: PSHE, Life Skills, Maths

Spotlight on: Comparison of costs of two options over time

Driving Question: How can I compare two similar products?

students talk through a problem in a team

Process

  1. Hold a discussion about money and budgeting. Ask students what they see their parents doing at home. Discuss ways of saving money, like going to different supermarkets for different offers, or comparing options using a price comparison website.
  2. In groups ask students to brainstorm how many reusable products and their disposable options are available. Ask groups to share. Expect items like face masks, nappies, period products (see our pages on Reusable Period Products), handkerchiefs. More unusual ones might be ear protection, paper towels, toilet paper (family cloths are the reusable option!).
  3. Ask the groups to choose one item to compare. Using computers and iPads ask students to start researching the costs of reusable and disposable items. Supermarket websites will have costs for the most easily available options like disposable nappies and period products. Specialist websites will sell reusable options.
  4. Ask groups to compare the costs over a certain time period. This could be for the first 3 years of a child’s life for nappies or the period of time a person menstruates (about 40 years).
  5. Ask students to prepare a presentation to the rest of the class comparing the costs. Students could also prepare a leaflet for the public or their families. They could even ask the school to send information home with families if they wished to.
  6. Make sure students understand that the cost of products often does not represent their environmental cost, i.e. the cost of disposal of the item – e.g. nappies end up in black bin bags, which are burnt for energy in Devon. This is a very expensive process. Reusable products are better for the environment and can help save money too.

The text of this project based learning activity is also available as a Word document.

Project Based Learning: Comparing Reusable and Disposable Products

Plastic Worksheets

The science of materials is the basis of much recycling knowledge and helps scientists work out how to recycle stuff better. Many of the sorting machines used to separate out recycling rely on scientific principles; for example, some plastics are separated using floating and sinking machines.

Most plastic can be recycled everywhere in Devon. Plastic bottles, tubs and pots are recycled in kerbside collections (see our District Recycling Sheets). Hard plastics like toys and plastic outdoor chairs can be recycled at Household Waste Recycling Centres. Find your nearest one on our main Recycling website.

The worksheets on this page will help young people understand the science of the material called plastic. We hope doing these activities will create better scientists and more critical thinkers. We know the wicked problems (complex and difficult issues like climate change and biodiversity loss) we are leaving the next generation will need some innovative thinking to solve them!

Quizzes coming soon!



Several plastic bottles standing in a line

Downloadable Worksheets

Plastic Quizzes



Key Stage 3/4 Worksheet:

(PDF) Download KS3/4 Worksheet: Experiments in Floating and Sinking

(Word) Download KS3/4 Worksheet: Experiments in Floating and Sinking

(PowerPoint) Download KS3/4 Powerpoint: Experiments in Floating and Sinking

Link to KS3/4 Zone YouTube Playlist about Floating and Sinking