Materials: properties and uses song (PART OF A 10-SONG COLLECTION)

“''Excellent video and lovely clear information in the song. This makes for a very useful teaching tool for home learning. Thank you!'' ” - Eviklyn [Year 1 Teacher]

— reviewed resource from our original Year 1 collection via TES

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“This a fun way to help students remember some basic concepts. We all know the benefits of music in relation to learning. Thank you.” - Andrea C. [K-3 Teacher]

— Teachers Pay Teachers [Comment on our Year 1 Science Bundle]

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Incorporate music into science using this unique, multi-sensory resource. 

This song is featured in our live school assemblies and interactive STEM workshops. Every booking includes full post-performance classroom activity sets mapped to the KS1 and K-1 science curriculum, giving your teachers ready-to-use resources to continue the learning in class.

Lyrics: Materials: Properties and Uses Song

Concrete's strong and it lasts so long
It's perfect for foundations
It doesn't rot and it doesn't burn
It lasts for generations

All the objects in my flat
Made from materials, this and that
What can their uses be?
It depends on their properties

The outside walls are built from brick
They're strong enough and go up quick
Clay tiles can be used on roofs
They're hard and weather-resistant
All the objects in my flat
Made from materials, this and that
What can their uses be?
It depends on their properties

Glass for the window panes
Transparent, you can watch the rain
Plastic for the window frames
It's very light, from oil it came
All the objects in my flat
Made from materials, this and that
What can their uses be?
It depends on their properties

My old desk has a wooden top
Wood's natural, I love it a lot
The metal legs are smooth and cold
They're painted so they don't corrode
All the objects in my flat
Made from materials this and that
What can their uses be?
It depends on their properties

On my desk there's a cardboard box
And next to it some smelly socks
Cardboard's flexible and strong
Cotton is a fabric that keeps me warm

All the objects in my flat
Made from materials, this and that
What can their uses be?
It depends on their properties

Writing paper's from hardwood trees
It's stiff and doesn't absorb with these
Toilet paper's softer than wipes
So don't mix up your paper types

All the objects in my flat
Made from materials, this and that
What can their uses be?
It depends on their properties

All the objects in my flat
Made from materials this and that
What can their uses be?
It depends on their properties

Name on YouTube is The Materials: Properties and Uses Song

Curriculum Alignment: England & US

This song is a perfect match for the statutory requirements of the Key Stage 1 (KS1) Materials unit.

Core KS1 Focus: Year 2 Science

Directly addresses the statutory objective: "Identify and compare the suitability of a variety of everyday materials, including wood, metal, plastic, glass, brick, rock, paper and cardboard for particular uses." The lyrics list nearly all these materials and their specific uses (brick for walls, glass for windows, etc.).

The chorus ("What can their uses be? It depends on their properties") directly teaches the required concept that a material's use depends on its properties.

Foundational Concept: Year 1 Science

Reinforces the Year 1 objective to distinguish between an object and the material from which it is made and to identify and name a variety of everyday materials.

Extension Value: Higher KS2 Science

Introduces the abstract vocabulary (corrode, resistant, transparent) needed for the more detailed study of properties and changes of materials in Year 5 Science, where pupils compare conductivity and density.

 

NGSS Standards (K–2 Focus)

This song applies the concepts of matter and properties to real-world engineering problems.

Core PS Focus: Grade 2 (G2)

Targeted Alignment (G2-PS1-1): Directly supports the core requirement for Grade 2 to analyze data obtained from testing different materials to determine which materials have the properties that are best suited for an intended purpose.

Targeted Alignment (G2-ETS1-1): Aligns with the engineering design process by requiring students to identify a need (a purpose) and select the material (solution) best suited to meet it.

Extension Value: This is a strong foundational concept for advanced physical science and engineering design standards in Grade 4/5.

 

Global Suitability Note: The concepts in this song align with foundational Life Science standards used across Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and other English-speaking curricula.