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Why are so many toys made out of plastic?
Material Magic Unit | Lesson 3 of 6

Why are so many toys made out of plastic?

Material Magic Unit | Lesson 3 of 6
Lesson narration:
Scroll for prep

DISCUSS:

Say you wanted to make a bunch of lion-shaped popsicles.

How do you think popsicle companies make lots of copies, without having to carve each one?

DISCUSS:

Why do you think toy companies started using plastic instead of wood? What do you think might be so special about plastic?

DISCUSS: (1/2)

Can you think of any other materials with this property? What else melts besides ice, plastic, metal, and glass?

For a hint, go to the next slide...

Hint:

Is there anything you eat that melts?

Here is what we thought of...

DISCUSS: (2/2)

Some candy melts. How can you test different kinds of candy to find out which kinds melt and which kinds don’t?

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Anchor Connection Discuss. Look at the "Wonder" column of your class See-Think-Wonder chart. Have any questions been answered by the past lesson?
Step
01/09
In the past lesson, you saw that some things melt easily and others don’t. Discuss. Which of your candies melted the most? Which melted the least?
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Step
02/09
In a foundry, people melt metal. Metal has to be very hot to melt.
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Step
03/09
Some of the things the workers wear could melt, if they get too close to the heat. Discuss. What do you think they are wearing that could melt? (Hint: the meltable things are rigid!)
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Step
04/09
The hard hat and face shield are made of plastic. They could melt if this person gets too close to the heat. They won’t melt if the person stays back.
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Step
05/09
The other things that the person is wearing won’t melt, no matter how hot they get. They also won’t catch on fire, no matter how hot they get. They are made of a special cloth.
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Step
06/09
Get your copy of the Beat the Heat worksheet.
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Step
07/09
On your sheet, add that the helmet and face shield can melt. But remember that they won’t melt if the workers stay back from the heat!
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Step
08/09
On your sheet, add that all of the other things they wear can’t melt.
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Step
09/09
Save this paper. You can put it on a bulletin board for everyone to see, or just set it somewhere safe. You will add to it after the next lesson.
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material


1 of 13

what something is made of, like metal, wood, or plastic
Slide Image

metal


2 of 13

a natural material that is often shiny and you cannot see through it
Slide Image

wood


3 of 13

a natural material that comes from trees
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plastic


4 of 13

a material people make that can be formed into almost any shape
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glass


5 of 13

a material people make that's easy to see through
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matter


6 of 13

anything that takes up space; can be in different forms such as solid, liquid, or gas

states of matter


7 of 13

the different forms of matter that include solid, liquid, and gas
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solid


8 of 13

a state of matter, such as water when it is frozen ice

liquid


9 of 13

a state of matter, such as water when you can pour it

freeze


10 of 13

when a liquid turns to solid, like when liquid water freezes to solid ice

melt


11 of 13

when a solid turns into a liquid, like when ice melts into water
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invention


12 of 13

a new object or way of doing things that someone creates
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experiment


13 of 13

a test used to discover new information about a question
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Exploration
doll by Gabby , used under CC BY
legos by Priwo , used under CC BY
superman toy by JD Hancock , used under CC BY
toy car by Emi Yañez , used under CC BY
old photo by Grandview This Week
blocks by Josh Wedin , used under CC BY
horse by Garrison Gunter , used under CC BY-SA
wood car by Collectie Stichting Nationaal Museum van Wereldculturen , used under CC BY-SA
carving video by Gene Messer , used under CC BY
wooden lion by Ostheimer Toys , used under CC BY
xacto knife by Just plain Bill
zoo pops by World Wonders , used under CC BY
ice cubes by Liz West , used under CC BY
Ice cube melting by HeyHondo , used under CC BY
ice cube tray by Leif Maxfield , used under CC BY
yeti ice tray by Fred & Friends , used under CC BY
holding ice by AppleSister , used under CC BY-SA
wood by Elke Wetzig , used under CC BY-SA
Edmund Parkes by Barraud , used under CC BY
flask by Databese Center for Life Science , used under CC BY
zombie plastic soldiers by Scientifical Hamster , used under CC BY
army man by davidd , used under CC BY
dinosaur mold by Ron's Rescued Treasures , used under CC BY
lego man by sprout_labs , used under CC BY
Activity
mailbox by CGP Grey , used under CC BY
sign by Richard Leonard , used under CC BY
truck driving by Per , used under CC BY-SA
melting chocolate bar by Shizhao , used under CC BY-SA
caramel by Rainer Zenz , used under CC BY-SA
gummy bears by David O'Hare , used under CC BY
starburst candy by Evan-Amos
Lesson narration:

Grade 2

Material Properties

Heating, Cooling, & States of Matter

2-PS1-2, 2-PS1-4

12911 reviews

Activity Prep

Print Prep
In this lesson, students learn about melting, about the solid and liquid states of matter, and then discover why plastic was invented. In the activity, Candy Melt, students conduct an investigation to determine which types of candy melt in hot water. Using their observations, they decide which candy is the best choice to bring to a hot summer camp.
Preview activity

Exploration

20 mins

Grade 2

Material Properties

Heating, Cooling, & States of Matter

2-PS1-2, 2-PS1-4

12911 reviews
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Materials Lesson 3: Why are so many toys made out of plastic?

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