Matter & Materials

40 Skills in Science. 26 are ready to try — three verified questions each, no account needed.

Ready to try

Ages 5–6
Describing Material Properties
Describe simple physical properties of everyday materials such as hard/soft, stretchy/stiff, shiny/dull, rough/smooth, waterproof/absorbent, transparent/opaque
13 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 5–6
Objects vs Materials
Distinguish between an object and the material from which it is made, understanding that objects can be made from different materials
10 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 5–7
States of Matter Vocabulary
Name and distinguish the three states of matter — solid, liquid, and gas — using properties vocabulary: hard, rigid, runny, flows, keeps its shape, fills its container; use 'change of state' to describe what happens when materials are heat…
9 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 6–8
Choosing the Right Material
Identify and compare the suitability of everyday materials for particular uses, explaining why specific materials are chosen for specific purposes
30 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 7–9
Changes & Separation Vocabulary
Use process vocabulary for changes of state and material separation — dissolve, solution, soluble, insoluble, evaporate, condense, melt, freeze, filter, sieve, mixture, separate — and understand precisely what each term describes, includin…
9 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 7–11
Drawing Particle Diagrams
Draw and interpret particle diagrams — dot representations showing the arrangement, spacing, and movement of particles in solids (close, regular, vibrating in place), liquids (close, random, flowing past each other), and gases (widely spac…
5 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 7–9
Heating & Cooling Changes
Observe and describe that some materials change state when heated or cooled, and measure the temperature at which changes occur in degrees Celsius
10 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 7–8
Taking Apart & Rebuilding
Observe that an object made of a small set of pieces can be disassembled and made into a new object, understanding that the pieces still exist
20 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 7–10
Testing Materials for Uses
Give reasons, based on evidence from comparative and fair tests, for the particular uses of everyday materials including metals, wood, and plastic
9 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 8–9
Evaporation & the Water Cycle
Identify the role of evaporation and condensation in the water cycle, and associate the rate of evaporation with temperature
9 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 9–11
Advanced Material Properties
Compare and group everyday materials based on advanced properties: hardness, solubility, transparency, electrical and thermal conductivity, and response to magnets
11 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 9–10
Dissolving & Solutions
Understand that some materials dissolve in liquid to form a solution, and describe how to recover a substance from a solution by evaporation
10 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 9–11
Irreversible Changes
Explain that some changes result in the formation of new materials and are not usually reversible, such as burning, rusting, and reactions with acid
12 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 9–11
Material Properties Vocabulary
Use technical vocabulary to describe and compare material properties — conductor, insulator, thermal, electrical, transparent, opaque, translucent, soluble, insoluble, magnetic, flexible, rigid, density — and apply these terms precisely wh…
9 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 9–10
Separating Mixtures
Use knowledge of solids, liquids, and gases to decide how mixtures might be separated through filtering, sieving, and evaporating
9 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 10–11
Conservation of Mass
Measure and provide evidence that the total weight of matter is conserved regardless of the type of change (heating, cooling, or mixing)
12 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 11–12
How Materials Change State
Explain melting, freezing, boiling, condensing, and sublimation using the particle model, interpreting heating and cooling curves to identify melting and boiling points
21 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 11–13
Metals vs Non-Metals
Compare the physical and chemical properties of metals and non-metals, explaining metallic properties (malleability, lustre, conductivity) and how position in the periodic table predicts reactivity
18 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 11–13
Physical vs Chemical Changes
Distinguish between physical changes (reversible, no new substances formed) and chemical changes (new substances formed, often irreversible), using conservation of mass to understand both types
18 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 11–13
Pure Substances & Mixtures
Distinguish between pure substances and mixtures, identify formulations as useful mixtures with precise compositions, and use melting and boiling points to test for purity
22 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 11–12
The Particle Model
Use the particle model to explain the properties of solids, liquids, and gases — including differences in arrangement, movement, and spacing — and apply the model to explain density, compressibility, and the anomalous expansion of water
32 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 12–13
Acid Reactions & Salts
Describe and write word equations for the reactions of acids with metals, alkalis (neutralisation), and metal oxides/hydroxides, identifying the salt produced in each case
10 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 12–13
Acids, Alkalis & pH
Define acids and alkalis in terms of hydrogen ion concentration, describe the pH scale (0–14), and explain how indicators are used to identify and measure acidity or alkalinity
30 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 12–14
Earth's Atmosphere & CO2
Describe the composition of Earth's atmosphere (mainly nitrogen and oxygen, with small amounts of CO₂ and other gases), explain how human activity increases CO₂, and describe the impact on global climate
11 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 12–14
Finite Resources & Recycling
Explain that many raw materials (metals, fossil fuels, minerals) are finite resources, describe the environmental costs of extraction, and evaluate the benefits of recycling and the circular economy
9 verified questions on this shelf
Ages 12–14
The Rock Cycle
Explain the rock cycle: how igneous rocks form from magma, sedimentary rocks from compressed sediment, and metamorphic rocks from heat and pressure, and how all rock types can transform into one another over geological time
13 verified questions on this shelf

Being planted

These Skills are on the map, but their questions are still being written and checked.

Ages 5–6
Grouping Materials
Coming soon
Ages 5–6
Naming Everyday Materials
Coming soon
Ages 6–7
Changing Shapes of Solids
Coming soon
Ages 7–8
Classifying Materials
Coming soon
Ages 8–9
Solids, Liquids & Gases
Coming soon
Ages 9–10
Reversible Changes
Coming soon
Ages 10–11
Matter Is Made of Particles
Coming soon
Ages 11–12
Atoms, Elements & Compounds
Coming soon
Ages 11–13
Separating Mixtures
Coming soon
Ages 11–12
The Periodic Table
Coming soon
Ages 12–13
Reactions That Release or Absorb Heat
Coming soon
Ages 12–14
The Reactivity Series
Coming soon
Ages 12–13
Types of Chemical Reaction
Coming soon
Ages 13–14
Ceramics, Polymers & Composites
Coming soon

Skill names and descriptions include the Marble Skill Taxonomy © Generative Spark, Inc. (withmarble.com), licensed under ODbL 1.0 (database) and CC BY-SA 4.0 (content). Practice questions are GlowGrades's own, each checked by independent verifiers that must agree before a child ever sees it.