Year 2 · Science · Chemical sciences
Changing the shape of materials
Children squash, bend, twist and stretch materials such as play dough, paper and pipe cleaners and describe how the shape changes.
Awaiting educator review. This material was drafted by our content team with AI assistance and is waiting for review by a qualified educator. Please check it suits your child before using it. Created 10 October 2026.
These lessons were written around Australian Curriculum strands and matched to New Zealand year levels by age (NZ Year 1 is the first year of school). They are not yet mapped to The New Zealand Curriculum, so check them against your own learning programme.
Learning goals
Learners will
- Change the shape of materials by squashing, bending, twisting and stretching.
- Describe whether a material goes back to its shape or stays changed.
Success looks like
- I can squash, bend, twist and stretch a material.
- I can say if a material springs back or stays in its new shape.
- I can record my results in a simple table.
The big idea
Everything is made of a material. Paper, play dough, rubber and sponge are all materials.
We can change the shape of many materials using our hands. We can squash them, bend them, twist them or stretch them.
Some materials spring back to their old shape when we let go. A sponge and a rubber band spring back.
Other materials stay in their new shape. Play dough stays squashed and a scrunched-up sheet of paper stays scrunched.
Knowing how materials behave helps people choose the right one. Hair ties are made of stretchy material so they spring back, and pipe cleaners bend and stay put, which is great for craft.
Worked examples
Squashing a sponge
What happens when you squash a sponge and then let go?
- Hold the sponge and press it flat with your hand.
- Look: it gets flatter.
- Let go and watch.
- The sponge springs back to its first shape.
Answer: The sponge squashes, then springs back.
Twisting play dough
What happens when you roll play dough into a snake and twist it?
- Roll the play dough into a long snake.
- Hold each end and turn them in opposite directions.
- Let go and watch.
- The play dough stays twisted.
Answer: The play dough changes shape and stays twisted.
Practice check
Have a go, then check your answers. Each answer comes with an explanation.
Answer guide for parents
Which material springs back after you stretch it?
A rubber band — A rubber band is stretchy and springs back when you let go.
You press play dough flat with your hand. What did you do?
Squashed it — Pressing something flatter is squashing it.
Which material stays scrunched after you scrunch it?
Paper — Scrunched paper stays scrunched; it does not spring back.
Why are hair ties made of a stretchy material?
So they stretch and spring back — Hair ties need to stretch over hair and then spring back to hold it.
Turning the two ends of a pipe cleaner in opposite directions is called…
Twisting — Turning the ends opposite ways is twisting.
Pulling a rubber band so it gets longer is called s______.
stretching — Pulling something to make it longer is stretching.
Is play dough a material? Answer yes or no.
yes — Play dough is a material: it is what a play dough model is made of.
After you squash a sponge and let go, does it spring back or stay flat?
spring back — A sponge springs back to its shape when you let go.
Watch out for
- Children may think changing shape makes a new material. Squashed play dough is still play dough.
- Some children think all soft things spring back. Play dough is soft but stays squashed.
Tips for parents
- Draw a simple table with columns 'squash', 'bend', 'twist', 'stretch' and tick what each material can do.
- Ask 'What do you think will happen?' before each test.
- Safety: do not stretch rubber bands towards faces, and keep small pieces away from very young siblings.
Go further
- Build a model Australian animal from play dough and pipe cleaners.
- Find three things at home that bend and three that do not.