Everyday Materials Notes & Questions | Class 2 Environmental Studies (EVS) | Drishti OS

Everyday Materials

NCERT anchor

Looking Around 2 — Houses and daily objects around us are made from different materials like wood, metal, plastic, glass, and cloth.

What you'll learn

Objects around us are made of different materials.
The same object can sometimes be made from different materials (a chair can be wood or plastic).
Materials are chosen based on what they can do best.

Key concepts

Verbal: A material is the "stuff" something is made of, like wood, metal, plastic, glass, or cloth.

Symbolic: Object = shape + material. Example: Chair (object) can be made of wood, plastic, or metal (materials).

Level 1 — Common materials

Material	Example object
Wood	Table, door
Metal	Spoon, key
Plastic	Bucket, toy
Glass	Window, bottle
Cloth	Shirt, bedsheet

Level 1 — One object, many materials

A cup can be made of glass, steel (metal), or plastic.

Level 2 — Why this material?

Metal spoons are strong; plastic buckets are light and do not break easily; glass windows let light in.

Level 2 — India

Steel utensils in the kitchen, cotton cloth for summer clothes, clay pots (matka) to keep water cool.

Worked example

Look at a school bag. What materials is it made of?

Step 1 — The bag body is usually cloth.
Step 2 — The zip is usually metal or plastic.
Step 3 — Different parts can use different materials.
Answer: A school bag can be made of cloth, metal, and plastic together.

Common mistakes

Mistake	Why	Fix
An object always uses only one material	Not observing closely	Many objects mix materials (bag: cloth + metal zip)
Glass and plastic look the same, so are the same material	Similar shine	They are different materials with different properties
Material means the same as shape	Confusing terms	Material = what it's made of; shape = its form

Quick check

Name the material of your water bottle.
Give one object each made of wood, metal, and plastic.
Why are clay pots used to keep water cool in summer?

Stretch: Find one object at home made of more than one material.

Revision tip: Walk around your room and list five objects with their materials.

Open the Practice tab for graded questions on Everyday Materials.

Everyday Materials