Matter Teaching Resources

Teaching about matter in your science classes? Explore activities, experiments, worksheets and more teacher resources created to help you with your lesson plans and help primary students understand what matter is and what it's made from!

Aligned with the Australian Science curriculum — including version 9 — the resources in this collection offer everything you need to explain the changing states of matter and how it's classified, plus activities that help students better understand the makeup of different molecules.

Whether it's your first year teaching about matter or you just need a handy guide to save time on lesson planning, we've got you covered! Read on for a primer from our teacher team, including a way to explain what matter is to your science classes.

What Is Matter? A Kid-Friendly Definition

So what, exactly, is matter? Here's a helpful explanation from our teacher team that you can use with your class:

Matter can be defined as anything that has mass and occupies space. It's literally the stuff that makes up everything in the universe, including our bodies!

What Is Matter Made Up Of? How to Explain This to Kids

This may sound like a bit of an existential question, but bear with us! Learning what matter is made of can help our students to understand the different properties and behaviour of the various types of matter.

Let's break down all that matter is made of for kids:

Atoms — All matter is made up of atoms. This is the word we use to describe tiny particles. They're so tiny the human eye can't even see them. Atoms are like the building blocks of matter.
Molecules — When 2 or more atoms come together and form a bond, you get a molecule. The different combinations and arrangements of atoms and molecules creates the various substances and materials we see, breathe, feel and use every day.