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A Mat for the Skate House worksheet preview

Worksheet

A Mat for the Skate House

Compare water, rubbing, and sliding tests to choose materials for a snowy skate house's entry mat.

Grade 2ScienceInteractive · Printable

Aligned to2-PS1-2

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What’s included

  • Single worksheet
  • Auto-graded online
  • 1 NGSS standard
  • Printable answer key
  • 13 questions
  • Classroom-ready

Details

Format
Interactive · Printable
Grade
Grade 2
Subject
Science
Question types
Fill in the blank, Multiple choice, Circle the answer, Sorting, Short answer

About this worksheet

What students practice

  • Students compare test results to choose materials that soak up water, resist tearing, and stay in place.
  • Students use evidence to judge a mat design and identify a needed test.

How to use

Read the test description aloud and review the graph together. Have students use the results to explain their material choices; no hands-on testing is required.

Curriculum

NGSS standard covered

2-PS1-2

Test materials to decide which has the properties that are best for a job.

Preview

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Name Date

A Mat for the Skate House

Use material tests to plan a mat for snowy boots.

Test 1: Holding Water

Read about the tests. Use the graph to answer the questions.

Snowy Boots at the Skate House

In a snowy town, people change into skates at the skate house beside an outdoor rink. Their boots leave puddles by the door. Anika's class wants to plan an entry mat. Its top must hold at least four spoonfuls of water and stay in one piece. Its bottom must stay in place on the wet floor.

The class tests equal-sized squares of paper towel, towel cloth, felt, and rubber sheet. For the water test, they use the same spoon. They add water slowly, up to six spoonfuls per square. They count how many spoonfuls each square holds without dripping when lifted.

Next, they rub fresh squares ten times with the same smooth block, using the same push. They check for tears. For the sliding test, they put fresh squares on the same wet tray. They place the same block on each square and raise one end of the tray to the same mark. They watch for sliding.

Water Held by Each Square0123456Paper towelTowel clothFeltRubber sheetMaterialSpoonfuls held
1.

How many more spoonfuls did towel cloth hold than felt?   spoonfuls

2.
Circle the two materials that held enough water for the mat's top.

Paper towelTowel clothFeltRubber sheet

3.
Another class repeats the water test. Which change would make the comparison unfair?
  • A. Using fresh squares of every material
  • B. Testing the materials in a new order
  • C. Using one spoon size for every material
  • D. Using a larger square of only the felt
4.
Sort the claims. Use only the water graph.
Towel cloth held more water than paper towel.Felt held twice as much water as paper towel.Rubber sheet will not slide on a wet floor.Towel cloth will stay in one piece when rubbed.
The graph supports thisThe graph does not support this

Tests 2 and 3: Rubbing and Sliding

Use these test notes and the water graph.

Rubbing test results
Paper towel: tore.
Towel cloth: stayed in one piece.
Felt: stayed in one piece.
Rubber sheet: stayed in one piece.
Sliding test results
Paper towel: slid.
Towel cloth: slid.
Felt: slid.
Rubber sheet: stayed in place.
5.
Sort the materials by what happened in the rubbing test.
FeltPaper towelRubber sheetTowel cloth
Stayed in one pieceTore
6.
Would towel cloth alone meet all three needs for the entry mat?
  • A. Yes. Holding the most water meets every need.
  • B. No. It held enough water but slid on the tray.
  • C. No. It held enough water but tore when rubbed.
  • D. Yes. Staying in one piece means it cannot slide.
7.
The class wants a bottom layer that stays in place and does not tear. Which material passed both tests?
  • A. Rubber sheet
  • B. Felt
  • C. Paper towel
  • D. Towel cloth
8.
Circle the two things the class should keep the same for a fair sliding test.

The kind of material being testedThe block placed on each squareHow high the tray is raisedWhether the square slides

Plan and Check a Mat

Use all three tests to judge the plans. The class has not tested any two-layer mats yet.

9.
One plan uses paper towel on top of rubber sheet. Which problem do the tests warn about?
  • A. The bottom tore and held too little water.
  • B. The bottom slid and the top held no water.
  • C. The top tore and held too little water.
  • D. The top held enough water but the bottom slid.
10.
The class will try a rubber bottom. Should it try towel cloth or felt on top to hold the most water without tearing? Name your choice. Use one water result and one rubbing result.
11.
A student says, "Rubber stayed in place, so it must hold the most water." What is the mistake?
  • A. A material that stays in place cannot get wet.
  • B. Staying in place and holding water are different properties.
  • C. The water test shows that rubber held six spoonfuls.
  • D. The rubbing test tells how much water rubber holds.
12.
A new cloth holds five spoonfuls and stays in one piece when rubbed. The class wants to use it alone as the whole mat. Which test is still needed? Explain why.
13.
The class makes a small mat with towel cloth on top of rubber sheet. What should it do before making a full-sized entry mat?
  • A. Choose it now because each layer passed some tests.
  • B. Test only its color because both layers were tested.
  • C. Count the layers instead of checking how it works.
  • D. Test the layers together for water, rubbing, and sliding.

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