Rough or Smooth?

Start with something students can look at or think about: a photo, a short video, a jar on the windowsill, or a question like "what do you already know about rough or smooth?" Then let them work through the worksheet on their own or with a partner, keeping a word bank or anchor chart in view so the vocabulary stays available. When you review, ask students how they knew, and let them point to the part of the diagram or reading that told them. These rough or smooth worksheets work well as a lead in before an investigation, as a way to capture what students noticed afterward, or as review before an assessment.

These rough or smooth worksheets for 1st grade give students a clear, visual way to work through one of the big ideas in material properties. Students label diagrams, sort and classify examples, read short explanations, and answer questions that ask them to say why, not just what. Each page keeps the science vocabulary front and center so students leave with the words they need to talk about rough or smooth accurately. Working through rough or smooth on paper gives 1st grade students something concrete to hold onto before, during, or after the hands on part of a lesson.

This worksheet is designed for 1st Grade students (Ages 6-7), aligned to NGSS standard 2-PS1-1. That standard sits in the 2nd grade band, so treat this worksheet as an early introduction rather than standards practice for this grade. Material properties are a Grade 2 standard (2-PS1-1); this Grade 1 worksheet introduces it early. It can also be used as review for early students at the next grade level or as an introduction for advanced students.

Yes. This worksheet works for homeschool, classroom, and tutoring settings. Print individual pages for targeted practice, or print the full set as a packet. Works great as a morning warm-up, independent center activity, or fast-finisher task.

First graders learn that texture is a property of a material's surface that can be felt and described using words like rough, smooth, bumpy, scratchy, or silky. They practice sorting objects by texture and understand that texture is one of several properties used to identify and compare materials.

Texture as a material property is typically introduced in Grade 1 during a properties of materials unit. Teachers often create texture boards or bags filled with mystery objects for students to feel and describe.

Go on a texture hunt around your home and yard, asking your child to find examples of rough and smooth surfaces. Have them close their eyes and feel objects, then describe the texture before looking.