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Science and Technology K–6 · Years 1–2

Mixing and separating: sand, rice and paper clips

Material World, materials can be combined (NSW 2017); Science inquiry (ACARA v9)

PracticalLow risk

The idea

Materials can be mixed without changing what they are, and a mixture can be taken apart again using differences such as size and magnetism.

What you need

  • 50 g dry sand, 50 g uncooked rice, 10 steel paper clips, in one tub
  • A kitchen sieve, a magnet in a plastic bag, a tray, three empty cups
  • A second tub with 50 g sand and 50 g water

How to do it

  1. Look at the mixed tub. Can you still see each material. Predict which tool will take out each material, and plan the order of tools.
  2. Pass the magnet in its bag over the mix and lift; drop the clips into a cup by pulling the magnet out of the bag. Count the clips.
  3. Pour the rest through the sieve over the tray: rice stays, sand falls. Put each in its cup.
  4. Check: is everything the same material it was at the start.
  5. Try to separate the sand from the water by leaving the tub still for ten minutes and pouring off the top. Say what stayed behind.

What you should see

All ten clips come out on the magnet; the sieve holds the rice and lets the sand through, so the three cups hold the three starting materials unchanged. Left still, the sand settles and most of the water can be poured off; fine particles may keep it a little cloudy, and damp sand stays behind. The learner knows it worked when the clip count is ten and no rice is in the sand cup.

What changes

This activity lists no variables to change, measure and keep the same.

Common misconceptions

Each of these ideas is wrong, and the activity is a chance to test it.

  • Once things are mixed they are joined for ever.
  • Mixing sand and water makes a new material.

Safety card

Low riskLearners carry it out

Hazards

  • Sand in eyes; paper clips

Controls

  • Work over the tray; no throwing sand

Note

No chemicals or heat. Record the activity on the school's risk assessment (Primary School RiskAssess, Ecosolve Australia, riskassess.com.au).

Curriculum references

The NSW syllabus outcomes and Australian Curriculum v9 codes this activity supports. They are references, not a verified or complete curriculum alignment.

  • Science and Technology K-6 Syllabus (2017), NESA. Current syllabus; NESA's timeline is 2026 plan and prepare, 2027 start teaching the 2024 syllabus. Code read from the official syllabus document on 2026-09-22.ST1-6MW-SST1-1WS-S
  • Science and Technology K-6 Syllabus (2024), NESA. Implementation from 2027, so this code describes the future syllabus. Code read from the outcomes page on 2026-09-22.ST1-SCI-01ST1-PQU-01
  • Australian Curriculum v9AC9S2I01AC9S2I02AC9S2I03AC9S2I04AC9S2I05

Sources

The pages the author read to write this activity.

  1. www.nsw.gov.au/education-and-training/nesa/curriculum/science/science-and-technology-k-6-2017
  2. primaryconnections.org.au/v84-sequences/all-mixed

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