Under the background of "101 Plan", aiming at the lack of significant teaching content and result orientation, the lack of innovation in teaching mode and the imperfect teaching system， the OBE-CDIO teaching concept is introduced to reform and explore from the aspects of teaching content, teaching method, teaching process, teaching evaluation and teaching objectives, which is aiming to solve the current situation of experimental teaching of materials major. This educational philosophy can answer the questions of "what kind of students to train" and "how to train students". The water purification device with wood activated carbon project shows that the experimental teaching reform and exploration of materials major based on OBE-CDIO concept can improve students’ learning initiative, which is conducive to the cultivation of innovative talents, and is an effective exploration of the cultivation of new composite talents for materials major.