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Choosing Materials

Choosing Materials
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Description

While no materials is capable at being good at everything, all materials serve a purpose. The story of the three little pigs shows how important that choice of materials can be to the success of a design, however it would be wrong to think that straw and sticks could not be used for another purpose. In this sheet, students come up with alternate applications for these materials to demonstrate that idea.

Lesson Structure
  • Individual Activity
Curriculum Codes

AC9E4LA11 9

Expand vocabulary by exploring a range of synonyms and antonyms, and using words encountered in a range of sources

AC9TDE4K02 9

Describe how forces and the properties of materials affect function in a product or system

AC9S4U04 9

Examine the properties of natural and made materials including fibres, metals, glass and plastics and consider how these properties influence their use

AC9M4ST01 9

Acquire data for categorical and discrete numerical variables to address a question of interest or purpose using digital tools; represent data using many-to-one pictographs, column graphs and other displays or visualisations; interpret and discuss the information that has been created

AC9TDE4P01 9

Explore needs or opportunities for designing, and test materials, components, tools, equipment and processes needed to create designed solutions

AC9S4I06 9

Write and create texts to communicate findings and ideas for identified purposes and audiences, using scientific vocabulary and digital tools as appropriate

AC9S4I01 9

Pose questions to explore observed patterns and relationships and make predictions based on observations

AC9S4H02 9

Consider how people use scientific explanations to meet a need or solve a problem

AC9S4H01 9

Examine how people use data to develop scientific explanations

AC9E4LY02 9

Listen for key points and information to carry out tasks and contribute to discussions, acknowledging another opinion, linking a response to the topic, and sharing and extending ideas and information

AC9TDE4K01 9

Examine design and technologies occupations and factors including sustainability that impact on the design of products, services and environments to meet community needs

AC9TDE4P04 9

Use given or co-developed design criteria including sustainability to evaluate design ideas and solutions

AC9TDE4P02 9

Generate and communicate design ideas and decisions using appropriate attributions, technical terms and graphical representation techniques, including using digital tools

ACTDEP015 8.4

Generate, develop, and communicate design ideas and decisions using appropriate technical terms and graphical representation techniques

ACTDEP014 8.4

Critique needs or opportunities for designing and explore and test a variety of materials, components, tools and equipment and the techniques needed to produce designed solutions

ACTDEP017 8.4

Evaluate design ideas, processes and solutions based on criteria for success developed with guidance and including care for the environment

ACTDEK010 8.4

Recognise the role of people in design and technologies occupations and explore factors, including sustainability that impact on the design of products, services and environments to meet community needs

ACSSU074 8.4

Natural and processed materials have a range of physical properties that can influence their use

ACELY1687 8.4

Interpret ideas and information in spoken texts and listen for key points in order to carry out tasks and use information to share and extend ideas and information

ACELA1498 8.4

Incorporate new vocabulary from a range of sources into students’ own texts including vocabulary encountered in research

ACSHE061 8.4

Science involves making predictions and describing patterns and relationships

ACSHE062 8.4

Science knowledge helps people to understand the effect of their actions

ACTDEK013 8.4

Investigate the suitability of materials, systems, components, tools and equipment for a range of purposes

ACSIS064 8.4

With guidance, identify questions in familiar contexts that can be investigated scientifically and make predictions based on prior knowledge

ACSIS071 8.4

Represent and communicate observations, ideas and findings using formal and informal representations

ACTDEK011 8.4

Investigate how forces and the properties of materials affect the behaviour of a product or system

ACMSP096 8.4

Construct suitable data displays, with and without the use of digital technologies, from given or collected data. Include tables, column graphs and picture graphs where one picture can represent many data values

ST2-11DI-T old

Describes how digital systems represent and transmit data

EN2-9B old

Uses effective and accurate sentence structure, grammatical features, punctuation conventions and vocabulary relevant to the type of text when responding to and composing texts

ST2-10ES-S old

Investigates regular changes caused by interactions between the Earth and the Sun, and changes to the Earth’s surface

ST2-4LW-S old

Compares features and characteristics of living and non-living things

ST2-6MW-S old

Describes how adding or removing heat causes a change of state

EN2-1A old

Communicates in a range of informal and formal contexts by adopting a range of roles in group, classroom, school and community contexts

ST2-3DP-T old

Defines problems, describes and follows algorithms to develop solutions

ST2-5LW-T old

Describes how agricultural processes are used to grow plants and raise animals for food, clothing and shelter

ST2-7MW-T old

Investigates the suitability of natural and processed materials for a range of purposes

ST2-2DP-T old

Selects and uses materials, tools and equipment to develop solutions for a need or opportunity

MA2-1WM old

Uses appropriate terminology to describe, and symbols to represent, mathematical ideas

MA2-2WM old

Selects and uses appropriate mental or written strategies, or technology, to solve problems

MA2-3WM old

Checks the accuracy of a statement and explains the reasoning used

MA2-18SP old

Selects appropriate methods to collect data, and constructs, compares, interprets and evaluates data displays, including tables, picture graphs and column graphs

ST2-1WS-S old

Questions, plans and conducts scientific investigations, collects and summarises data and communicates using scientific representations

MA2-DATA-02 new

Iinterprets data in tables, dot plots and column graphs

MA2-DATA-01 new

Collects discrete data and constructs graphs using a given scale

EN2-RECOM-01 new

Reads and comprehends texts for wide purposes using knowledge of text structures and language, and by monitoring comprehension

EN2-VOCAB-01 new

Builds knowledge and use of Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary through interacting, wide reading and writing, and by defining and analysing words

EN2-OLC-01 new

Communicates with familiar audiences for social and learning purposes, by interacting, understanding and presenting

VCDSCD029

Generate, develop, and communicate design ideas and decisions using appropriate technical terms and graphical representation techniques

VCDSCD031

Evaluate design ideas, processes and solutions based on criteria for success developed with guidance and including care for the environment and communities

VCSSU060

Natural and processed materials have a range of physical propertiesÍž these properties can influence their use

VCELY307

Interpret ideas and information in spoken texts and listen for key points in order to carry out tasks and use information to share and extend ideas and use interaction skills

VCDSCD028

Critique needs or opportunities for designing and explore and test a variety of materials, components, tools and equipment and the techniques needed to create designed solutions

VCSSU056

Science knowledge helps people to understand the effects of their actions

VCELA293

Incorporate new vocabulary from a range of sources, including vocabulary encountered in research, into own texts

VCSIS065

With guidance, identify questions in familiar contexts that can be investigated scientifically and predict what might happen based on prior knowledge

VCDSTC027

Investigate the suitability of materials, systems, components, tools and equipment for a range of purposes

VCSIS072

Represent and communicate observations, ideas and findings to show patterns and relationships using formal and informal scientific language

VCMSP179

Construct suitable data displays, with and without the use of digital technologies, from given or collected data. Include tables, column graphs and picture graphs where one picture can represent many data values

VCDSTC024

Investigate how forces and the properties of materials affect the behaviour of a designed solution

VCDSTS023

Recognise the role of people in design and technologies occupations and explore factors, including sustainability, that impact on the design of solutions to meet community needs

Differentiation

Modifications

Space has been left on the worksheet for students who might struggle with written explanations to draw their answers to the question.

EXTENSIONS

For students who finish quickly, give them a design challenge, like the construction of a boat, that must include all three materials, and have them
complete an annotated diagram of their design on the back of the worksheet.

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