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Choosing Materials
3 4 Pre & Primary Essentials Worksheets STEAM Science Statistics (Data) Chemical Sciences Language for Expressing & Developing Ideas Interacting with Others Technologies 1 Page

Choosing Materials

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.

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Learning goals

  • We are learning to build new vocabulary from a range of sources including technical and subject specific language, such as synonyms and antonyms.
  • We are learning to build new vocabulary from a range of sources including technical and subject specific language.
  • We are learning to gather ideas and information in spoken texts by making notes, asking questions and seeking assistance and presenting ideas and opinions using appropriate levels of formality.
  • We are learning to collect, interpret and discuss data using digital tools, e.g. tally charts, digital tables, graphing or spreadsheets; represent data using many-to-one pictographs, column graphs and other displays.
  • We are learning to construct data displays from given or collected data, including tables, column graphs and picture graphs where one picture can represent many data values.
  • We are learning to examine design and technologies that impact the design of products, services and environments to meet community needs.
  • We are learning to recognise the role of people in design and technologies occupations and explore how sustainability impacts product, service and environment design to meet community needs.
  • We are learning to describe how forces and the properties of materials affect function in a product or system.
  • We are learning to investigate how forces and the properties of materials affect the behaviour of a product or system.
  • We are learning to explore needs or opportunities for designing and test materials, components, tools, equipment and processes needed to create designed solutions.
  • We are learning to investigate the suitability of materials, systems, components, tools and equipment for a range of purposes.
  • We are learning to critique needs or opportunities for designing and explore and test a variety of materials, components, tools and equipment needed to produce designed solutions.
  • We are learning to generate and communicate design ideas and decisions using appropriate attributions, technical terms and graphical representation techniques.
  • We are learning to generate, develop and communicate design ideas and decisions using appropriate technical terms and graphical representations.
  • We are learning to use design criteria to evaluate ideas and solutions.
  • We are learning to evaluate design ideas, processes and solutions based on success criteria.
  • We are learning to understand that natural and processed materials have a range of physical properties that can influence how they are used, e.g. metal and plastic waste can lead to pollution.

Curriculum alignment

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 AC9S4H01 9 Examine how people use data to develop scientific explanations AC9TDE4P04 9

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

 AC9S4H02 9 Consider how people use scientific explanations to meet a need or solve a problem AC9E4LA11 9 Expand vocabulary by exploring a range of synonyms and antonyms, and using words encountered in a range of sources AC9TDE4P02 9

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

 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 AC9S4I01 9 Pose questions to explore observed patterns and relationships and make predictions based on observations AC9S4I06 9 Write and create texts to communicate findings and ideas for identified purposes and audiences, using scientific vocabulary and digital tools as appropriate 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

 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

 ACSIS064 8.4 With guidance, identify questions in familiar contexts that can be investigated scientifically and make predictions based on prior knowledge ACSHE062 8.4 Science knowledge helps people to understand the effect of their actions ACSIS071 8.4 Represent and communicate observations, ideas and findings using formal and informal representations ACSHE061 8.4 Science involves making predictions and describing patterns and relationships 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

 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 ACSSU074 8.4 Natural and processed materials have a range of physical properties that can influence their use ACTDEP017 8.4

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

 ACTDEK011 8.4

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

 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

 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 ACTDEK013 8.4

Investigate the suitability of materials, systems, components, tools and equipment for a range of purposes
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 ST2-11DI-T old Describes how digital systems represent and transmit data 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 ST2-1WS-S old Questions, plans and conducts scientific investigations, collects and summarises data and communicates using scientific representations MA2-18SP old Selects appropriate methods to collect data, and constructs, compares, interprets and evaluates data displays, including tables, picture graphs and column graphs MA2-3WM old Checks the accuracy of a statement and explains the reasoning used 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 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 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
VCSIS065 With guidance, identify questions in familiar contexts that can be investigated scientifically and predict what might happen based on prior knowledge 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 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 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 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 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 VCDSCD029 Generate, develop, and communicate design ideas and decisions using appropriate technical terms and graphical representation techniques VCSSU056 Science knowledge helps people to understand the effects of their actions VCDSCD031 Evaluate design ideas, processes and solutions based on criteria for success developed with guidance and including care for the environment and communities VCELA293 Incorporate new vocabulary from a range of sources, including vocabulary encountered in research, into own texts VCSSU060 Natural and processed materials have a range of physical properties; these properties can influence their use

Australian Curriculum covers QLD / SA / WA / NT / TAS / ACT.

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.

Teach it your way

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