STEAM Unit: What is a Hovercraft?
F 1 2 3 4 5 6 Primary + Unit Plans STEAM Unit Plans Science Technologies STEAM 6 Pages

STEAM Unit: What is a Hovercraft?

This activity kit, designed to be used in conjunction with our ‘What is a Hovercraft Presentation’ teaches your students the story of the hovercraft. In this kit, your students will get the chance to make their own miniature model of a hovercraft, as well as do a small comprehension activity. The instructions are included to help you make this fun activity easy to bring to your classroom.

Having trouble downloading? Follow our step-by-step guide

Learning goals

  • We are learning to explore how familiar products, services and environments are designed by people.
  • We are learning to identify how familiar products, services and environments are designed and produced.
  • We are learning to identify how people design and produce familiar products, services and environments to meet personal and community needs.
  • We are learning to explore how technologies including materials affect movement in products.
  • We are learning to explore how technologies use forces to create movement in products.
  • We are learning to evaluate the success of design ideas and solutions.
  • We are learning to explore needs or opportunities for designing and the technologies needed to realise designed solutions.
  • We are learning to generate, communicate and evaluate design ideas.
  • We are learning to use materials, components, tools, equipment and techniques to safely make designed solutions.
  • 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 select and use materials, components, tools, equipment and techniques to safely make designed solutions.
  • We are learning to select and use materials, components, tools, equipment and techniques and use safe work practices to make designed solutions.
  • We are learning to explain how people in design and technologies occupations consider competing factors, including sustainability, in the design of products, services and environments.
  • We are learning to examine how people in design and technologies occupations address competing considerations, including sustainability in the design of products, services and environments.
  • We are learning to explain how electrical energy can be transformed into movement, sound, or light in a product or system.
  • We are learning to investigate how electrical energy can control movement, sound, or light in a designed product or system.
  • We are learning to explain how characteristics and properties of materials, systems, components, tools and equipment affect their use when producing designed solutions.
  • We are learning to investigate the characteristics and properties of a range of materials, systems, components, tools and equipment and evaluate the impact of their use.
  • We are learning to select and use suitable materials, components, tools, equipment and techniques to safely make designed solutions.
  • We are learning to select appropriate materials, components, tools, equipment and techniques and apply safe procedures to make designed solutions.

Curriculum alignment

AC9SFH01 9 Explore the ways people make and use observations and questions to learn about the natural world AC9SFI01 9 Pose questions and make predictions based on experiences AC9TDEFK01 9

Explore how familiar products, services and environments are designed by people

AC9TDE2K01 9

Identify how familiar products, services and environments are designed and produced by people to meet personal or local community needs and sustainability

AC9TDE2K02 9

Explore how technologies including materials affect movement in products

AC9TDE2P03 9

Evaluate the success of design ideas and solutions based on personal preferences and including sustainability

AC9TDEFP01 9

Generate, communicate and evaluate design ideas, and use materials, equipment and steps to safely make a solution for a purpose

AC9TDE2P02 9

Use materials, components, tools, equipment and techniques to safely make designed solutions

AC9S1H01 9 Describe how people use science in their daily lives, including using patterns to make scientific predictions AC9S1I01 9 Pose questions to explore observed simple patterns and relationships and make predictions based on experiences AC9S1I02 9 Suggest and follow safe procedures to investigate questions and test predictions AC9S2H01 9 Describe how people use science in their daily lives, including using patterns to make scientific predictions AC9S2I01 9 Pose questions to explore observed simple patterns and relationships and make predictions based on experiences AC9S2I02 9 Suggest and follow safe procedures to investigate questions and test predictions AC9S3H01 9 Examine how people use data to develop scientific explanations AC9S3I01 9 Pose questions to explore observed patterns and relationships and make predictions based on observations AC9S3I03 9 Follow procedures to make and record observations, including making formal measurements using familiar scaled instruments and using digital tools as appropriate 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

AC9TDE4K02 9

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

AC9TDE4P01 9

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

AC9TDE4P03 9

Select and use materials, components, tools, equipment and techniques to safely make designed solutions

AC9S4H01 9 Examine how people use data to develop scientific explanations 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 AC9S5H01 9 Examine why advances in science are often the result of collaboration or build on the work of others AC9S5I01 9 Pose investigable questions to identify patterns and test relationships and make reasoned predictions AC9S5I06 9 Write and create texts to communicate ideas and findings for specific purposes and audiences, including selection of language features, using digital tools as appropriate AC9TDE6K01 9

Explain how people in design and technologies occupations consider competing factors including sustainability in the design of products, services and environments

AC9TDE6K02 9

Explain how electrical energy can be transformed into movement, sound or light in a product or system

AC9TDE6K05 9

Explain how characteristics and properties of materials, systems, components, tools and equipment affect their use when producing designed solutions

AC9TDE6P03 9

Select and use suitable materials, components, tools, equipment and techniques to safely make designed solutions

AC9S6H01 9 Examine why advances in science are often the result of collaboration or build on the work of others AC9S6I01 9 Pose investigable questions to identify patterns and test relationships and make reasoned predictions AC9S6I06 9 Write and create texts to communicate ideas and findings for specific purposes and audiences, including selection of language features, using digital tools as appropriate ACSHE013 8.4 Science involves observing, asking questions about, and describing changes in, objects and events ACSIS014 8.4 Pose and respond to questions about familiar objects and events ACTDEK001 8.4

Identify how people design and produce familiar products, services and environments and consider sustainability to meet personal and local community needs

ACTDEK002 8.4

Explore how technologies use forces to create movement in products

ACTDEP005 8.4

Explore needs or opportunities for designing, and the technologies needed to realise designed solutions

ACTDEP007 8.4

Use materials, components, tools, equipment and techniques to safely make designed solutions

ACSHE021 8.4 Science involves observing, asking questions about, and describing changes in, objects and events ACSIS024 8.4 Pose and respond to questions, and make predictions about familiar objects and events ACSIS025 8.4 Participate in guided investigations to explore and answer questions ACSHE034 8.4 Science involves observing, asking questions about, and describing changes in, objects and events ACSIS037 8.4 Pose and respond to questions, and make predictions about familiar objects and events ACSIS038 8.4 Participate in guided investigations to explore and answer questions ACSHE050 8.4 Science involves making predictions and describing patterns and relationships ACSIS053 8.4 With guidance, identify questions in familiar contexts that can be investigated scientifically and make predictions based on prior knowledge ACSIS054 8.4 With guidance, plan and conduct scientific investigations to find answers to questions, considering the safe use of appropriate materials and equipment 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

ACTDEK011 8.4

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

ACTDEK013 8.4

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

ACTDEP016 8.4

Select and use materials, components, tools, equipment and techniques and use safe work practices to make designed solutions

ACSHE061 8.4 Science involves making predictions and describing patterns and relationships 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 ACSHE081 8.4 Science involves testing predictions by gathering data and using evidence to develop explanations of events and phenomena and reflects historical and cultural contributions ACSIS231 8.4 With guidance, pose clarifying questions and make predictions about scientific investigations ACSIS093 8.4 Communicate ideas, explanations and processes using scientific representations in a variety of ways, including multi-modal texts ACTDEK019 8.4

Examine how people in design and technologies occupations address competing considerations, including sustainability in the design of products, services, and environments for current and future use

ACTDEK020 8.4

Investigate how electrical energy can control movement, sound or light in a designed product or system

ACTDEK023 8.4

Investigate characteristics and properties of a range of materials, systems, components, tools and equipment and evaluate the impact of their use

ACTDEP026 8.4

Select appropriate materials, components, tools, equipment and techniques and apply safe procedures to make designed solutions

ACSHE098 8.4 Science involves testing predictions by gathering data and using evidence to develop explanations of events and phenomena and reflects historical and cultural contributions ACSIS232 8.4 With guidance, pose clarifying questions and make predictions about scientific investigations ACSIS110 8.4 Communicate ideas, explanations and processes using scientific representations in a variety of ways, including multi-modal texts
STe-1WS-S old Observes, questions and collects data to communicate ideas STe-6ES-S old Identifies how daily and seasonal changes in the environment affect humans and other living things STe-2DP-T old Develops solutions to an identified need STe-7DI-T old Identifies digital systems and explores how instructions are used to control digital devices STe-5PW-ST old Observes the way objects move and relates changes in motion to push and pull forces ST1-1WS-S old Observes, questions and collects data to communicate and compare ideas ST1-2DP-T old Uses materials, tools and equipment to develop solutions for a need or opportunity ST1-9PW-ST old Investigates how forces and energy are used in products ST1-7MW-T old Describes how the properties of materials determine their use ST1-10ES-S old Recognises observable changes occurring in the sky and on the land and identifies Earthโ€™s resources ST1-6MW-S old Identifies that materials can be changed or combined ST1-4LW-S old Describes observable features of living things and their environments ST1-5LW-T old Identifies how plants and animals are used for food and fibre products ST2-1WS-S old Questions, plans and conducts scientific investigations, collects and summarises data and communicates using scientific representations ST2-2DP-T old Selects and uses materials, tools and equipment to develop solutions for a need or opportunity ST2-4LW-S old Compares features and characteristics of living and non-living things ST2-5LW-T old Describes how agricultural processes are used to grow plants and raise animals for food, clothing and shelter ST2-6MW-S old Describes how adding or removing heat causes a change of state ST2-7MW-T old Investigates the suitability of natural and processed materials for a range of purposes ST2-8PW-ST old Describes the characteristics and effects of common forms of energy, such as light and heat ST2-9PW-ST old Describes how contact and non-contact forces affect an objectโ€™s motion ST2-10ES-S old Investigates regular changes caused by interactions between the Earth and the Sun, and changes to the Earthโ€™s surface ST3-1WS-S old Plans and conducts scientific investigations to answer testable questions, and collects and summarises data to communicate conclusions ST3-2DP-T old Plans and uses materials, tools and equipment to develop solutions for a need or opportunity ST3-4LW-S old Examines how the environment affects the growth, survival and adaptation of living things ST3-5LW-T old Explains how food and fibre are produced sustainably in managed environments for health and nutrition ST3-6MW-S old Explains the effect of heat on the properties and behaviour of materials ST3-7MW-T old Explains how the properties of materials determines their use for a range of purposes ST3-8PW-ST old Explains how energy is transformed from one form to another ST3-9PW-ST old Investigates the effects of increasing or decreasing the strength of a specific contact or non-contact force ST3-10ES-S old Explains regular events in the solar system and geological events on the Earthโ€™s surface
VCSIS050 Respond to and pose questions, and make predictions about familiar objects and events VCDSTS013 Identify how people create familiar designed solutions and consider sustainability to meet personal and local community needs VCDSTC014 Explore how technologies use forces to create movement in designed solutions VCDSCD018 Explore needs or opportunities for designing, and the technologies needed to realise designed solutions VCDSCD020 Use materials, components, tools, equipment and techniques to produce designed solutions safely VCSIS051 Participate in guided investigations, including making observations using the senses, to explore and answer questions VCSIS065 With guidance, identify questions in familiar contexts that can be investigated scientifically and predict what might happen based on prior knowledge VCSIS067 Safely use appropriate materials, tools, equipment and technologies VCSIS068 Use formal measurements in the collection and recording of observations 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 VCDSTC024 Investigate how forces and the properties of materials affect the behaviour of a designed solution VCDSTC027 Investigate the suitability of materials, systems, components, tools and equipment for a range of purposes VCDSCD030 Select and use materials, components, tools and equipment using safe work practices to produce designed solutions VCSIS072 Represent and communicate observations, ideas and findings to show patterns and relationships using formal and informal scientific language VCSIS082 With guidance, pose questions to clarify practical problems or inform a scientific investigation, and predict what the findings of an investigation might be based on previous experiences or general rules VCSIS088 Communicate ideas and processes using evidence to develop explanations of events and phenomena and to identify simple cause-and-effect relationships VCDSTS033 Investigate how people in design and technologies occupations address competing considerations, including sustainability, in the design of solutions for current and future use VCDSTC034 Investigate how forces or electrical energy can control movement, sound or light in a designed product or system VCDSTC037 Investigate characteristics and properties of a range of materials, systems, components, tools and equipment and evaluate the impact of their use VCDSCD040 Apply safe procedures when using a variety of materials, components, tools, equipment and techniques to produce designed solutions

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

Teach it your way

Finding related resources…
Finding related resources…

Linked resources & worksheets

Subscribe to our newsletter

Get free, ready-to-use resources for Foundation to Year 6 classrooms delivered to your inbox. Printables, lesson ideas, and classroom activities, all in one place.