Supporting Learning Environment Level 2

To support students to develop understanding of technological products at level 2, teachers could:

• guide students to understand that performance properties of materials refer to such things as thermal and electrical conductivity, water resistance, texture, flexibility, colour etc.
• provide students with the opportunity to research and experiment with a range of materials and guide them to describe how their performance properties relates to how they could be useful. For example, a material that was water and UV resistant, durable, and easily cleaned could be useful for outdoor furnishings
• provide students with the opportunity to research and experiment with a range of materials and guide them to describe how particular materials can be manipulated.
• provide students with a variety of technological products to explore and encourage them to explore these through such things as: using, ‘playing’, dismantling and rebuilding as appropriate
• guide student to describe the relationship between the materials selected and their performance properties. For example, a school lunch box is made of plastic because plastic can be molded into different shapes, and is hard, durable, lightweight and easily cleaned.

Describe the performance properties of a range of materials and use these to suggest things the materials could be used for

• Provide a range of familiar materials which students have used in the past and have them describe their performance properties.

By using familiar materials here, the students will have prior knowledge to work from.
Use these performance properties to suggest other things these materials could be used for.

• Introduce properties of materials and the correct terminology

Technology student website – properties of materials

• Provide a range of materials that students are unfamiliar with (haven’t used in the past) and allow them to play with them to identify and describe their performance properties.

Introduce students to simple sensory and physical tests such as smell; feel; ability to bend, stretch compress; taste; texture etc.
Use these performance properties to suggest other things these materials could be used for.

Describe feasible ways of manipulating a range of materials

• Provide a range of materials that students are unfamiliar with (haven’t used in the past) and allow them to play with them to identify feasible ways for them to be manipulated .

Provide a range of tools – scissors, pliers, saws and allow students (under instruction) to attempt to cut, bend, shape materials. Students to collate materials into those that can be bent, shaped, cut etc.

Suggest why the materials used in particular technological products were selected.

• Provide a range technological product’s that students are familiar with and have them describe the materials they are made from and their performance properties. Why were these materials chosen for this product? (Limit products to ones that have only one or two materials e.g. potato peeler, plastic toy)

Teachers need to choose the products carefully to give the students a range of materials to examine. Once again move from the familiar to the unfamiliar. Using products made from only one or two materials, e.g. a potato peeler, screwdriver, cutting board,

• Provide a range of technological products that students haven’t used/seen before and have them describe the materials and their expected performance properties. Why were these materials chosen for this product? (Limit products to ones that have only one or two materials)