Supporting Learning Environment Level 5

To support students to develop understanding of technological products at level 5, teachers could:

• guide students to understand that the composition of materials determines what performance properties it exhibits. Composition relates to such things as the type and arrangement of particles that make up the material.
• support students to analyse examples of how materials have been selected to gain insight into how this selection relies on understanding the composition of the materials available and using this knowledge to help decide which materials in combination would provide the best ‘fit’ with the product specifications. Examples should include the material selection practices of technologists.

Discuss examples to illustrate how the composition of materials determines performance properties

Students experiment with different ingredients to see what happens to the performance properties of materials when their composition is altered

Examples could include:

• over tinting paint
• adding additional salt/sugar to a recipe (eg when making a baked product
• placing too much hardener in a resin (e.g. glue)
• case hardening a mild steel

Explain the link between specifications of a product and the selection of suitable materials for its construction

In groups look at a range of existing products related to the context they are working in.

Provide students with a range of products - in groups analyse what the product does (its proper function), what are its specifications and what is the link with he properties of the materials which enable the product to achieve this.

Repeat the above with a much wider range of products that come from within and outside the context they are working in.

Students work in groups to undertake research and present back to the class – encourage students to use such things as powerpoint, wall charts to support their presentations.

Students choose a technological outcome they have made and do the same as above.

Deconstruct existing products

Analyse to determine:

• materials they are made from properties of the material
• contribution the materials make to the overall performance specifications of technological products

Discuss examples to illustrate how decisions about material selection take into account the composition of the material and the specifications of the product.

Group research task on material properties and composition.

Groups produce a poster on a given material that explains the materials composition and properties. Poster should include a product that uses that particular material and:

• list the materials and explain what that material is made up of.
• explain the properties of the material e.g. durability, colour etc
• explain why these materials were selected in relation to their properties and composition.

Choose one product related to the context your working in, list the materials used and discuss how material selections were made.

Mix and Match cards.
Performance properties and material composition and properties.

Give students a range of different performance criteria for products and ask them to match the materials that meet the performance criteria.