Teacher Guidance Level 1

To support students to develop understanding of Technological Products at Level 1, teachers could:

• provide students with a range of technological products to explore and guide them to identify the materials they are made from.
• provide students with the opportunity to explore common materials and guide them to determine what the materials can do and how they can be manipulated.
• guide students to use knowledge of materials to suggest why a material would be selected for use in a particular product, and how it has been shaped, joined and/or finished to make the product.

Indicators of Progression

Teaching Strategy

Explanation

Identify materials that technological products are made from.

Provide students with a range of familiar articles (or photos of articles) made from different materials to examine.

Have students identify (with teacher input):

• those articles that are natural artifacts and those which are technological outcomes
• the materials from which each are made.

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

Provide students with a range of technological products they are familiar with (or photos of products) which are made from different materials.

Brainstorm in groups/as a class, why the products are made from the materials that they are. Collate findings and present as a wall chart with a photo of the product and a description of the materials they are made from.

Identify that materials have been shaped, joined and/or finished to make a technological product.

Identify parts of familiar technological outcomes (such as a pen, bike, chair) that have been shaped, joined and finished.

Teachers help the students to talk about why a particular material was chosen and how it has been shaped, joined finished (provide lots of examples).
If possible pull the product to pieces and sort into parts that have been shaped, joined and finished.

Teacher Guidance Level 2

To support students to develop understanding of Technological Products at Level 2, teachers could:

• provide students with the opportunity to research and experiment with a range of materials and guide them to identify their performance properties. Performance properties of materials refer to such things as conductivity, water resistance, warmth, texture, flexibility, etc.
• provide students with a variety of technological products and guide them to identify the performance properties particular materials provides for that product.

Indicators of Progression

Teaching Strategy

Explanation

Describe the performance properties of particular materials.

Provide a range of familiar materials that 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.

Introduce properties of materials and the correct terminology.

Resource: 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.

Identify the performance properties of materials used in particular technological products

Provide a range technological products that students are familiar with and have them describe the materials they are made from and their performance properties. (Limit products to ones that have only one or two materials, such as a 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, such as 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. (Limit products to ones that have only one or two materials)

Teacher Guidance Level 3

To support students to develop understanding of Technological Products at Level 3, teachers could:

• provide students with the opportunity to research and experiment with a range of materials and support students to develop understandings of why materials have particular performance properties. These understandings will be based on the combination of a material's structural (conductive, ductile etc) and sensory (colour, texture etc) qualities.
• provide students with a variety of technological products and support them to investigate how the materials used in the product combine to allow the product to function as designed.
• provide students with a range of technological products with unknown functions and support them to make informed suggestions for possible function.

Indicators of Progression

Teaching Strategy

Explanation

Identify the structural and sensory qualities of particular materials and how these combine to provide the performance properties of the materials.

Allow students to interact with materials that are familiar and unfamiliar to them in order to explore and describe about their particular performance properties.

Choose materials carefully to give the students a wide range of material examples.
Use games such as Taboo or Headbanz. Give the opportunity for students to describe materials and for others to determine the material that is being described

Explain how all the materials used in a technological product work together to allow the product to function as designed.

Examine familiar products (or photos of products) made from two or more materials, (such as a pen, a clock or watch, etc).

Working in pairs/groups, students are asked to determine:

• what the proper function of the product is
• how the materials contribute to the product's function.

Teacher encouraged to choose a variety of products for the students to examine (and if possible have some that can be pulled apart).

Suggest possible functions of a technological product based on an understanding of the materials used in its construction.

Examine unfamiliar products or photos of products with more than two materials.

Teacher Guidance Level 4

To support students to develop understanding of Technological Products at Level 4, teachers could:

• provide students with the opportunity to research and experiment with a range of materials and support students to develop understandings of how materials have been formed, manipulated and/or transformed in ways to enhance the fitness for purpose of particular technological products over time.
• ensure students understand that 'forming' refers to how materials can be shaped (cut, moulded, bent, carved etc) to the 'form' required for use in the product, and manipulating and transforming refers to how materials can be joined and/or 'finished' in ways that change their performance properties.

Indicators of Progression

Teaching Strategy

Explanation

Describe examples to illustrate how a technological product's fitness for purpose was enhanced by the way a material was shaped.

Examine a range of products made from the same materials to discuss how/why the materials have been formed, manipulated and/or transformed in the way that they have.

Move from products using the same materials, (such as several products made from plastic) to those made from different materials, (such as something made from plastic, something made from wood and something made from stainless steel).

Examine a range of products made from different materials and discuss how/why the materials have been formed, manipulated and/or transformed in the way that they have.

Describe examples to illustrate how a technological product's fitness for purpose was enhanced by the way a material was joined with other materials.

Examine a range of products that have more than one material and discuss how the materials work together to enable the product to be fit for purpose.

Give students the opportunity to play with the products and use them for their intended function. From this, encourage them to describe how the why materials they are made from are joined allow the product to function.
Suggest what would happen to the products fitness for purpose if the materials they were made from were joined differently. For example, how fit for purpose would the product be if the materials were glued together instead of being bolted together?

Look at examples of how materials have been joined.

Technology student website – scroll down to joints.

Describe examples to illustrate how a technological product's fitness for purpose was enhanced by the way a material was finished.

Examine a range of products that have been finished in different ways and discuss:

• the way they have been finished to enable the product to be fit the purpose
• the benefits of them being finished in this way.

Students look at a range of different surface finishes applied to materials used in a product and discuss how these finishes enable the product to be fit for purpose.
Discuss what might happen to the product if the material was finished in a different way – eg, cardboard coated with wax to make waterproof.

Teacher Guidance Level 5

To support students to develop understanding of Technological Products at Level 5, teachers could:

• support students to examine examples of how materials have been selected to ensure the fitness for purpose of particular technological products – both within their own and other's technological practice.
• support students to use examples to gain insight into how selecting an appropriate material relies on understanding the composition of materials. The composition of materials relates to such things as the type and arrangements of particles that make up the material.
• ensure students understand that for materials to be selected for use in a technological product, their particular performance properties must align with the desired performance specifications of that product.

Indicators of Progression

Teaching Strategy

Explanation

Describe examples to illustrate how the performance specifications of technological products determine the performance properties required of materials that might be suitable for the product's 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, they analyse what the product does (its proper function) and the 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.

Group research task on material properties and composition.

Groups produce a poster on a given material that explains the materials composition and properties. The 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 such as 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.

Teacher Guidance Level 6

To support students to develop understanding of Technological Products at Level 6, teachers could:

• provide students with the opportunity to research and experiment with a range of materials to develop understandings of how their chemical composition impacts on how they can be formed, manipulated and/or transformed.
• ensure students understand that materials can be formed, manipulated and/or transformed to enhance the fitness for purpose of a technological product. 'Forming' refers to how materials are shaped (cut, moulded, bent etc) to the 'form' required for use in the product. Manipulating and transforming refers to how materials are joined and/or finished in ways that change their performance properties.
• support students to examine examples of how materials have been evaluated to ensure the fitness for purpose of particular technological products – both within their own and other's technological practice.
• support students to use examples to gain insight into how material evaluation procedures rely on understanding the composition of the materials to be evaluated and the performance criteria of a technological product.
• ensure students understand that material evaluation enables decisions to be made about how a material would support, or not, the fitness for purpose of particular technological products, and decrease the probability of a product malfunction.

Indicators of Progression

Teaching Strategy

Explanation

Explain how the composition of different materials enables them to be shaped in different ways

Bus stop activity with a different material at each station.

Provide a task activity set of instructions at each station that guides students to experiment with each material and answer questions on how that material can be formed, manipulated and/or transformed. Take photos of what they did with each material.

Pose an inquiry research question into one material – for example: How does the composition of material XXX affect its properties?

Students choose one of the materials they experimented with in the bus stop task and undertake research to explain the link between the composition of the selected material and its properties. Students to report back to whole class or present a poster/PowerPoint presentation that explains findings.

Explain how the composition of materials determines the way it can be joined.

Pairs/groups product analysis.

Students examine a range of technological products with different joining methods and different materials, and answer questions (teacher-provided) that lead them to the understanding that the composition of materials determines the way it can be joined.

Self-paced instructions requiring students to do a variety of joining methods.

Provide a range of instructional activities that students work through at their own pace. Each activity outlines a jointing method with questions to evaluate its effectiveness based on the composition of the materials and the application where the joint may be used.

Explain how the composition of materials determine the types of 'finishing' techniques suitable for use.

Worksheet with different finishing options.

Provide a worksheet that has the same technological outcome but with a number of different finishing options. Students evaluate the different finishing options and how these will affect the outcomes fitness for purpose.

Practical task of experimenting with different finishing options.

Provide students with a range of materials and finishing options and ask them to evaluate the effectiveness of each finishing option based on the composition of the material.

Research/homework task to investigate a finishing used on a selected technological outcome.

Students choose an outcome (small/large, NZ/international technological product) and investigate the finishing options used, how this choice was based on the composition of materials and how it affects the fitness for purpose of the outcome.

Research product recalls due to inappropriate finishing.

Students research sites such as the US Consumer Product safety Commission Product recall site to find examples of products that have been recalled due to inappropriate finishing, such as www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09248.html
Google search 'products recalls NZ' to find local examples.

Describe the role of material evaluation in determining material suitability for use in a technological product.

In groups undertake material testing to determine a material's suitability for use in a technological outcome.

Undertake a range of material tests to determine material performance properties and therefore its suitability for use in a technological outcome.
Material performance properties that could be tested include:

• tensile strength, compressive strength, sheer strength
• crease-resistance, malleability, drape, form, durability , absorbency
• care and future maintenance
• colour, texture, appearance, taste, sheen
• chemical resistance.

Teacher Guidance Level 7

To support students to develop understanding of Technological Products at Level 7, teachers could:

• support students to identify and examine examples of how materials have been evaluated to allow material selection decisions that maximise the potential fitness for purpose of particular technological products.
• ensure students understand that material evaluation enables decisions to be made about what material would be optimal to ensure the fitness for purpose of particular technological products.
• ensure students understand that concepts and processes employed in evaluating a material are related to the composition, the required performance properties of the material and an understanding of the context within which the technological product will be situated.
• support students to use examples to gain insight into how material evaluation procedures can be used to identify maintenance and disposal implications and inform design and development decisions.

Indicators of Progression

Teaching Strategy

Explanation

Explain the concepts and processes that underpin the evaluation of a particular material.

View YouTube videos of material testing.

Search for material testing video clips on YouTube.

Carry out material testing.

Within the limitations of the equipment available, carry out a range of material tests. Photograph and explain the findings.

Expert groups to research a given material test and present/report back to class.

Investigate material testing that cannot be carried out in the classroom/workshop. Allocate a type of testing to each group with some focus questions. Each group undertakes the research and then presents their findings back to the class.

Task considering material selection in relation to maintenance and disposal issues.

Search for YouTube videos on issues to do with product disposal as starters, such as plastic water bottles, or visit www.thestoryofstuff.com
Class discusses teh materials used in products, including:

• the implications for maintenance of the product due to the materials used
• disposal implications for product once the product is past its used by date.

Describe examples to illustrate how materials have been evaluated to determine their suitability for specific products and the environments in which they are situated.

Research task investigating a product designed for a particular environment/to perform a specific function.

Choose a product and the environment where it will be situated/used such as local daycare, beach, Antarctica.
Investigate the environment where the outcome is situated and explain how the materials used in the product allow the product to function in the environment in which it is situated.
Students need to see a range of products designed for different environments so that they identify the relationships between material properties and a products fitness for purpose within its intended environment.

Teacher Guidance Level 8

To support students to develop understanding of Technological Products at Level 8, teachers could:

• support students to identify and examine examples of material innovation including past and contemporary examples.
• ensure students understand that material innovation can refer to both the development of a new material, or the use of an existing material in a 'new' way.
• support students to use examples to gain insight into how material innovation and evaluation procedures are used to address performance, maintenance and disposal implications and inform design and development decisions.
• support students to understand the implications for the evaluation of innovative materials whereby new procedures may need to be developed and codes established.
• ensure students understand that material evaluation enables decisions to be made about how a material would support, or not, the fitness for purpose in of particular technological products.
• ensure students understand that concepts and processes employed in material innovation and evaluation are related to composition, the required performance properties of the material and an understanding of the context within which the technological product will be situated.

Indicators of Progression

Teaching Strategy

Explanation

Explain the concepts and processes that underpin an identified material innovation and its evaluation.

View a range of material innovations.

Teacher provides a range of material innovations for students to view.
Ensure the range has both past and contemporary examples, and also includes both new materials and existing materials used in a new way. For examples see:

Internet

You Tube

Research a material innovation.

Individually/pairs/groups research a materials innovation from a teacher provided list. Each student/group to look at one past and one contemporary example of material innovation.
For a range of examples see:

www.YouTube.com/results?search_type=
&search_query=material+innovation&aq=f

Describe examples to illustrate how material innovations have been evaluated to determine their suitability for specific products and the environments in which they are situated.

Teacher provides examples of material innovations for students to investigate.

Teacher provides photos of products using a material innovation, such as the carbon-fibre mast used on the America's Cup Yacht, bicycles, or Marcel Wander's knotted chair.
Students suggest what evaluations were used to determine the suitability of the material innovation that were used in that product and whether and why these innovations were successful or not.

Discuss examples of past material innovations and explain how these impacted on subsequent technological development.

Teacher led class discussion

Teacher leads class discussion on past material innovations and explain how these impacted on subsequent technological development.

Research assignment.

Students choose a past material innovation and research how the innovation impacted on subsequent technological development.

Discuss examples of contemporary material innovations and suggest probable implications for future technological product development.

Individual research/presentation task.

Students choose a contemporary material innovation, research it, and make a presentation on probable implications for future technological product development.