Supporting Learning Environment Level 7

To support students to develop understanding of technological products at level 7, teachers could:

• support students to 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
• support students to explore a range of subjective and objective evaluative procedures used to identify the suitability of materials for different uses
• support students to describe the underpinning concepts and processes related to subjective and objective evaluative procedures
• support students to understand the selection of appropriate material evaluation procedures relies on understanding the composition and structure of materials, how their properties can be enhanced through manipulation or transformation, the performance criteria required by technological products and an understanding of the physical and social context within which the technological product will be situated
• support students to identify and analyse examples of how materials have been evaluated to allow material selection decisions that maximize the potential fitness for purpose of particular technological products and to gain insight into how material evaluation procedures can be used to identify product maintenance and disposal implications and therefore inform design, development and post production care decisions
• examples should include the material evaluation practices of technologists.

Discuss a range of subjective and objective evaluative procedures used to determine the suitability of materials and describe the underpinning concepts and processes involved in particular procedures

View You Tube videos of material testing

Search for material testing video clips on You Tube.

Carry out material testing

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

Discuss examples of material evaluation procedures undertaken to support material selection decisions and justify the appropriateness of these procedures

View You Tube videos of material testing

Search for material testing video clips on You Tube.

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.

Discuss examples to explain how material evaluation impacted on design and development decisions

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 e.g. 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.

Discuss examples to explain how material evaluation impacted on maintenance and disposal decisions.

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

Look at You Tube videos on issues to do with product disposal as starters
e.g. plastic water bottles
or www.thestoryofstuff.com
Class discussion on materials used in products. Discuss:

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