Supporting Learning Environment Level 8

To support students to develop understanding of technological products at level 8, 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 when taking into account both the technical feasibility and social acceptability of the product
• support students to critically analyse a range of subjective and objective evaluative procedures used to justify material suitability and to explain the underpinning concepts and processes involved in these procedures
• support students to understand why 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 understand that the development of new materials relies on understanding: existing materials including their advantages and limitations; new material composition and structure possibilities; formulation procedures; future requirements, needs and desires; and an awareness that new evaluative procedures may need to be developed to determine the suitability of new materials
• support students to identify and analyse examples where new materials have been developed, including past and contemporary examples, to gain insight into how material formulation and subsequent evaluation procedures are used to address performance, maintenance and disposal implications and inform design and development decisions. Examples should include material development (including formulation procedures) and evaluation practices of technologists.

Discuss examples of the formulation of new materials and explain the underpinning concepts and processes involved in their development

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. Also ensure the range 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 click here.

Discuss examples of evaluation procedures undertaken to determine the suitability of new materials and explain the underpinning concepts and processes involved in particular evaluations

Teacher provides examples of material innovations for students to investigate.

Teacher provides photos of products using a material innovation e..g. Carbon Fibre mast used on Americas cup Yacht, bicycles, Marcel Wander’s knotted chair
Students suggest what evaluations procedures were used to determine the suitability of the material innovation that were used in that product and why these innovations were successful/nor successful.

Discuss examples of past material developments and explain how these impacted on product design, development, manufacturing, maintenance and disposal

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 developments and suggest probable implications for future technological product design, development, manufacturing, maintenance and disposal.

Individual research/presentation task

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