Design and technologies / Year 3 and 4 / Design and Technologies Knowledge and Understanding

Curriculum content descriptions

Investigate how forces and the properties of materials affect the behaviour of a product or system (ACTDEK011)

Elaborations
  • examining models to identify how forces and materials are used in the design of a toy
  • exploring through play how movement can be initiated by combining materials and using forces, for example releasing a wound rubber band to propel a model boat
  • conducting investigations to understand the characteristics and properties of materials and forces that may affect the behaviour and performance of a product or system, for example woomera design
  • deconstructing a product or system to identify how motion and forces affect behaviour, for example in a puppet such as a Japanese bunraku puppet or a model windmill with moving sails
  • identifying and exploring properties and construction relationships of an engineered product or system, for example a structure that floats; a bridge to carry a load
  • experimenting with available local materials, tools and equipment to solve problems requiring forces including identifying inputs (what goes in to the system), processes (what happens within the system) and outputs (what comes out of the system), for example designing and testing a container or parachute that will keep an egg intact when dropped from a height
General capabilities
  • Numeracy Numeracy
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and creative thinking
ScOT terms

Materials,  Properties of matter,  Mechanical energy,  Engineering

Video

Different paper plane designs

How many different paper plane designs are there? Lots! Watch as Dylan Parker, paper plane expert, demonstrates some of his favourites. Notice the way the different shapes and features of the planes cause them to move through the air in different ways. Which one do you like the most? Why not have a go at making something similar?

Interactive

Thermal comfort – sustainability action process (Years 3–6)

This thermal comfort learning resource will guide students through an extended school based investigation. Students will develop and implement a chosen sustainability action and then evaluate and reflect on their success and their learning.

Video

For the Juniors: Tall buildings that won't fall

What makes tall buildings strong and stable? View this clip to find out how a tall building made from concrete is made even stronger. Look at a model of the building to see how it will look when it's built. See if you can pick up some design tips to help you build your own tall structure!

Video

For the Juniors: Wheely good wheels

Wheels are round and come in many sizes, but how does a wheel turn? In this clip we show you how a wheel and axle work together to provide movement.

Video

What makes these paper planes fly?

Have you ever wondered what makes a paper plane fly? Think about the design of the paper plane as well as external factors like the various forces that are at play, then make a list of the design considerations and a list of the different forces.

Video

For the Juniors: Ramping up the fun

Join Winston as he tests which materials slide down a ramp. Which ones will slip and which ones will grip? He's testing a wooden block, a stone, a glass bottle and an eraser. Predict what will happen. Watch to see if your prediction was right.

Video

For the Juniors: How planes take off and fly

A modern jet aeroplane is big and heavy, so how does it fly? In this clip we explain how the wing shape helps a plane to take off and fly. Also see how a plane's jet engine works. Is it all a load of hot air?

Video

For the Juniors: Super-fast jet boats

Jet boats can go really fast. Instead of an outboard motor and propeller, jet boats have an inboard engine and they eject a jet of water out the rear of the boat. Watch this clip to see how they work.

Video

For the Juniors: Balance is a matter of ballast

Have you seen large ships that carry shipping containers as cargo? In this clip we show you how these ships use ballast to help them balance their load. Find out what ballast is and how it stops a ship from sinking. Also see the massive engines on these big cargo ships.

Video

How to fly around the world without fuel

Imagine if we could fly day and night using only solar energy. The expertly engineered Solar Impulse plane is flying around the world delivering a powerful message: clean technologies can achieve the seemingly impossible. Powered by a dream, determination and breakthrough engineering, this flying adventure aims to inspire ...

Video

A Clockwork Tin Toy

This resource focuses on discovering and applying the formula behind gear ratios. The core task involves pattern identification. The lesson also provides opportunities for students to develop their use of scientific spoken language.

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The long walk

This set of learning activities challenges students to design shoes using recycled materials. The module includes a comprehensive teacher guide, curriculum links, materials lists, design process guides and printable student resource sheets. The resource also provides an editable module template, is supported by online professional ...

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Plastic pollution

This set of learning activities challenges students to consider the problem of plastic pollution and how local actions help reduce the amount of discarded plastics in the environment. The module includes a comprehensive teacher guide, curriculum links, materials lists, design process guides and printable student resource ...

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Cool lunch

In this set of learning activities, students investigate how heat energy from the Sun transfers across a variety of materials, affecting the internal temperature of lunch containers. They conduct experiments to identify materials that absorb or reflect heat and draw on their findings to create, test and justify designs ...

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Our new playground

This set of learning activities encourages students to consider the function of their existing school playground, how movements like sliding, swinging and spinning feature in playground equipment, and design a new piece of equipment to add to the excitement of their playground. The module includes a comprehensive teacher ...

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Transportation Innovation

In this activity, students participate in a design challenge to use natural materials to design and create a tool that can be used to transport an object between two places. The activity provides students with an opportunity to explore how natural materials can be changed and combined to solve problems (Year 2) and use ...

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Evolution of the Esky

In this resource, students engage in an object analysis task. They use photographs of objects which have been used to preserve food products to explore how understandings of science concepts (i.e. heat transfer and states of matter) have been applied to create designed solutions that solve a community problem.

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Material Sort

In this series of activities, students examine different materials, exploring how they can be described and categorised based on their observable properties. Students observe and describe different materials, then compare, contrast and categorise materials based on their observable properties.

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Physical world – design and production investigation

In this lesson sequence, students work in pairs to explore how light energy from the sun is converted to heat energy to cook food using a solar oven. They investigate types of solar oven designs while exploring materials that are the most efficient in achieving heat absorption and insulation. Students collect, analyse ...

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Physical world – design and production investigation

In this investigative task, students explore how light energy sources are used for shadow theatre design and how forces are used to create movement in shadow puppets for entertainment and storytelling. Students investigate how forces and light energy create changes by students making, testing and presenting a model shadow ...