VC2S4U05
the properties of natural and made materials, including fibres, metals, glass and plastics, influence their use and re-use
- exploring vocabulary for describing properties; observing different fibres, metals, glass and plastics; and using appropriate terms to describe, compare and contrast the materials’ properties
- investigating familiar objects such as shoes, drink containers and backpacks, examining the combination of materials used to make them and suggesting reasons for those combinations based on properties of materials
- considering how Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples have used and continue to use materials, such as those used to make tools, clothes and shelter, for different purposes, based on a material’s properties
- investigating how changes of state in some materials used by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples, such as beeswax and resins, are important for the materials’ uses
- designing, building and testing an object or structure such as a tent, lunch box or bird-feeder for a specific purpose
- investigating which materials can be recycled, and researching alternatives for materials such as single-use plastics
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Material World PowerPoint - Processed and Natural Materials
Discover the difference between processed and natural materials with an instructional slide show.
- Free Plan

Object Material Investigation Worksheet
A worksheet for investigating the materials certain objects are made from.
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Natural Science PowerPoint - How Do People Use Natural Resources?
A teaching presentation discussing natural resources and how humans interact with them.
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Types of Materials - Printable Anchor Charts
Introduce your students to the different types of materials with a pack of printable anchor charts.
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Man-Made vs Natural Materials Worksheet
Identify man-made and natural materials in the classroom with a gallery walk organiser.
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My Ecological Footprint Worksheet
A worksheet which will have the students evaluate their ecological footprint and compare it with the class.
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Processed Materials Poster
A poster displaying different processed materials and explaining what processed materials are.
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Natural Materials Poster
A poster displaying different natural materials and explaining what natural materials are.
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What If? Choosing Materials Worksheets
A set of 6 templates to use when investigating the properties of materials.
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Science Experiment - Suck It Up!
A science experiment which investigates the absorptive properties of various materials.
- Free Plan

My Ecological Footprint - Reference Sheet
Teach your students about the things we do that affect the Earth with an ecological footprint reference sheet.
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Plastic and Concrete PowerPoint - How Do People Use Processed Materials?
A teaching presentation discussing processed materials and their uses.
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Science Experiment - Solid Wood vs Laminate
A science experiment which investigates the strengths of solid wood and laminate.
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Science Experiment - Suck It Up!
A 60 minute lesson in which students will investigate materials and their absorptive properties through a scientific investigation.
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Freedom of Choice - Developing Scientific Lines of Questioning
A 60 minute lesson in which students will learn how to develop scientific lines of questioning to initiate a scientific investigation.
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What's the Use? - Developing a Hypothesis to Investigate
A 60 minute lesson in which students will learn how to develop an effective hypothesis for scientific investigations.
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Plastic and Concrete - How Do People Use Processed Materials?
A 60 minute lesson in which students will investigate the ways humans produce and use processed materials.
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Living in the Material World - Examining Natural and Processed Materials
A 60 minute lesson in which students will examine and understand the differences between natural and processed materials and their uses.
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Fake Plastic Trees - A Demonstration Comparing Properties of Natural and Processed Materials
A 60 minute lesson in which students will compare the properties of natural and processed materials through a demonstration.
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Natural Science - How Do People Use Natural Materials?
A 60 minute lesson in which students will investigate the use of natural materials by humans throughout history.
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And Further On - Research Into the Environmental Impact of Certain Materials
A 60 minute lesson in which students will be introduced to a research task for them to undertake about a material of their choosing.
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Material World Unit Plan
This Chemical Sciences unit investigates natural and processed materials. Demonstrations and experimental procedures are explored with particular attention given to the scientific method.