Unit plan includes...
Unit Plan
Material World Unit Plan
9 x Lessons |1 x Assessment | Suitable for Grade: 4This Chemical Sciences unit investigates natural and processed materials. Demonstrations and experimental procedures are explored with particular attention given to the scientific method.
It consists of 9 lessons of approximately 60 minutes duration.
The sequence of lessons and suggested time frames should be regarded as a guide only; teachers should pace lessons in accordance with the individual learning needs of their class.
A knowledge check for monitoring student understanding of the unit objectives is included and will require an additional lesson.
Teachers are encouraged to collect samples of students’ work throughout the unit to add to a learning portfolio. These can also be used to assess students’ understanding of the unit objectives.
This unit plan includes the following resources:
- Living in the Material World PowerPoint – Examining Natural and Processed Materials
- Object Material Investigation Worksheet
- Natural Science PowerPoint – How Do People Use Natural Resources?
- My Ecological Footprint – Worksheet
- Earth Overshoot Day Poster
- The Ecological Footprint Poster
- Plastic and Concrete PowerPoint – How Do People Use Processed Materials?
- Waste Management Investigation – How Much Waste Do We Throw Away?
- Fake Plastic Trees PowerPoint – A Demonstration Comparing Properties of Natural and Processed Materials
- The Scientific Method Poster – Upper Grades
- Comparing Pros and Cons Template
- Freedom of Choice PowerPoint – Developing Scientific Lines of Questioning
- Initiating a Scientific Investigation Worksheet
- Research Notes Template
- Research Summary Template
- What’s the Use? PowerPoint – Developing a Hypothesis to Investigate
- Science Experiment – Suck It Up!
- Genius Hour Research Flowchart Poster
- Primary Sources Poster (Alternate Version)
- Secondary Sources Poster (Alternate Version)
- Tertiary Sources Poster (Alternate Version)
- Genius Hour Presentation Ideas Poster
- Working Scientifically Worksheet
Overview
Objectives
- To examine and understand the differences between natural and processed materials and their uses.
- To investigate the use of natural materials by humans throughout history.
- To investigate the ways in which humans produce and use processed materials.
- To compare the properties of natural and processed materials through a demonstration.
- To understand how to develop scientific lines of questioning to initiate a scientific investigation.
- To understand how to develop an effective hypothesis for scientific investigations.
- To investigate materials and their absorptive properties through a scientific investigation.
- To learn how to build solid scientific conclusions for experiments.
- To introduce a research task for the students to undertake about a material of their choosing.
Preparing for Learning
This Science unit provides excellent opportunities for cross-curricular integration. Look for ways to meaningfully integrate the content of the unit with other learning areas.
Prior to commencing the unit, develop a classroom display which focuses on natural and processed materials. Display word wall vocabulary and learning goals that the students will engage with throughout the unit to stimulate their learning. For examples of additional teaching resources to display in your classroom, browse the Material World collection on the Teach Starter website.
Many of the resources which accompany this unit plan will need to be prepared prior to teaching. For this reason, it is advised that teachers browse through all lessons before commencing the unit.
For some of the lessons in this unit, students explore materials at various stations. Additional adult supervision at some of these stations would be beneficial.
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