Package Creator – Lesson 2: Exploring Materials
For my 5-lesson sequence, I chose to integrate The Australian Technologies Curriculum and Australian Science Curriculum, as there are significant similarities. Parts of my lessons have been based around lessons in the Primary Connections “Package it Better” Australian Curriculum aligned book for Year 4 Chemical Sciences, as seen below.
5-Lesson Sequence Blurb:
In this 5-Lesson Sequence, students have been focussing on packaging and in particular how to package a fragile item to ensure that it would remain safe and unbroken when being transported in the post.
Part of the lessons include exploring the properties of a range of materials, exploring shapes and their uses within real life contexts. The students will use the knowledge built during these lessons to plan, produce and evaluate a package of their own creation.
Lesson 2 Background Information:
In the lesson prior to the one detailed in the Mind Map below, the students were introduced to the topic/theme for the next 5 weeks, where a sample package was deconstructed to hook them in and give them an example of what they will be creating. A class discussion was held, that allowed students to relate this task to real life and how posting fragile items is a part of life and we need to be able to do so to ensure safe arrival.
From this, as a class a “Design Brief” for the packages the students would be creating was formed, which included the following:
- The package will be of a suitable size to hold the item
- Be able to protect the gift from breaking.
- Low cost
- Environmentally friendly
- Aesthetically pleasing (Look good)
- Waterproof
As a class we then came up with a list of materials that we could possibly make the packages out of, that could be then narrowed down to match the design brief leaving the following:
- Paper
- Cardboard
- Paper Straws
- Plastic Straws
- Fabric
- Plastic
- Polystyrene
- Pop Sticks
- Masking Tape
To conclude the lesson, students were given time to have a think about possible ideas they had for their packages, before sharing this with a partner. We then had a whole class discussion to allow students to share their ideas with the class and give students who were not sure about possible ideas some ideas to spark their creativity.
Please have a look at the Mind Map in the link below to see the following for this lesson:
- Links to the Australian Curriculum
- Prior knowledge of students
- Learning that will occur during this lesson
- Further learning that will occur
- Preparation and resources required for this lesson
- The Learning Activities of the lesson (lesson structure)
- Focus questions for this lesson
- Assessment in this lesson
- Possible diversity requirements
Click Here to See Lesson 2: Exploring Materials Mind Map
Proven to Work!
Having used this 5-Lesson Sequence with a group of Year 4’s during my ATP, it is proven to engage all students and produce some fantastic results within the Australian Technologies and Science Curriculums.
Please find some pictures of the final experiment of the student’s packages being dropped from a height of 2 metres below.