Timber Sleuth – Design and Technology

Subject: Technology

Strand: Design and Technologies

Sub-Strand: Knowledge and Understanding

Bands: Foundation to 2

Learning Resource Type: Interactive resource

 

 

Timber Sleuth!

Timber sleuth is an interactive application that can be found on the Apple App Store. This App transforms learning into a fun and easy educational form, suitable for independent or collaborative work, with plenty of room for extension!

In this App Students will identify a range of familiar items made from timber. Upon completion of each activity students will be provided with further information on the uses and types of timber used in the items they are selected. The App gives details on why such material has been used for the job and the properties of said material. within the App their are two settings,’Under construction’ and ‘Home sweet home’. Students can explore each setting zooming in or out, while selecting items to learn more about their materials and properties.

Content Descriptors

Design and Technology:

  • Explore the characteristics and properties of materials and components that are used to produce designed solutions (ACTDEK004)
  • Investigate the suitability of materials, systems, components, tools and equipment for a range of purposes (ACTDEK013)

Science:

  • Objects are made of materials that have observable properties (ACSSU003)
  • Different materials can be combined for a particular purpose (ACSSU031)
  • With guidance, plan and conduct scientific investigations to find answers to questions, considering the safe use of appropriate materials and equipment (ACSIS054)
  • Natural and processed materials have a range of physical properties that can influence their use (ACSSU074)

General Capabilities:

  • Literacy
  • Science
  • Personal and Social capability
  • Information and Communication Technology

Links and Further Reading

Timber Sleuth App

Scootle – Timber Sleuth

 

By Emily Richardson, 2017

 

Engineered structures – Material Testing

Engineered structures- Material Testing

Subject: Design and Technologies

Year level: Year 5-7

Strand: Knowledge and Understanding & Processes and Production Skills

Sub strand: Materials and technologies specialisations, Engineering principles and systems & Creating designed solutions

Cross curriculum priorities: Sustainability, Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders histories and culture. 

General capabilities:

  • Numeracy
  • Critical and creative thinking
  • Personal and social capability
  • Ethical understanding
  • Literacy

Links to other learning areas: English, Mathematics, Humanities and Science, art.

Link to resource: http://lrrpublic.cli.det.nsw.edu.au/lrrSecure/Sites/LRRView/6448/6448_00.htm?Signature=%28bdd3de96-97aa-4455-a684-9603dfc429cc%29

Direct link: http://lrrpublic.cli.det.nsw.edu.au/lrrSecure/Sites/LRRView/6448/applets/tensile_tester.htm

Resource:

Engineered structures- Material Testing has been created as a virtual tensile tester.  Students can drag a range of different materials into the virtual tensometer to determine the strength and properties of a material. Students are given the opportunity to put themselves in the shoes of a engineer and undergo test on material to fine materials with the properties best suited to the intended purpose.  An automatic graph is used to plot the load in comparison to the extension (mm). From here, students are required to use critical thinking skills to analyse data and make conclusions as to which materials would be best suited for particular purposes.

Instructions:

1. Select one of the four test specimens from the upper right corner.
2. Drag the specimen to the tensometer jaws.
3. When in position the jaws will close, locking the specimen in place.
4. Press the green Start test button to begin the test.
5. During the test a load/extension graph will be drawn.
6. A load will be applied until the specimen fails.
7. When the test is complete click on the print icon to print the graph.
8. Repeat the test for each test specimen.

 

BBC: Characteristics of Materials

Subject: Design and Technologies

Year Band: 3-4

Strand: Design and Technologies Knowledge and Understanding

Sub Strand: Technologies contexts – Materials and technologies specialisations

Content Descriptor: Investigate the suitability of materials, systems, components, tools and equipment for a range of purposes (ACTDEK013)

Link to resource: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/7_8/characteristics_materials.shtml

Cross curriculum priorities: Sustainability

General capabilities: Numeracy, Literacy, Critical and Creative Thinking, Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

Links to other areas: Science – Science Understanding – Chemical Sciences – Year 4: Natural and processed materials have a range of physical properties; These properties can influence their use (ACSSU074)

About this resource: The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) interactive activity Characteristics of Materials (2014) allows users to test six (animated) materials (metal, paper, fabric, rubber, glass and plastic) to find out if they are waterproof, flexible, transparent and strong. Following this, users visit the Workshop where they examine the blueprints for six objects: a car tyre, saucepan, towel, notebook, sports bottle and a window. For each object, students are given the choice of four materials from the six examined previously to make their item out of. They must consider the properties of each material and select the one that is the most appropriate for the purpose of the object.

How to use this resource: Once loaded, the activity opens up in the ‘Testing room’. Instructions are written across the top for the user to work through at their own pace; the orange speaker on the left can be pressed to hear the instructions read out. Students drag and drop the materials, located in the middle of the bottom purple band, into the testing machine; these can be scrolled through using the red arrows on either side of the image. Material properties can be tested by clicking on the four question boxes to see the animation. Selecting the magnifying glass will load a summary of each material, including answering the four property questions. Additional help can be gained from the orange Help button located in the bottom left of the screen.

Clicking the green ‘Workshop’ button on the right of the material box will take you to the blueprint testing area. Blueprints can be scrolled and selected similarly to the materials in the ‘Testing room’ and object materials chosen by clicking on one of the four boxes. An image of the object made from that material will then appear, along with an explanation as to why the material choice would or would not be appropriate; these can also be heard by pressing on the orange speaker button in the top left corner of the box.

This activity allows the user to switch between ‘rooms’ at their own pace and it does not need to be completed sequentially, allowing for easy access to revisit any areas or demonstrate use of it in the classroom.

A classroom activity using this resource: Students could explore this activity as a class, in small groups or independently, making predictions based on their prior knowledge before testing the different material properties. A simple grid could benefit students to record the test results, assisting them when later testing the blueprint materials; instant feedback is however provided for this. Following this activity, students could apply their knowledge of different materials to design objects for specific purposes.

Additional resources: http://interactivesites.weebly.com/matter-chemical–physical.html
Interactive Sites for Education (Ogen, 2013) is a website which has categorised links to a range of interactive activities from different websites for various learning areas. The URL above provides links to a variety of related interactive activities for different year groups, including identifying materials and changes in states.

Reference List:
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA]. (2015a). Design and technologies. Retrieved from http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/technologies/design-and-technologies/curriculum/f-10?layout=1
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA]. (2015b). Science. Retrieved from http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/science/curriculum/f-10?layout=1
British Broadcasting Corporation [BBC]. (2014). Schools science clip: Characteristics of materials. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/7_8/characteristics_materials.shtml
Ogen, K. (2013). Interactive sites for education: Matter chemical and physical changes. Retrieved from http://interactivesites.weebly.com/matter-chemical–physical.html