
Uses of Materials
Levels 3 and 4

NZC Achievement Objectives

Te Mātauranga o Aotearoa
Chemistry and Society: Relate the properties of a range of different materials to their technological uses and roles in natural processes.
Te Whakamahi Pūmatū: Ka whakahāngai i ngā āhuatanga ōkiko, kawekawe hoki o ētahi tūmomo matū ki te whakamahinga hangarau, ki te tukanga māori rānei.

Learning Intentions

Integration Ideas
Learning Intentions are from the Ministry of Education
Integration ideas are from the Ministry of Education
Level 3
Linking physical properties of materials to their uses.
Level 4
Explaining how the physical and simple chemical properties of everyday materials determine their uses.
Be able to extract the dyes from vegetables and use them to dye a variety of materials.
Social Sciences: How and why people view and use resources differently and the consequences of this eg. Environmental preservation versus logging or mining
The Arts (Visual Arts): Use flax-weaving processes and procedures to make an object.
Technology: Describe and identify the positive and negative effects of some instances of technologies on people’s lives and the environment eg. the effects of fast ferries on shorelines.

Related Topics
Resources

Build up your science with the “Architecture” show.
Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGNgqqRgR0w
Level
1-4
Type
Video
Architecture
Bill Nye The Science Guy
Build up your science with the “Architecture” show.
Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGNgqqRgR0w

Bicycles is the topic for this book because bikes are familiar to children from most cultures and also because they allow easy investigation into the concepts of levers, friction, and motion.
Level
3-4
Type
Activity Book
Bikes: Levers, Friction, and Motion
Ministry of Education NZ
Bicycles is the topic for this book because bikes are familiar to children from most cultures and also because they allow easy investigation into the concepts of levers, friction, and motion.

Bridges are so useful. People have been making them for thousands of years. It would be really good to have a bridge so I can keep my clean floor nice and clean :D But how do you make a really strong bridge?
Level
1-2
Type
Video
Bridges: How do you build a strong bridge?
Suzy's World
Bridges are so useful. People have been making them for thousands of years. It would be really good to have a bridge so I can keep my clean floor nice and clean :D But how do you make a really strong bridge?

Joe introduces you to a special word that will help you to build an awesome shelter to survive the night, and hopefully the rain! He has a little help from his friends "Survival Man" and Laura. These are great skills for taking into the outdoors on your next adventure.
Level
1-4
Type
Video
Build a Shelter
Whenua Iti Outdoors
Joe introduces you to a special word that will help you to build an awesome shelter to survive the night, and hopefully the rain! He has a little help from his friends "Survival Man" and Laura. These are great skills for taking into the outdoors on your next adventure.

Suzy loves her TurboSuzy 3000 Down Hill Racer! Except... that it only races down hill.... and it doesn't have a few important things. If only it worked like a car. But how does a car work?
Level
1-2
Type
Video
Cars: How do cars work?
Suzy's World
Suzy loves her TurboSuzy 3000 Down Hill Racer! Except... that it only races down hill.... and it doesn't have a few important things. If only it worked like a car. But how does a car work?

What a mess! Someone’s left out frozen milk, smeared melted chocolate around, spilt white crystals everywhere and what’s that smell? Investigate the elements of the mess scene and find out exactly what’s happening!
Level
3
Type
Unit
Change detectives
Primary Connections
What a mess! Someone’s left out frozen milk, smeared melted chocolate around, spilt white crystals everywhere and what’s that smell? Investigate the elements of the mess scene and find out exactly what’s happening!

What doesn’t breathe but can’t live without air, doesn’t drink but needs water near, never sleeps and won’t rest much, is stronger than steel, but crumbles at a touch?
Level
3
Type
Book
Connected 2013 Level 3: ‘Fast Rust’
Ministry of Education NZ
What doesn’t breathe but can’t live without air, doesn’t drink but needs water near, never sleeps and won’t rest much, is stronger than steel, but crumbles at a touch?

A class arrives at school to find their room transformed into a laboratory and their teacher transformed into an animal dental hygiene scientist. The zoo asks them to invent a recipe for elephant toothpaste.
Level
3
Type
Book
Connected 2014 Level 3: ‘Elephant Toothpaste’
Ministry of Education NZ
A class arrives at school to find their room transformed into a laboratory and their teacher transformed into an animal dental hygiene scientist. The zoo asks them to invent a recipe for elephant toothpaste.

Te Papa conservator Rangi Te Kanawa uses her knowledge of traditional dyeing practices, science, and scientific experimentation to preserve fibres in textiles that have been dyed using iron-tannate black dyes.
Level
4
Type
Book
Connected 2014 Level 4: ‘Black is Back’
Ministry of Education NZ
Te Papa conservator Rangi Te Kanawa uses her knowledge of traditional dyeing practices, science, and scientific experimentation to preserve fibres in textiles that have been dyed using iron-tannate black dyes.

Māori use kawakawa as rongoā (traditional medicine). But when scientists tested the kawakawa leaves they said there was no scientific evidence to support the plant’s medicinal properties. Chris Ryan took a closer look at the scientists’ investigations and noticed that they had not used traditional methods to prepare the kawakawa. He wondered if this might have affected their results. So Chris decided to carry out his own investigation.
Level
3
Type
Book
Connected 2015 Level 3: ‘The Science of Rongoā’
Ministry of Education NZ
Māori use kawakawa as rongoā (traditional medicine). But when scientists tested the kawakawa leaves they said there was no scientific evidence to support the plant’s medicinal properties. Chris Ryan took a closer look at the scientists’ investigations and noticed that they had not used traditional methods to prepare the kawakawa. He wondered if this might have affected their results. So Chris decided to carry out his own investigation.

Ms Maxwell sends her class on a treasure hunt. The students must use their prior knowledge of the electromagnetic spectrum to find out how different types of energy can be used in their everyday lives.
Level
3
Type
Book
Connected 2016 Level 3: ‘Over the Rainbow’
Ministry of Education NZ
Ms Maxwell sends her class on a treasure hunt. The students must use their prior knowledge of the electromagnetic spectrum to find out how different types of energy can be used in their everyday lives.

Investigate energy, how it is created and how it is transferred and transformed and foil the evil plans of Professor Pitch Black and her sidekick Short Circuit!
Level
3
Type
Unit
Essential Energy
Primary Connections
Investigate energy, how it is created and how it is transferred and transformed and foil the evil plans of Professor Pitch Black and her sidekick Short Circuit!

This book provides rich opportunities for children to carry out scientific investigations into fabrics in order to clarify and expand their conceptions about them. The topic of fabrics integrates with the technology and social studies curricula.
Level
1-4
Type
Activity Book
Fabrics: Origins, Properties, and Uses
Ministry of Education NZ
This book provides rich opportunities for children to carry out scientific investigations into fabrics in order to clarify and expand their conceptions about them. The topic of fabrics integrates with the technology and social studies curricula.

The complexity of this investigation encourages students to begin to think critically about the design and results of the investigation.
Level
4-5
Type
Activity
Factors affecting ball bounce
Ministry of Education NZ
The complexity of this investigation encourages students to begin to think critically about the design and results of the investigation.

Hold it right there, buddy – it’s the “Forensics” show
Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dP3xuHnbXM4
Level
1-4
Type
Video
Forensics
Bill Nye The Science Guy
Hold it right there, buddy – it’s the “Forensics” show
Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dP3xuHnbXM4

Teach students about concepts such as air pressure and static electricity with the help of some fun balloon demonstrations and activities.
Level
1-4
Type
Activity
Fun with Balloons
Science Kids
Teach students about concepts such as air pressure and static electricity with the help of some fun balloon demonstrations and activities.

It’s time to talk trash with Bill Nye the Science Guy.
Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELDw2kjr1J4
Level
1-4
Type
Video
Garbage
Bill Nye The Science Guy
It’s time to talk trash with Bill Nye the Science Guy.
Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELDw2kjr1J4

Welcome to the final challenge for our Go Wild at home programme! Remember to send us any photos or videos as we'd love to see how you got on.
Level
1-4
Type
Video
Go Wild Knot Skills
Whenua Iti Outdoors
Welcome to the final challenge for our Go Wild at home programme! Remember to send us any photos or videos as we'd love to see how you got on.

While investigating heat transfer by conduction, students will make decisions about appropriate approaches and methods for gathering specific information.
Level
3-4
Type
Activity
Investigating heat transfer by conduction
Ministry of Education NZ
While investigating heat transfer by conduction, students will make decisions about appropriate approaches and methods for gathering specific information.

What are some of the things that affect how fast your drinks go cold? Do some research with water, milk and a thermometer to find out.
Level
1-4
Type
Experiment
Keeping Drinks Hot
Science Kids
What are some of the things that affect how fast your drinks go cold? Do some research with water, milk and a thermometer to find out.

Lordy! Suzy's having trouble lifting a special delivery. What can she use to help her move it? It's a problem that Suzy just wont "lever" alone! Oh, there's a thought - she could use a lever! The only thing she needs to ask first is... "What's a lever?"
Level
1-2
Type
Video
Lever: What is a lever?
Suzy's World
Lordy! Suzy's having trouble lifting a special delivery. What can she use to help her move it? It's a problem that Suzy just wont "lever" alone! Oh, there's a thought - she could use a lever! The only thing she needs to ask first is... "What's a lever?"