Material Science

  • Level: Foundation/Kinder to Year 3
  • Duration: 60 or 90 minutes (90 minutes recommended)
  • Numbers: Maximum of 30 students per workshop
  • State: VIC & NSW
  • Price
    60 min: $450
    90 min: $560

Travel surcharge also applies based on location
Prices exclude GST

Enquire now

"*" indicates required fields

Step 1 of 2

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
This field is hidden when viewing the form
Your Name*

Curriculum Links

Victoria New South Wales Australia

Students investigate the properties of materials by sorting, testing, and mixing them. They uncover physical and chemical changes, engineer material mixtures for specific purposes, and see materials transform before their eyes.

Activities

  • Small group classification of a range of materials according to their origin, and whether they are natural or processed.
  • Engaging teacher demonstration using a digital microscope to view images of materials on a big screen, gaining insight into their incredible structures.
  • Students test the physical properties of different materials.
  • Demonstration of the reversible changes involved in matter moving from one state to another.
  • Demonstration of the amazing properties of Nitinol memory wire.
  • Demonstration of a violent chemical reaction that produces heat and flames.

90 minute workshops also include the following activity:

  • Students build small structures from different materials and then test them to determine their suitability for building.

Learning Outcomes

  • Understand that ‘materials’ are the different substances that objects are made from.
  • Recognise that many natural materials are processed and changed by people so they can be used for specific purposes.
  • Identify that materials have different physical properties that make them suitable for different uses, such as being soft, shiny, flexible or transparent.
  • Explore how materials can be changed in both reversible and irreversible ways.
  • Understand that changes of state (such as melting and freezing) are reversible changes.
  • Recognise that chemical reactions are irreversible changes that produce new materials with different properties.
  • Observe that some chemical reactions are energetic and may produce heat, light or flames.

Victorian Curriculum Links

  • Objects can be made of one or more different materials; these materials have observable properties VC2S2U04
  • Materials can be combined in a variety of ways for particular purposes; the properties of objects and mixtures can differ from the properties of the materials from which they are made VC2S2U05
  • Materials can be changed physically by different actions without changing their material composition, including by bending, twisting, stretching, crushing, squashing and breaking into smaller pieces VC2S2U06
  • The properties of natural and made materials, including fibres, metals, glass and plastics, influence their use and re-use VC2S4U05
NSW Curriculum Links
  • Identifies that objects are made of materials that have observable properties (STe-4MW-ST)
  • Identifies that materials can be changed or combined (ST1-6MW-S)
  • Questions, plans and conducts scientific investigations, collects and summarises data and communicates using scientific representations (ST2-1WS-S)
  • Plans and uses materials, tools and equipment to develop solutions for a need or opportunity (ST3-2DP-T)
Australian Curriculum Links
  • Objects are made of materials that have observable properties (ACSSU003)
  • Everyday materials can be physically changed or combined with other materials for particular purposes (ACSSU018)
  • A change of state between solid and liquid can be caused by adding or removing heat (ACSSU046)
  • Changes to materials can be reversible or irreversible (ACSSU095)
  • Participate in guided investigations to explore and answer questions (ACSIS025)
  • With guidance, plan and conduct scientific investigations considering the safe use of appropriate materials and equipment (ACSIS065)