'Packaging pioneers' is one of our new teaching sequences for AC V9
- On the 'Sequence overview' tab you'll find all the lessons in this sequence and curriculum alignment.
- The 'Our design decisions' tab shows how key scientific ideas develop over the sequence, and shows how the sequence addresses curriculum achievement standards.
- The 'Preparing for this sequence' tab guides you through important information and considerations for this sequence.
- Have you taught this sequence? Use the Feedback button to let us know how it went!
Launch
Lesson 1 • Pack it up
Students explore food packaging materials and their suitability for different purposes. They are introduced to the idea of designing a food packaging solution and are given opportunity to ask questions about materials and the design challenge.
Inquire
Lesson 2 • Testing, testing
Students test food packaging and storage materials, identifying the properties of the materials that make them suitable for their intended use.
Lesson 3 • Full steam ahead
Students consider how and why food packaging has changed over time. They investigate the tensile strength of paper, a common type of packaging.
Lesson 4 • Keep it cool
Students conduct an investigation into why thermal insulation is needed and which materials provide the best thermal insulation.
Lesson 5 • Combining materials
Students investigate how the properties of fabric can be modified by combining it with other materials.
Lesson 6 • Can we make an environmentally friendly plastic?
Students consider environmental sustainability by making/manipulating bioplastics. They then explore the properties of bioplastics.
Act
Lesson 7 • Designing a food packaging solution
In this lesson students consolidate their learning by designing packaging to carry different types of food, considering the properties that are required by each food type.
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Curriculum and syllabus alignment
Year 4
By the end of Year 4 students relate the uses of materials to their properties. They explain the role of data in science inquiry. They identify solutions based on scientific explanations and describe the needs these meet.
Students pose questions to identify patterns and relationships and make predictions based on observations. They plan investigations using planning scaffolds, identify key elements of fair tests and describe how they conduct investigations safely. They use simple procedures to make accurate formal measurements. They construct representations to organise data and information and identify patterns and relationships. They compare their findings with those of others, assess the fairness of their investigation, identify further questions for investigation and draw conclusions. They communicate ideas and findings for an identified audience and purpose, including using scientific vocabulary when appropriate.
Science as a human endeavour
Science understanding
Examine the properties of natural and made materials including fibres, metals, glass and plastics and consider how these properties influence their use
Science inquiry
Pose questions to explore observed patterns and relationships and make predictions based on observations
Use provided scaffolds to plan and conduct investigations to answer questions or test predictions, including identifying the elements of fair tests, and considering the safe use of materials and equipment
Follow procedures to make and record observations, including making formal measurements using familiar scaled instruments and using digital tools as appropriate
Construct and use representations, including tables, simple column graphs and visual or physical models, to organise data and information, show simple relationships and identify patterns
Compare findings with those of others, consider if investigations were fair, identify questions for further investigation and draw conclusions
Write and create texts to communicate findings and ideas for identified purposes and audiences, using scientific vocabulary and digital tools as appropriate
Australian curriculum content links
| Science understanding core concept: The chemical and physical properties of substances are determined by their structure at a range of scales. |
| Sub-strand | Content descriptor | AC code | Achievement standard | How the sequence addresses this content |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SHE: Nature and development of science | Examine how people use data to develop scientific explanations. | AC9S4H01 | Explain the role of data in science inquiry. | Use data about materials to develop scientific explanations about thermal insulators. (Lesson 4) |
| SHE: Use and influence of science | Consider how people use scientific explanations to meet a need or solve a problem. | AC9S4H02 | Identify solutions based on scientific explanations and describe the needs these meet. | Explore how knowledge of the properties of materials has influenced people to change how they design, make, use and dispose of packaging products (Lessons 2-7) |
| SU: Chemical Sciences | Examine the properties of natural and made materials including fibres, metals, glass and plastics and consider how these properties influence their use. | AC9S4U04 | Relate the uses of materials to their properties. | Investigate a variety of natural and man-made materials, identifying their properties and subsequent use. (Lessons 1-7) |
| SI: Questioning and predicting | Pose questions to explore observed patterns and relationships and make predictions based on observations. | AC9S4101 | Pose questions to identify patterns and relationships and make predictions based on observations. | Construct investigation questions to test the properties of different materials. (Lessons 3-6) |
| SI: Planning and conducting | Use provided scaffolds to plan and conduct investigations to answer questions or test predictions, including identifying the elements of fair tests, and considering the safe use of materials and equipment. | AC9S4I02 | Plan investigations using planning scaffolds, identify key elements of fair tests and describe how they conduct investigations safely. | Use an investigation scaffold to design a fair test to identify the properties of different materials. (Lessons 3-6) |
| SI: Planning and Conducting | Follow procedures to make and record observations, including making formal measurements using familiar scaled instruments and using digital tools as appropriate. | AC9S4I03 | Use simple procedures to make accurate formal measurements. | Use appropriate equipment to make and record observations, such as digital cameras, video, voice recorders and familiar scaled instruments with appropriate increments. (Lessons 3-6) Construct tables or graphic organisers to record observations. (Lessons 3-6) |
| SI: Processing, modelling and analysing | Construct and use representations, including tables, simple column graphs and visual or physical models, to organise data and information, show simple relationships and identify patterns. | AC9S4I04 | Construct representations to organise data and information and identify patterns and relationships. | Construct column graphs to compare the types of materials used for lunch snacks, identifying patterns in why different materials are being used. Organise data from an investigation to identify the best material for a particular use. (Lessons 3-6)
|
| SI: Evaluating | Compare findings with those of others, consider if investigations were fair, identify questions for further investigation and draw conclusions. | AC9S4I05
| Compare their findings with those of others, assess the fairness of their investigation, identify further questions for investigation and draw conclusions. | Compare designed solutions of fish and chip packaging to determine fitness for purpose of selected materials. (Lesson 2) Compare findings from tensile strength investigations with peers from different groups. (Lesson 3) Identify unexpected findings and posing questions for further investigation. (Lesson 6) Drawing conclusions that reflect their data and information. (Lessons 3-6) Engage in self and peer-assessment, comparing their food packaging solution to determined design criteria. (Lesson 7) |
| SI: Communicating | Write and create texts to communicate findings and ideas for identified purposes and audiences, using scientific vocabulary and digital tools as appropriate. | AC9S4I06
| Communicate ideas and findings for an identified audience and purpose, including using scientific vocabulary when appropriate. | Design a prototype and use scientific vocabulary to explain which materials are best suited to be used for making packaging various types of food. (Lesson 7) Creating persuasive presentations to share why their food packaging solutions should be produced. (Lesson 7) |
Science journals
Create a class science journal, either in hard-copy or digitally. You might:
- use/create a large scrap book or flip chart.
- use poster/butchers’ paper so learning can be displayed in sequence on the wall.
- create a digital journal using your platform/technology of choice.
- any combination of the above.
Plan for students’ creation of an individual science journal, either in hard-copy or digitally. They might:
- use an exercise book, scrap book or flip chart to record their thinking and gather resource sheets together.
- use a folder to store and collate resource sheets, diagrams, photographs etc.
- use a digital folder to store work samples, images and videos.
- any combination of the above.
See Using a science journal throughout inquiry for more detailed information on the importance of science journals.
General preparation
- Read through the teaching sequence.
- Note any adaptations you would like to make to suit your school’s and students’ context.
- Prepare demonstration copies of Resource sheets as required.
Selecting a specific context
At the end of the sequence, students will apply what they have learned about materials and their uses to design a ‘food packaging solution’. They will be required to select materials so that all different types of food—wet, dry, cold, and hot—can be transported and stored for a specific purpose. You should select a purpose relevant to your students and context. For example: transporting and storing student lunches, food for a school event such as a fete or cultural day, or for a sports carnival or picnic.
The materials required for each lesson are listed on the lesson's page. For the full sequence resource list, download the Preparing to teach this sequence document below.
'Packaging pioneers' is one of our new teaching sequences for AC V9
- On the 'Sequence overview' tab you'll find all the lessons in this sequence and curriculum alignment.
- The 'Our design decisions' tab shows how key scientific ideas develop over the sequence, and shows how the sequence addresses curriculum achievement standards.
- The 'Preparing for this sequence' tab guides you through important information and considerations for this sequence.
- Have you taught this sequence? Use the Feedback button to let us know how it went!