Year 4

Package it better

Everyday, more and more packages are being sent around the world. In the context of design, explore the properties of materials that make them suitable for packaging, and construct a package strong enough to protect a fragile gift.

Package it better addresses AC Science Understanding ACSSU074 Natural and processed materials have a range of physical properties that can influence their use, through the context of designing and making packaging strong enough to protect a fragile parcel.

Explore our new sequences for Year 4 aligned to AC V9

Package it better provides students with hands-on opportunities to:

  • explore the properties of materials used in packaging
  • discuss the environmental impacts of packaging materials
  • investigate the capacity of different materials to protect food from impact
  • investigate how the shape of paper impacts its strength

Students apply their new learning by:

  • design, make and evaluate an effective package that will protect a fragile parcel during the delivery process

Linking science with literacy

In the Primary Connections approach, students are supported to create representations that draw on and strengthen their literacy development. In Package it better, students represent and explain their understanding about how natural and processed materials have a range of physical properties that can influence their use, by creating these representations:

  • Design portfolio
  • Interview
  • Oral presentation
  • Procedural text
  • Summary
  • Data table
  • Word wall

This is a classic Primary Connections sequence aligned with the Australian Curriculum V8.4. It is only available as a downloadable package.

The Package it better sequence package includes all the resources you need to teach this sequence, including:

  • The Package it better unit PDF
  • Equipment list
  • Australian Curriculum v8.4 alignment
  • Student eResource sheets
  • Assessment resources:
    • Assessment rubrics
    • Work samples
    • Student self-assessment
    • Achievement standard class checklist

Teacher tools