Task 1
Choose three classroom or home objects. For each, name the object and the material or materials it contains. Group them by shared materials. Use labels or adult help when uncertain.
AC9S4U04 • Homework
Natural and Made Materials: Properties and Uses worksheet
Complete eight written and practical tasks. An adult reviews your actual work using the guidance below.
Open practiceEight written and practical tasks
Use separate paper for drawings and records. Work with an adult for material tests and research. Use labelled photographs if physical observation is not possible.
Task 2
Draw a backpack, shoe or similar object. Label at least three parts and their materials. Explain how a property of each material helps that part do its job.
Task 3
Compare a labelled cloth sample and a plastic sample. Describe flexibility, whether you can see clearly through them, and one other observable property. Do not taste, heat, cut or break materials.
Task 4
With an adult, compare water passing through two equal-sized, single-layer fabric samples over a tray. Use the same number and size of water drops and the same waiting time. Record what happens underneath, repeat, and state which resisted passage better in your test.
Task 5
Read the short Yir Yoront lawyer-cane example in the Topic Guide with an adult. Explain how two material properties help the shelter ties work. Name the People and source.
Task 6
Design and build a miniature shade roof for a paper figure using safe clean scraps. State that it must stand unsupported and cast shade over the figure. Draw a labelled material plan, then test in daylight without looking at the Sun. Record whether each requirement is met.
Task 7
Use your model roof from Task 6. Identify one observed weakness, change one feature to address it and repeat the same test. Draw or photograph before and after, and explain what changed in the evidence.
Task 8
With an adult, choose two clean packaging items. Record their materials and check current local collection or packaging instructions. Then propose a reusable alternative to one single-use item, giving one benefit and one limitation.
Answers and adult review checks
Task 1
Answer: Examples vary: a steel spoon and a chair with a steel frame share metal; a cotton shirt contains fibre; a chair may also contain plastic.
Inspect three actual records, correct object/material distinction and at least one shared-material grouping. Accept uncertainty supported by a plan to check a label.
Task 2
Answer: A backpack may use strong fabric for its body, soft foam for cushioning and a metal zip slider for fastening.
Check an actual labelled drawing with three part/material/property links. Accept alternatives supported by observation; do not assume all examples use identical materials.
Task 3
Answer: Descriptions depend on samples. Flexible bends easily; transparent permits a clear view, translucent passes light without clear detail, opaque blocks light.
Inspect the actual comparison or adult-provided photographs and sample labels. Require observations rather than blanket claims about every plastic or fabric.
Task 4
Answer: The sample leaving the underside drier under the same conditions better resisted water passage in that comparison.
Check recorded conditions, observations from repeated comparisons and a conclusion limited to these samples. Absorption alone is not the same as water reaching underneath; use small amounts of room-temperature water.
Task 5
Answer: ACARA describes Yir Yoront Peoples using strong, flexible lawyer cane to tie shelter roofing. Strength helps hold parts together; flexibility allows bending around them.
Require both property-to-purpose explanations and attribution to Yir Yoront Peoples and ACARA. Do not require making a cultural object or gathering plants; explain that practices vary across communities.
Task 6
Answer: Accept different workable designs. Supports need enough stiffness; a roof needs to block enough light and cover the figure while the structure stands.
Inspect the actual plan/model or photographs and two recorded outcomes. Adult supervision; no hot lamps, sharp tools or glass. Material choice must be linked to the stated requirements.
Task 7
Answer: Examples: widen a base to improve stability or enlarge/reposition an opaque roof to improve shade. Improvement must be checked, not assumed.
Inspect actual before/after evidence, a stated problem, relevant revision and comparable test. Accept a revision that fails if evidence is recorded honestly and a sensible next step is suggested.
Task 8
Answer: Answers vary by item and location. Reuse can reduce the number of one-use items discarded; cleaning, durability and eventual disposal still matter.
Check exact item/materials, named current council or packaging source and a suitable alternative with benefit and limitation. Do not place items in a bin solely because of a plastic number or the word recyclable.