Plastics Playtime
Children test and classify plastics before investigating their thermal insulation and shock resistance properties. The children then design, make and test a package for a fragile object, using plastics and other materials.
Download the full resource:
, 3,634kb)
Sorting plastics items: How many things?
Science topic: Materials
Type of enquiry: Grouping and classifying
Keywords: materials, properties, plastic, observe, sort, group, compare, everyday materials
A collection of everyday items made from plastics will provide the focus for this activity. Children sort the items using given criteria or properties they have chosen themselves, giving reasons for their choices.
Home survey of items made from plastics
Science topic: Materials
Type of enquiry: Grouping and classifying
Keywords: materials, properties, plastic, survey, observe, sort, group, compare, everyday materials
Children could carry out a survey to list as many plastics items as possible found at home, school and outside. The information could be collated on a large table of results and used for further discussion of similarities and differences in use.
Will it float?
Science topic: Materials
Type of enquiry: Grouping and classifying
Keywords: plastic, float, sink, properties, PVC, polythene, polystyrene, expanded polystyrene, materials
Children investigate and identify four unknown plastics by testing samples for their floating or sinking properties.
Will it crease?
Science topic: Materials
Type of enquiry: Grouping and classifying
Keywords: plastic, properties, crease, stress whitening, PVC, polythene, polystyrene, expanded polystyrene, materials
Children test the flexibility of four unknown plastic samples and complete their identification by devising and using a simple classification key.
Keeping things warm or cold
Science topic: Materials
Type of enquiry: Grouping and classifying
Keywords: plastic, materials, properties, thermal insulator, thermal conductor, temperature, thermometer, measure, heating, cooling, fair test, variables, observe, measure, metal, insulator, conductor, thermal, heat
Children set up their own investigation to compare the thermal insulating properties of polystyrene, expanded polystyrene and metal.
A fragile parcel
Science topic: Materials
Type of enquiry: Comparative/fair tests
Keywords: plastic, materials, packaging, shock absorbing, fair test, variables, observe, measure, properties, hardness
Children devise their own investigations to observe and measure the shock-absorbing properties of a variety of materials used in packaging.
Egg-spress Delivery
Science topic: Materials
Type of enquiry: Problem solving
Keywords: plastic, materials, packaging, shock absorbing, fragile, protection, mass, cost, entrepreneur, properties, hardness
Children are challenged to this mini-enterprise activity to design packaging that will protect a fragile product.
How does polystyrene expand?
Science topic: Materials
Type of enquiry: Observing changes over time
Keywords: polystyrene, expanded polystyrene, observe, change, irreversible, permanent, heat, expand, compress, sphere, properties, plastic
Children get innovative by designing and making a toy or game using expanded polystyrene spheres
Partners
The unit was funded by BASF plc.