Science · Year 1

Active learning ideas

Testing Material Strength and Durability

Active testing lets students feel the difference between materials firsthand, building foundational science skills through concrete comparisons. When learners pull, bend, and drop everyday items, they connect abstract ideas like strength and durability to real experiences they can recall later.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9S1U03
• AC9S1I03

• 20–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Plan-Do-Review
• 30 min · Small Groups

Small Groups: Tear and Pull Test

Provide strips of paper, plastic, and wood. Students pull each until it breaks or stretches, then measure length before failure and record in a class chart. Groups discuss which material resisted most and why.

Compare the strength of paper, plastic, and wood.

Facilitation Tip

During the Tear and Pull Test, remind each group to hold materials at the same starting point to keep pulls fair.

What to look for

Provide students with three small samples: paper, plastic, and wood. Ask them to write one sentence describing which material felt strongest when they pulled it and why.

• Remember
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Decision-Making
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Plan-Do-Review
• 45 min · Pairs

Pairs: Tower Strength Challenge

Pairs build mini-towers using sticks of different materials and tape. Add weights one by one until collapse, then compare heights and materials used. Pairs present best design to class.

Evaluate which material would be best for building a strong tower.

Facilitation Tip

For the Tower Strength Challenge, encourage pairs to build at least three different versions before deciding on the strongest.

What to look for

Ask students: 'Imagine you are building a bridge for toy cars. Based on our tests, which material would you choose for the bridge deck and why? What might happen if you chose the weakest material?'

• Remember
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Decision-Making
• Self-Awareness

Activity 03

• Plan-Do-Review
• 25 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Drop Test Demo

Lay material sheets flat and drop balls from fixed height. Class observes dents or breaks, votes on strongest, and predicts next test. Record results on shared board.

Predict what would happen if we tried to build a chair out of paper.

Facilitation Tip

During the Drop Test Demo, walk slowly around the circle so every student sees the outcome from the same angle.

What to look for

During the testing activity, circulate and ask individual students: 'What are you doing to test the strength of this material?' and 'What did you observe when you bent the paper?'

• Remember
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Decision-Making
• Self-Awareness

Activity 04

• Plan-Do-Review
• 20 min · Individual

Individual: Bend Prediction Sheet

Students draw materials, predict bend results, then test with hands or rulers. Mark yes/no on sheet and share one surprise with partner.

Compare the strength of paper, plastic, and wood.

Facilitation Tip

Hand out the Bend Prediction Sheet only after students have handled the materials, so predictions are based on touch not guesswork.

What to look for

Provide students with three small samples: paper, plastic, and wood. Ask them to write one sentence describing which material felt strongest when they pulled it and why.

• Remember
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Decision-Making
• Self-Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers approach this topic by making the abstract tangible—students need to see, feel, and record before drawing conclusions. Avoid telling them which material is strongest; instead, structure comparisons so they discover patterns themselves. Research shows hands-on inquiry at this age builds both content knowledge and confidence in scientific thinking.

By the end of these activities, students will describe how materials behave under force, explain why some materials perform better than others in context, and use simple data to support their ideas. They’ll also practice fair testing, prediction, and clear communication of observations.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Tear and Pull Test, watch for students who assume thicker samples are always stronger.

  Give each group a thin strip of wood and a thick piece of paper to pull side by side. Ask them to compare how each tears and record which held more force before failing.

• During Drop Test Demo, watch for students who judge strength by appearance, calling shiny plastic the strongest.

  Provide plastic, paper, and wood samples that look similar in color or texture so appearance doesn’t mislead. After the drop, ask groups to describe how each material reacted differently.

• During Tower Strength Challenge, watch for students who think all materials fail in the same way.

  Have pairs test a paper tower, a plastic tower, and a wood tower in the same way. Ask them to describe how each collapses—does it bend, snap, or fold—and record that difference on a shared chart.

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Methods used in this brief

• Plan-Do-Review