Young Explorers: Discovering Our World · 1st Year

Active learning ideas

Testing Material Strength and Flexibility

Active, hands-on testing helps students connect abstract properties like strength and flexibility to real materials they encounter daily. When students physically test and compare materials, they build durable understanding that can’t be formed from diagrams alone.

• NCCA Curriculum Specifications
• NCCA: Primary - Materials
• NCCA: Primary - Properties and Characteristics

• 25–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Experiential Learning
• 30 min · Pairs

Weight Test Challenge: Paper vs Wood

Cut identical strips of paper and thin wood. Students add small weights like coins one by one until breaking, then record the number held. Pairs discuss and compare results on a class chart.

Compare the strength of paper to that of wood.

Facilitation Tip

For the Weight Test Challenge, remind students to add weights slowly to avoid sudden tearing and to record the exact number of weights before failure for accurate comparison.

What to look for

Provide students with a small sample of a new material. Ask them to write one sentence predicting if it is more likely to tear or snap when a force is applied and one sentence explaining their prediction based on its appearance.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Experiential Learning
• 35 min · Small Groups

Bend and Snap Stations: Flexibility Circuit

Set up stations with materials like straws, foil, and card. Students bend each gently, note if it returns to shape or breaks, and draw observations. Groups rotate every 5 minutes.

Predict which material would be best for building a strong bridge.

Facilitation Tip

At Bend and Snap Stations, have students rotate roles so everyone handles the materials and observes the bending process from different angles.

What to look for

After testing, ask students: 'Imagine you are building a seesaw. Which material would you use for the plank and why? Which material would be better for the supports and why?' Encourage them to use the terms 'strength' and 'flexibility' in their answers.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 03

• Experiential Learning
• 45 min · Small Groups

Bridge Prediction Build: Material Match

Show bridge images, have students predict best material, then test by building simple spans with paper, sticks, and tape. Add weights to see collapse points and justify choices.

Justify why some materials bend easily while others break.

Facilitation Tip

During Bridge Prediction Build, encourage students to sketch their bridge design before testing and label which materials they chose for each part.

What to look for

Observe students as they conduct their tests. Ask: 'What are you doing to test the material's strength?' or 'How can you tell if this material is flexible?' Note their use of scientific vocabulary and their ability to follow experimental steps.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 04

• Experiential Learning
• 25 min · Whole Class

Material Strength Sort: Prediction Game

Display materials; students predict and vote on strongest/flexiblest. Test predictions with group pulls or bends, then resorted based on evidence.

Compare the strength of paper to that of wood.

Facilitation Tip

In the Material Strength Sort, ask students to explain their choices aloud before moving objects, using the terms 'strength' and 'flexibility' in their reasoning.

What to look for

Provide students with a small sample of a new material. Ask them to write one sentence predicting if it is more likely to tear or snap when a force is applied and one sentence explaining their prediction based on its appearance.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should model curiosity by asking open-ended questions during testing, such as 'What do you notice about how this material is reacting?' Avoid rushing to conclusions. Research shows that when students articulate their predictions before testing, their misconceptions are more likely to be resolved through evidence. Use small-group discussions to let students test their ideas against peers’ observations.

Students will confidently explain why materials behave differently under force and will use vocabulary like 'tear,' 'snap,' and 'bend' accurately when describing their observations. They’ll apply these ideas to solve simple engineering challenges.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Bend and Snap Stations, watch for students who assume a material is 'broken' if it bends even slightly.

  Use the rubber band and brittle stick examples at the stations. Ask students to gently bend both and discuss whether the rubber band has failed or adapted, while the stick shows clear signs of breaking.

• During Material Strength Sort, watch for students who assume paper is always weaker than wood based on visual thickness.

  Have students test folded paper strips against thin wood shavings in the Weight Test Challenge. Ask them to explain why the paper, though thinner, sometimes holds more weight when reinforced.

• During Weight Test Challenge, watch for students who equate the number of weights held with overall strength without considering material density or shape.

  After testing, hold up a lightweight foam block and a small metal bolt. Ask students to predict which would hold more weight when placed on a thin paper bridge, then test to reveal that density does not always predict performance.

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Methods used in this brief

• Experiential Learning