Activities for year 7 Science
Activity 2: Designer for a Day
Description:
Students are organised into groups and given a design brief and specific role within their team. Teams then must decide whether their brief is best solved by using a solid, liquid or gas and justify their reasoning.
Learning Intention:
Development of teamwork skills
Understand that science has practical applications and requires teamwork
Curriculum Link:
Victorian Curriculum: 7-8
The properties of the different states of matter can be explained in terms of the motion and arrangement of particles (VCSSU096)
-
modelling the arrangement of particles in solids, liquids and gases
-
using the particle model to distinguish between the properties of liquid water, ice and steam
Directions:
Split students into teams of 4-5 and provide each team with a design brief and set of role cards. We recommend cutting out individual role cards for students if you have the time, as it will give them a sense of agency and accountability within their group and avoid having one member dominate everything. You can either delegate roles yourself, or let students choose. Each design brief has a mock up scenario and asks students to decide on the best state to administer their product. Students should attempt to center their thinking around the information from their role and come up with reasons to use a particular state. This can be done as a short research task, or a brainstorm of ideas within the group.
​
If stuck for ideas, students could consider: Ease of use, transportation or ethics
​
Teams should then present their scenario, decisions and justifications to the class.