Matter’s Real Magic

Lesson 8 of 8: Reflection and Application: The Science of Matter

Year Level: 4
Duration: 60 minutes
Class Size: 25 students

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WALT (We Are Learning To)

• Reflect on our learning about matter, its properties, and uses.
• Understand how scientific knowledge about matter helps solve real-world problems.
• Create and present a project showing what we have learned about matter.

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Victorian Curriculum Links

Science Understanding

• AC9S4U04: Examine the properties of natural and made materials including fibres, metals, glass and plastics and consider how these properties influence their use.
• AC9S4H02: Consider how people use scientific explanations to meet a need or solve a problem.

Science Inquiry Skills

• AC9S4I02: Use provided scaffolds to plan and conduct investigations to answer questions or test predictions.
• AC9S3I06: Write and create texts to communicate findings and ideas for identified purposes and audiences, using scientific vocabulary and digital tools as appropriate.

General Capabilities

• Literacy: Use of scientific vocabulary and multimodal texts for communication.
• Critical and Creative Thinking: Reflecting on knowledge and making connections to real-world problems.
• Ethical Understanding: Encouraging values of Responsibility, Respect, and Honesty in scientific work.

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Success Criteria

• I can explain the properties of different materials and why they are useful.
• I can describe how science helps solve problems in real life.
• I can create a clear and creative project using scientific ideas.
• I show responsibility by working safely and respectfully with others.

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Resources Needed

• Student science journals or reflective worksheet
• Materials for final project creation (paper, cardboard, recycled materials, craft supplies)
• Presentation tools: poster boards, digital tablets/laptops (if available)
• Templates/scaffolds for planning investigations and project design
• Visual aids summarising material properties covered in the unit

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Lesson Breakdown

1. Introduction & Reflection (10 minutes)

• Begin with a circle discussion: “What have we learnt about matter in this unit?”
• Prompt reflection with questions:
  • What are some materials we studied?
  • What properties do these materials have?
  • How do these properties help us use materials in real life?
• Teacher shows short multimedia recap of key concepts (images or video of materials and their uses).
• Incorporate school values: Emphasise Respect for shared ideas, Responsibility in recognising how knowledge helps communities, and Honesty in sharing true meanings and questions.

2. Group Discussion: Solving Real-World Problems (10 minutes)

• Discuss examples of how understanding matter properties can solve problems, e.g., plastic recycling, clothing in different climates, building shelters.
• Students share examples from their own experience or things they want to investigate.
• Teacher notes ideas on a chart for later referencing during projects.

3. Project Planning (10 minutes)

• Introduce the final project: Students will create a presentation or model that shows what they have learned about matter and its applications to solve problems.
• Provide scaffolded templates to help plan their project:
  • What material/property will you focus on?
  • How can this knowledge solve a problem?
  • What materials will you use to show your idea?
• Differentiation:
  • Provide graphic organisers and dyslexia-friendly fonts for writing support.
  • Allow verbal planning or drawing for students who need it.

4. Project Creation (20 minutes)

• Students work in pairs or small groups to create their final product: poster, diorama, brochure, or simple digital slideshow.
• Encourage creative approaches: using recycled materials, drawings, labels, and scientific terms.
• Teacher circulates providing support, feedback and prompts to deepen scientific thinking.
• Advanced learners can include additional facts about particle theory or material sustainability.

5. Sharing & Reflection (10 minutes)

• Groups present their projects to the class.
• Classmates provide Respectful feedback focusing on what they learned and questions they still have.
• Wrap up by reiterating how science helps us solve problems in our communities and beyond.
• Teacher asks students to write or draw one new thing they learned about matter and how they can be responsible science learners.

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Differentiation Strategies

• Use multimodal resources (visual, oral, hands-on) to cater to diverse learning needs.
• Provide sentence starters and vocabulary lists for students needing literacy support.
• Encourage peer collaboration, allowing stronger readers or writers to work with students needing support.
• Allow varied project formats (oral, drawing, model, digital) for different learner strengths.

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Extension Activities

• Advanced students research and present how First Nations Australians use materials and their properties sustainably (linking to curriculum elaborations).
• Create a mini-science fair where students explain the material properties behind everyday products.
• Investigate a local environmental issue involving materials (e.g., plastic pollution) and propose solutions.

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Dyslexia-Friendly Reading Options

• Provide printed materials in clear, sans-serif fonts with spacing between lines and words.
• Use bullet points and simple sentences with bold keywords.
• Use images and labelled diagrams to support text comprehension.

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By concluding this unit with reflection, real-world application, and creative demonstrations, students will consolidate their scientific understanding of matter and appreciate its relevance to their lives and communities, fully aligned to the Victorian Curriculum for Year 4 Science. The lesson fosters the school’s core values by encouraging responsible, respectful, and honest scientific behaviours.