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Lesson 7 of 8
  • Year 6

Ole Kirk Kristiansen and polymers

I can understand how injection moulding is used to form polymer products.

Lesson 7 of 8
New
New
  • Year 6

Ole Kirk Kristiansen and polymers

I can understand how injection moulding is used to form polymer products.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Ole Kirk Kristiansen started making wooden toys which became LEGO bricks.
  2. Plastics are known as polymers.
  3. The term polymer is more scientifically accurate when talking about materials.
  4. Polymers can be reformed using injection moulding to create products.

Keywords

  • Polymers - natural or man-made materials that include plastics

  • Injection moulding - a method of shaping plastic

  • Liquid - a material that can flow and take the shape of its container

Common misconception

Polymers (plastics) are always in a solid state.

Polymers (plastics) can be heated to a liquid state, as in the process of injection moulding.


To help you plan your year 6 design and technology lesson on: Ole Kirk Kristiansen and polymers, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

As an additinal activity, invite pupils to look around the classroom for objects that may have been made using injection moulding.
Teacher tip

Equipment

An assortment of polymer building bricks of different shapes and sizes.

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

Download quiz pdf

6 Questions

Q1.
Identify the products made out of plastic.

Correct answer: baby spoon
dining chair
scissors
Correct answer: building blocks

Q2.
What is the name of the famous toy company that make building bricks that fit together?

Correct Answer: Lego

Q3.
Where do most plastics come from?

Correct answer: natural gas and oil
plants and trees
recycled products

Q4.
Natural gas and oil are also known as __________ fuels

Correct answer: fossil
old
underground
petrol

Q5.
What are the main concerns with using fossil fuels?

Correct answer: global warming
they will last forever
Correct answer: air pollution
They are cheap
Correct answer: climate change

Q6.
What is one advantage of using plastics for certain products.

An image in a quiz
Correct answer: They can be recycled.
They are cheap.
They break down easily after use.

Assessment exit quiz

Download quiz pdf

4 Questions

Q1.
In which country did Lego originate?

Correct Answer: Denmark

Q2.
Before using polymers (plastics), what material did Ole Kirk Kristiansen use to make his toys?

Correct answer: wood
metal
fabric

Q3.
The term is more scientifically accurate than the term plastic when talking about materials.

Correct Answer: polymer

Q4.
Put the stages of injection moulding in the correct order.

1 - The machine forces (injects) the hot liquid polymer into the mould.
2 - The liquid polymer is cooled until it hardens into a solid shape.
3 - The solid polymer is now the same shape as the mould.
4 - It is removed from the mould.