Selecting materials for manufacture
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how a range of factors affect the selection of materials for manufacture.
Key learning points
- Materials for manufacture are chosen based on performance, cost, and sustainability.
- Physical and working properties like strength, flexibility, and durability determine how well a material performs.
- Manufacturers must balance trade-offs between performance, cost, and sustainability when selecting materials.
- In a school workshop, cost is often the most critical factor when selecting materials.
Keywords
Performance - how well a material does its job and meets the needs of the product
Cost - the price of buying, processing and using a material
Sustainability - a product or material that has minimal environmental impact through its reuse or replenishment
Properties - the characteristics of a material (like hardness, weight, or conductivity) that determine how it looks, feels and behaves when used
Common misconception
The cheapest material is always the best choice.
Material selection involves balancing multiple factors, such as strength, durability, weight, sustainability, and ease of manufacturing; in addition to cost.
Teacher tip
Use an example of a familiar product to use as a discussion point for material choices. For example, some bicycle frames are made of steel (strong, cost-effective), while others are made of carbon fibre (lightweight, expensive).
Equipment
A collection of material samples e.g. timbers, polymers, metals, textiles, glass/ceramics is needed for Task A.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.The stages looked at in LCA are manufacture, use and .
Q2.What is a product's carbon footprint?
Q3.What steps can designers take to ensure products last a long time?
Q4.Which material would likely give a product the longest lifespan?
Q5.How are most products disposed of in the UK?
Q6.Which statement about recycling is correct?
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.Identify the physical properties.
Q2.Identify the working properties.
Q3.Match the material to its most important property.
transparency
flexibility
strength
softness
Q4.Which of these is NOT a key factor in material selection?
To help you plan your 8 design and technology lesson on: Selecting materials for manufacture, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 8 design and technology lesson on: Selecting materials for manufacture, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 design and technology lessons from the Material testing unit, dive into the full secondary design and technology curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.