Smart materials
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe the properties and uses of smart materials and give specific examples.
Key learning points
- Smart materials react to a stimuli.
- Stimuli can be environmental such as light, temperature, humidity, or when manipulated or put under pressure.
- Smart materials react by changing colour, shape or conductivity.
Keywords
Stimulus/stimuli - (singular/plural) something that encourages activity or change
Physical property - the characteristics of a material, such as appearance and features
Working property - the way in which a material responds to an external force or certain environment; also referred to as mechanical properties
Function - the purpose of the product
Form - a particular shape, linked to aesthetics
Common misconception
Smart materials are only for fun products like colour changing mugs!
Smart materials give designers and engineers exciting possibilities when developing new products. Possibilities often focus on function and/or form. For example, thermochromic materials can be used to indicate a temperature and warn users of danger.
Teacher tip
Collect together as many examples as you can find, including: colour changing mugs, umbrellas, spoons, glasses that change to sunglasses, memory foam pillows etc.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Smart materials ...
Q2.Which of these might a smart material respond to?
Q3.What is an example of a product that might use a smart material?
Q4.Why are smart materials useful?
Q5.These glasses have turned into sunglasses. Which stimulus have they responded to?
Q6.What happens when this spoon is placed in hot water?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Sort the physical/working properties and stimuli:
Q2.Match the smart material to the stimuli that it responds to:
Q3.Glasses (for vision) that are accidentally sat on, pop back to their original shape. Which smart material is this an example of?
Q4.Identify the products that use smart materials to improve their function:
Q5.Some nappies use a smart material to identify that the nappy needs changing. Which smart material is this an example of?
Q6.This smart material uses bacteria that react with water to 'heal' itself by producing limestone to fill any micro cracks that appear. Which smart material is it?
To help you plan your 11 design and technology lesson on: Smart materials, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 design and technology lesson on: Smart materials, 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 4 design and technology lessons from the Core principles unit, dive into the full secondary design and technology curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.