Human beings have identified patterns and developed ways of looking at materials that provide insight into their natural properties and uses. Scientists have developed processes to transform materials, and to manufacture new materials with enhanced properties. These materials have changed the ways societies function. They have enabled the production of medicines to maintain health, and commodities to change lifestyles. Economic well- being is related to our ability to process materials, reducing dependence on other countries and providing materials for export.
Learners describe structures and substances in terms of discernible properties such as shape, texture, colour, mass and size. They explore the behaviour of materials, like water. Learners carry out investigations on the properties of materials (strength, flexibility, conductivity, solubility) and relate them to their uses.
Learners describe the behaviour and the characteristics of particles in solids, liquids and gases. Learners study the changes of state, using common materials such as water and wax. They investigate the ways materials change, looking at what happens when an egg is cooked, when bleach meets coloured cloth, when a nail rusts. They separate mixtures, using a range of techniques to discover their composition. Learners come to understand that new materials are created by changing existing materials.