Choosing the right material
Design & Technology · Early Years · The School
What materials can do
Some materials bend easily. Some stay stiff. Some let light through. Some keep water out. Paper, card, plastic and fabric all behave differently. Feel each one. Bend each one. Notice what is different about them. Keep a note of what each one does best.
Testing for the job
Want a window for a model house? You need something see-through, like clear plastic. Want a strong roof? You need something stiff, like card. Testing a material BEFORE you build saves you from a model that fails halfway through.
Careful is not enough
You can cut and stick a paper bag as neatly as you like. It will still leak if you fill it with water. Neat work cannot fix the wrong material. Choosing the right one matters just as much as careful cutting.
You need to make a roof that keeps out rain. Test four materials. Drip water onto paper: it soaks straight through. Drip water onto card: it goes soft and bends. Drip water onto plastic: it beads up and rolls off. Drip water onto fabric: some soaks in, some drips through. Only the plastic passed the test. Neat cutting would not have changed a single result. The material decided it, before any building even started.