Year 7 Lesson 5: Strength of Wood in Design

Curriculum Links

VCDSTS004: Explore the use of familiar designed solutions to meet their needs.

VCDSTC005: Explore the characteristics and properties of familiar designed solutions in at least one technologies context.

VCDSCD006: Experience and explore how designed solutions are created and produced safely to meet personal needs.

Aboriginal Cultural Standards Framework: Cultural Responsiveness Standard - Staff embed Aboriginal cultural knowledge, such as selecting strong woods like jarrah for spears and shields, to demonstrate respect for community values and sustainable design.

Cross-Curriculum Priority: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures - Students explore traditional wood use in crafts like spears and boomerangs to understand strength and sustainability in design.

Reading: Strength of Wood in Design

Wood’s strength supports load-bearing designs (structures carrying weight). Aboriginal peoples use jarrah, a hardwood, for spears due to its durability. Hardwoods resist stress (force applied). Softwoods, like pine, handle lighter loads. Designers choose woods for safe, sustainable products. This ensures long-lasting use.

Tensile strength (resisting pulling forces) makes wood versatile. Aboriginal knowledge selects flexible woods for boomerangs, ensuring resilience. Hardwoods offer high tensile strength. Softwoods are less resilient but easier to work. These properties guide ethical design choices. They meet community needs.

Compressive strength (resisting crushing forces) supports sturdy designs. Aboriginal crafts use dense woods for shields to withstand impact. Hardwoods excel in compression. Year 7 students explore safe wood use. This balances sustainability and strength.

Spelling Bank

Here are 20 words from the reading for spelling practice:

  • strength
  • load-bearing
  • jarrah
  • hardwood
  • spears
  • durability
  • stress
  • softwoods
  • pine
  • sustainable
  • tensile
  • flexible
  • boomerangs
  • resilience
  • resilient
  • compressive
  • crushing
  • shields
  • compression
  • ethical

Example Sentences

  1. Wood’s strength supports load-bearing designs for sustainable products.
  2. Aboriginal peoples use jarrah, a hardwood, for durable spears.
  3. Tensile strength helps boomerangs withstand pulling forces effectively.
  4. Compressive strength allows shields to resist crushing impacts safely.
  5. Ethical design balances wood’s resilience with sustainability principles.
Fill in the Blanks (Using words from the reading)
1. Wood’s __________ supports load-bearing designs.
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2. Aboriginal peoples use __________ for spears.
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3. Hardwoods resist high __________ in structures.
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4. __________ strength resists pulling forces.
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5. Aboriginal knowledge selects wood for __________.
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6. __________ strength resists crushing forces.
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7. Dense woods are used for Aboriginal __________.
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Multiple Choice Questions
1. What makes wood ideal for load-bearing designs?
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2. Which wood type resists high stress?
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3. What does tensile strength resist?
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4. What are dense woods used for in Aboriginal crafts?
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5. What do softwoods like pine support?
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6. What does compressive strength help wood resist?
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7. What do designers ensure with wood selection?
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Extension Activities

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