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Water for Industry

  • Age range: 9-11 years
  • Science topic: Materials
  • Type of enquiry: Comparative/fair tests, Grouping and classifying, Observing changes over time

This resource provides an opportunity of children to learn about the story of water as it travels from a reservoir, around an industrial site and back to a river. The activities are put into a context using a letter from a fictitious oil company. In the letter, the site engineer describes some problems that the company are having, and asks the ‘consultants’ for help to solve their problems.

Related Challenge Club Activities:

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Water for Industry Full (PDF , 2,968kb)

Pick a piece of pipe

Science topic: Materials
Type of enquiry: Comparative/fair tests
Keywords: Y5, properties of materials, problem solving, STEM, comparative test, variables

Testing aluminium, steel and a plastic for rusting when exposed to water. Children test materials for their resistance to corrosion. Using this knowledge, they choose a material for constructing a pipeline for the water.

A leaky line

Science topic: Materials
Type of enquiry: Comparative/fair tests
Keywords: Y5, properties of materials, problem solving, STEM, comparative test, variables, precise measurements, waterproof

Investigating sealants to choose the most suitable for joining a pipeline that will carry water. The problem of sealing sections of pipeline is tackled. Children investigate the effectiveness of a variety of sealants to join ‘pipes’.

Filter fun!

Science topic: Materials
Type of enquiry: Comparative/fair tests
Keywords: Y5, properties of materials, problem solving, STEM, comparative test, variables, precise measurements, filtration, filtering, solid, liquid, separation, mixture

A challenge to find the most efficient filter(s) to treat a sample of ‘reservoir’ water. Before use on the industrial site the water must first be treated. Children use filtration techniques to obtain cleaner water.

That's cool!

Science topic: Materials
Type of enquiry: Observing changes over time
Keywords: Y5, properties of materials, problem solving, STEM, precise measurements, temperature, thermometer

Children model an industrial heat exchanger and investigate the temperature changes that can occur during this heat transfer.

A neutral mixture

Science topic: Materials
Type of enquiry: Grouping and classifying
Keywords: Y5, properties of materials, problem solving, STEM, precise measurements, acid, alkaline, neutral

Children investigate the classification of liquids using the pH scale, and try to neutralise a sample of alkaline water.

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