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New
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Year 1

Select materials for wind sails

I can choose materials that will work best for my sails.

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New
New
Year 1

Select materials for wind sails

I can choose materials that will work best for my sails.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Wind sails can be made of different materials.
  2. By testing materials, the most suitable can be selected.
  3. Discussing the results of test can help us select the correct materials.

Keywords

  • Materials - what something is made from

  • Properties - words to describe what a material is like

  • Thickness - the size through an object and thick is the opposite of thin

  • Testing - trying something to see if it works and to make changes or improvement to it

Common misconception

Wind sails are always made of wood.

Wind sail structures may be made of wood, but will have fabric to catch the wind.


To help you plan your year 1 design and technology lesson on: Select materials for wind sails, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Consider using a range of materails, with some templates printed onto materials to help. Have materials all cut to the same size and shape to support with cutting. Keep the chosen windsail (potentially card version) for use in the axles lesson.
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Teacher tip
equipment-required

Equipment

Ready made materials (paper, fabric, card, foil, tissue paper) in the same size and shape, scissors, pencil, sticky tack and straws.

content-guidance

Content guidance

  • Risk assessment required - equipment
supervision-level

Supervision

Adult supervision required

copyright

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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4 Questions

Q1.
Rotary motion turns in which shape?
square
Correct answer: circle
triangle
Q2.
What tool would you use to cut the wind sails for your windmill?
hammer
Correct answer: scissors
saw
ruler
Q3.
What do we use wind for?
Correct answer: to help move things like boats and kites
to make the sun hotter
to make things disappear
Q4.
What do we use to make things?
water
Correct answer: materials
objects

4 Questions

Q1.
Match the word to the meaning
Correct Answer:material,what something is made from
tick

what something is made from

Correct Answer:properties,words to describe what a material is like
tick

words to describe what a material is like

Correct Answer:thickness,the size through an object and thick is the opposite of thin
tick

the size through an object and thick is the opposite of thin

Q2.
Which of these are properties of materials?
Correct answer: hard
water
Correct answer: thick
sand
Q3.
What do we call it when we try something to see if it works well?
guessing
Correct answer: testing
drawing
recording
Q4.
What should we do after testing different sails?
pick the one we like the most, even if it didn’t work well
Correct answer: choose the one that worked the best
use all of them at the same time

Additional material

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