Platinum GR 4 NS

CAPS
Natural Sciences and Technology

Grade
4
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R. Adatia • K. Barker • F. Clitheroe • S. Cohen • R. De Villiers

A. Joannides • M. Van Zyl • L. Visagie • J. Webb
Maskew Miller Longman (Pty) Ltd
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First published in 2013

Print ISBN: 978-0-636-13551-2
ePDF ISBN: 978-0-636-15042-3
Book design by MML Studio

Cover design by MML Studio
Cover artwork by NASA/Getty Images/Gallo Images 700-00010479a
Typesetting by Davidson Design Solutions
Photo acknowledgements
The publisher and authors wish to thank the following individuals and/or companies for permission to
reproduce photographic material:
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Corbis/ Greatstock: p. 41, 42, 103, 149, 177
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Getty images/Gallo images: p. 88, 125
iStock: p. 2, 5, 9, 42, 45, 71, 77, 103, 128, 129, 147
NASA: p. 160, 176
National Zoological Gardens in Pretoria: p. 49: Hoot and Toot need a new home
Rogan Ward / Independent Contributors / Africa Media Online: p. 110
SAPPI: p. 75: Paper making
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191, 194
Illustrations by:
Antoinette Cloete Nel
Tanza Crouch
Claudia Eckard
Dedre Fouquet
Rob Foote
Adrian Owen
Barend Potgieter
Robin Taylor
Lynda Ward
Every effort has been made to trace the copyright holders of material produced in this title. We would like to
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The subject Natural Sciences and Technology
I wonder . . .
Have you ever been told that you are too curious?
Maybe someone told you that you ask too many
questions. Welcome to Natural Sciences and
Technology! In this subject you may be curious.
You have to ask questions about the world around
you. Even more exciting – you will be taught how
to look for the answers yourself!
stions and looked for

ere nt cul tur es all ove r the world have always asked que
Peo ple of diff ure. Sometimes
etim es the y wa nt to ma ke sense of what is happening in nat of
answers. Som to imp rove the way they live. Thousands
it. Som etim es they wa nt
their lives depend on stones. Then they asked
, peo ple hun ted for the ir foo d. At first they used sticks and ideas.
years ago
the re a bet ter wa y to hun t for meat?” They came up with better
questions such as: “Is arrows.
nes. Later they made bows and
They began to sharpen their sto
In Natural Sciences and Technology you will learn about some of the questions
that people asked long ago. You will learn about the things they discovered and
invented. In Grade 4 you learn new things about different parts of the world
around you:
Life and living and

structures
Plants and animals ar
e living things. They
place to live in. Peop need certain things to
le can build structure survive. They need a
s for animals.
Matter and materials and structures

Matter has three states. Materials have different properties. We can combine materials
to make new materials. We can make materials stronger.
Energy and change and systems and

control
We need energy for life. Energy com
es from the Sun and can be stored
transferred. Sound is energy that we and
use in systems.
Earth and beyond and systems and control

space. The Earth is a planet. The Sun, the
People build machines to move on land and in
People build machines to go into space.
Moon and the stars are other objects in space.
9780636135512_plt_nst_g04_lb_eng_zaf.indb 5 2013/07/09 1:45 PM

Processes in Natural Sciences and
Technology
Knowledge in Natural Sciences and Technology changes all the time. People
often investigate things that we do not understand yet.
Scientists and technologists agree to use the same steps when they work.
Then they write down what they did and what they discovered. Other people
can test a new idea by following the steps. If many people tested an idea and
agree that it is correct, the idea becomes new knowledge.
You will also use these steps in Natural Sciences and Technology when you are
looking for answers to questions. In each grade you will learn a bit more about
each step.
Steps for doing Natural Sciences
Steps for doing Technology
Natural Sciences and Technology will help you if you

want to study further after school. It will open your eyes
to the world around you. It will give you skills to help the
people in your community. All you need is the wish to
learn more!

TOPIC Term 1: Life and living and structures
1 Living and non-living things
Starting off ACTIVITY 1 Find out what you

In this topic, you will learn about living know about living and
things and non-living things and the non-living things
difference between them. You will also
find out how things that seem to be Look at the picture. Talk about the
dead are really alive. answers to the questions below with a
partner.
1. Are the animals in the picture living
things?
2. Are the plants and trees in the
picture living things?
3. Are the sand and water in the
picture living or non-living?
4. Are dead tree branches living or
non-living?
5. How do we know if something is
living or non-living?

UNIT
1 Living things
Key words There are many different kinds of living things. Some
living things are big, such as an elephant. Other living
• bread mould a fungus
that grows on bread
things are so small we cannot see them with the
and other foods naked eye. Germs are very small. Look at the pictures
• germs very small living
of some living things.
things that can cause
disease
• reproducing producing
babies or young animals
or plants
• excreting getting rid
of body wastes such as Elephant Fish Fern
urine
• environment
everything around us
• sensing being able to
see, hear, touch, taste or
smell things
Sunflower Mealie plant Bacteria/germs
Some living things
ACTIVITY 2 Look at living things

1. Go outside and find three living things. Write down
their names in your workbook.
2. Look for pictures of living things in magazines.
Bread mould
3. Cut out three pictures of living things. Stick the
pictures in your workbook and write down the
names of the living things.
Locust
2 Term 1

Life processes of living things
All living things carry out life processes. Life processes are the things they do
that show us that they are alive. There are seven life processes.
Growing. They grow up and become adults.
teen
child
toddler
baby
Plants grow. People grow.
Reproducing. They Feeding. They need Moving. They can

have young. food. move.
Breathing. They need Excreting. They get rid Sensing. They can see,
to take in air. of waste products. hear, feel, smell or taste
their environment.
Key concepts
There are many different kinds of living things. Some are big and others are very small.
Living things carry out seven life processes. They grow, feed, breathe, move, reproduce, get rid of
waste products and sense their environment.
Topic 1 Living and non-living things 3

UNIT 1 CONTINUED
Key word Things that seem not living can be alive

• germinate when a seed Sometimes things seem to be not living or dead, but
starts to grow they are really living.
• organism a living thing A seed seems to be not living, but when we plant it
• hatch a chick breaks and give it water and warmth, it starts to grow.
out of the egg in which When a seed starts to grow we say it germinates.
it was growing The germinating seed grows into a plant.
A seed germinates and grows into a plant.
ACTIVITY 3 Germinate bean seeds
You need: bean seeds; cotton wool or paper towel;

saucer or small polystyrene food tray; water
Method
1. Put a piece of cotton wool or paper towel on the
saucer or polystyrene tray.
2. Put three or four bean seeds on top of the cotton
wool or paper towel.
3. Cover the seeds with another piece of cotton wool
or paper towel. Put the saucer in a warm place.
4. Put enough water on the saucer to make the
cotton wool or paper towel damp but not very wet.
5. Check the seeds every day and keep them damp.
6. Look for changes in your seeds. Draw the changes
you notice.
7. What do you think the seeds need to make them
germinate?
4 Term 1

Yeast is a very small organism. It is used to make
bread. Yeast looks like it is not living but when we
give yeast food and warmth it grows.
ACTIVITY 4 Grow yeast
You need: fresh or dry yeast; beaker, glass or jar;

warm water; sugar; teaspoon
Method
1. Put one teaspoon of sugar in a cup of warm water.
The water must not be hot as it will kill the yeast.
We use yeast to make bread.
2. Stir the water until you cannot see the sugar any
more.
3. Put one teaspoon of yeast in the water and stir
with the teaspoon.
4. Leave the yeast for about 20 minutes.
5. Look for changes in the yeast. What do you
notice?
6. What do you think the yeast needs to make it grow?
An egg seems to be not living, but there can be a

young chick growing inside the egg. When the chick
is big enough, it breaks the shell with its beak. We say
the chick hatches.
A young chick grows inside an egg.

UNIT 1 CONTINUED
ACTIVITY 5 Look at pictures of eggs hatching
A B C D
1. Look at the pictures of a chick hatching. The

pictures are not in the right order.
2. Put the pictures in the right order.
3. Write down the letters of the stages of hatching in
the right order.
4. What do you think the eggs need to make them
hatch?
What makes things that seem not living

come alive?
When you give the seeds water, they start to grow.
You also put the seeds in a warm place. Seeds need
warmth and water to start growing and come alive.
The yeast starts to grow when you give it sugar for
food. It also needs water and warmth in order to
grow.
The chick needs warmth, food and air to grow big
enough to hatch from the egg. The mother bird sits on
the egg to keep the chick warm. The young chick gets
food from the egg yolk. It gets air through the egg
shell.
Key concepts
Things that seem not living can come alive if they get things like
food, warmth, light, air and water to make them start to grow.
6 Term 1

Skills focus Observe
All living things grow. We can watch the changes in living things as they
get bigger.
To observe means to use as many of your senses as possible when you
study something.
How to observe
When observing something, do the following:
1. Try to use all five of your senses to find out more about the object.
2. If you know that the object is safe, pick it up, feel it, smell it and
perhaps taste it. Look at it from all sides and listen to it.
3. Look for any changes in the object you are observing.
4. Sometimes you need to count or measure the things you observe.
Use a ruler and a magnifying glass to help make your observations
more accurate.
Safety
ACTIVITY 6 Practise observing
Remember some things
are poisonous.
You need: an apple that has been cut in half; Be careful of what you
a knife put into your mouth. Ask
an adult if you are not
1. Observe the apple and answer these questions. sure whether it is safe to
a. What colour is the outside of the apple? put something in your
b. What colour is the inside of the apple? mouth.
c. What shape is the apple?
d. How long is the apple?
e. How many seeds can you
count?
f. Cut a piece out of the apple
and taste it. How does it
taste?
g. Does the apple have a smell?
h. Does the outside of the apple
feel rough or smooth?
i. Does the inside of the apple An apple, cut in half
feel rough or smooth?
Skills focus Observe 7

UNIT
2 Non-living things
Some things are non-living. Non-living things cannot carry out

all of the seven life processes of living things.
ACTIVITY 7 Identify, sort and compare living and non-

living things
Look at the picture below. Some things are living and some are
non-living.
1. Decide if each of the things in the picture is living or non-living.

2. Write down the names of the living and non-living things
and fill in the life processes each one carries out. Copy
the table below into your workbook. We have done two
examples for you.
Object Life processes it carries Is it Is it non-

out living? living?
Hen It moves and eats food. Yes No
Rocks Show no life processes No Yes
8 Term 1

Dead things were once living
Dead things are things that were living once, but they
are not alive any more. For example, a piece of wood
that we burn in a fire is dead. It was once part of a
living tree.
Living tree Non-living tree Wood burning in a fire
Did you know?

Many traditional homes are
made from living materials,
such as reeds, and non-living
materials, such as clay, which
come from the local area.
These leaves were living when The roof of the hut was made from
they were on the tree. The leaves reeds. The reeds are dead now,
die when they fall off the tree. but they were once living plants.
Key concepts
Non-living things do not carry out all seven life processes.
Dead things are things that were living once but are not alive
any more.

Topic revision
Science language activity
Use the words in the box to complete the sentences.
living excretion hatches germinates
environment processes non-living
1. Air, soil and water are things.

2. Trees, fish and germs are things.
3. Feeding, growing and moving are life .
4. Getting rid of waste products is called .
5. A seed starts to grow when it .
6. When a chick it breaks out of the egg it
was growing in.
7. The is everything around us.
Revision activity
1. Write each item below in the correct group in a copy of
the table.
air sheep bean seed leather belt
grass basket peach tree ant water soil
hen’s egg fire stone yeast germ wood
Living Non-living Was living, Seems dead,

but is now but is alive
dead
Total: 15
10 Topic revision

TOPIC Term 1
2 Structures of plants and animals
Starting off ACTIVITY 1 Find parts of plants

In this topic, you find out about the and animals
different parts that make up the bodies
of plants and animals. You will draw, Look at the picture of the lion under
label and describe the parts of plants the tree.
and animals. You will also look at the 1. Find the lion’s head and body.
differences between different kinds of 2. Find the lion’s legs. How many legs
plants and different kinds of animals. does it have?
3. Where on the lion’s body is its tail?
4. Which parts of the body does the
lion use for sensing?
5. Find the tree trunk. Are there only
a few branches there or are there
many branches growing from the
trunk?
6. Where in the tree do the leaves
grow?
7. What part of the tree grows under
the ground?
11

UNIT
1 Structure of plants
25
Key word Plant parts

• structure the parts of Plants have four main parts. These parts are the roots,
something the stem, the leaves and the flowers. We call the parts
of something its structure.
flower
stem
leaf
roots
The parts of a plant.
Plants can also have fruits and seeds. Flowers develop

into fruits. The seeds are inside the fruits. Each part of
a plant has different uses or functions.
Part of the plant Function

Apple seeds inside the
apple fruit.
Roots Hold the plant in the soil; absorb
water and mineral salts.
Stem Keeps the plant upright; holds the
leaves and flowers.
Leaves Use sunlight to make food for the
plant.
Flowers Often smell good and can have
bright colours that attract insects
and birds; this helps the plant to
reproduce.
Fruits The fruits form from the flowers.
Seeds are found inside the fruits.
Seeds Seeds grow into new plants.
12 Term 1

ACTIVITY 2 Identify, label and describe the
parts of a plant
You need: a plant; small spade; newspaper
Method
1. Dig up a small plant with a flower out of the ground.
Wash off the soil and put the plant on a piece of
newspaper on your desk.
2. Look at the plant carefully and then answer the
questions.
a. How many different parts does the plant have?
b. Name the different parts of the plant.
c. Make a drawing of the plant and label the parts.
Look at the Skills focus on page 21 to help you
make your drawing.
3. Describe the different parts of the plant. Use the words
below as a guide to complete the sentences.
above under green white yellow red big small
hairy smooth stem hand heart strap big
a. The roots of the plant grow _____ the ground. They

have a _____ colour and look _____.
b. The stem of the plant is _____ the ground. It is _____
in colour.
c. The leaves are _____ in colour. They are _____ in
size. The leaves have a _____ shape. The leaves are
joined to the _____.
d. The flower is _____ in colour. It is _____ in size.
There is _____ powder in the middle of the flower.
Key concepts
Plants have four main parts: roots, stems, leaves
and flowers.
Fruits grow from the flowers. There are seeds
inside the fruits.
Topic 2 Structures of plants and animals 13

UNIT 1 CONTINUED
Differences between plants

Not all plants look the same. They can have different
roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds. The
parts can have different sizes, shapes and colours.
Look at the pictures on this page.
Some plants have big Some plants have small Some plants have long, Some plants have broad,
roots. roots. thin leaves, like wild garlic. thick leaves, like the aloe.
Some plants have big, Some plants have small, Some plants have big Some plants have small
colourful flowers, like the dull flowers, like wild seeds, like broad beans. seeds, like radishes.
crane flower. grasses.
14 Term 1

ACTIVITY 3 Compare plants
1. Look at the pictures of the three plants.
Maize plant Tomato plant with flowers Orange tree with blossoms and fruit
and fruit
Look for differences between the plants in the

pictures.
2. Tabulate the differences you see between the
plants in a table like the one below.
Plants Maize Tomato Orange tree

Is the plant stem big or small?
Does the plant have big or small
leaves?
Does the plant have:
long, strap-shaped leaves?
oval, flat leaves?
pointed, flat leaves?
Does the plant have big or small
flowers?
What colour are the flowers?
Does the plant have fruit?
Is the fruit big or small?
What colour is the fruit?
Key concepts
Plants can be different to one another. Their parts can have
different sizes, shapes and colour.

UNIT
2 Structure of animals
25
Key words Animal body parts

• limbs body parts such If you look at the bodies of animals, you can see that
as legs, arms, fins and they often have body parts that are the same. Look at
wings that are used for the pictures of a cat and a goat.
movement
• sense organs parts
of the body that are The cat and the goat both have:
used to sense the • a body
environment; the sense • a head at one end of the body
organs allow animals
and people to see, feel, • four limbs joined to the body for movement
hear, taste and smell • a tail at the other end of the body
things • sense organs to see, feel, hear taste and smell.
head
ear
tail
eye
nose
mouth
(with tongue)
body
body ear head
whiskers leg
tail eye
nose
mouth
(with tongue)
leg
Goat
Cat
16 Term 1

ACTIVITY 4 Identify, label and describe the
parts of an animal
1. Observe an animal you have in the classroom or at
home, such as a mouse, bird or a dog.
2. If you cannot find an animal to observe, look
carefully at the photograph of the mouse.
3. Find the following parts on the animal: head, body,

tail, sense organs, legs.
4. Read on page 21 how you can make drawings of
your observations. Make a drawing of the animal
you observed. Label all the animal’s body parts you
identified in question 3.
5. Answer these questions:
a. How many main parts does the animal’s body
have?
b. What are these parts called?
c. How many legs does the animal have?
d. To which body part are the legs joined?
e. Does the animal have wings?
f. Which sense organs do you see on the animal?
What are these sense organs used for?

UNIT 2 CONTINUED
Differences between animals

Different kinds of animals look different to each other.
The pictures on this page show some different kinds
of animals.
Sparrow Fish
Giraffe
Mouse
Snake
Some different kinds of animals
18 Term 1

You can see in the pictures on page 18 that the
animals do not look the same. Let’s look at how they
are different.
Size and shape

Some animals are big, such as the giraffe. Other
animals are small, such as the sparrow and mouse.
The shape of animals’ bodies can also be different.

The snake has a long, thin body shape.
The fish has a body that is flat on the sides and
pointed at the ends.
The sparrow has a round body, with a long tail.
The mouse’s body has the same shape as a teardrop.
The giraffe’s body shape is similar to a triangle.
Limbs
Some animals have legs and they can walk and run,
such as the giraffe. Other animals have wings and
they can fly, such as the sparrow.
Fish have fins to help them swim.
Some animals have no limbs and they slither along
the ground, such as the snake.
Body covering
The mouse and giraffe’s bodies are covered with hair.
The sparrow is covered with feathers.
The snake and fish are covered with scales.
Sense organs
All the animals in the pictures have eyes, a nose and
a mouth. You can see ears on the giraffe and mouse.
The mouse also has whiskers to feel things.

UNIT 2 CONTINUED
ACTIVITY 5 Describe differences between

animals
Look at the pictures of three animals.
1. Notice any differences you see between the
animals in the pictures.
2. Tabulate the differences you observed in a table
like the one below.
Animals Pigeon Zebra Lizard

How big is the animal?
What shape is the
Pigeon
animal’s body?
How many limbs does the
animal have?
What type of limbs does
the animal have?
How does the animal
move?
Does the animal have a
tail?
What sense organs does
the animal have?
What type of body
covering does the animal
have?
Zebra
Key concepts
Most animals have a head, tail, body, limbs and sense organs.
Different kinds of animals look different to each other.
Animals have different sizes, shapes, limbs, sense organs and
body coverings.
Lizard
20 Term 1

Skills focus Draw observations
You make observations when you collect Key words
information. You also need to know how to
• observations using
communicate your observations to others. your senses to look at
Making a drawing is a good way to record something closely to
and communicate what you observe in an find information about
investigation. There are some rules you should it
follow to make a good drawing. • communicate share
information or ideas
How to record observations by • label write about
drawing something to give
information about it
1. Use a sharp HB pencil.
2. Press lightly in case you make a mistake and
have to erase it.
3. Look very carefully at the object you are
drawing. Notice the shape and size of the
parts, how many parts there are and how
they are arranged.
4. Always label the parts of a drawing. Draw
pencil lines with a ruler to the parts you want
Safety
to label. Write the labels with a pen.
• When you use a knife
5. Write the labels in line with one another
always cut the object
down the page. Leave enough space between away from your body
the label lines so the labels are clear. This is and not towards it.
easier to do on a large drawing.
ACTIVITY 6 Practise recording

observations using a drawing
You need: a sharp HB pencil; a knife; a tomato

1. Cut the tomato in half as shown in the
picture.
2. Follow the instructions above and make a
drawing of the tomato.
3. Label the following parts of the tomato: Cut the tomato like this.
skin, flesh, and seeds.
Skills focus Draw observations 21

Topic revision
1. Match each word in column A with the correct
description in column B.
A B
Limbs holds the leaves and flowers of a plant
Structure parts of the body that are used for seeing,
smelling, tasting, hearing and feeling
Stem body parts used for movement
Observation the different parts of something
Sense organs using your senses to find information about
something
Revision activity
1. Identify and write the name of the parts of the
strawberry plant labelled A to E. (5)
A
2. Copy and complete the table to compare the D
differences between a mouse and a hen. (10)
Body structure Mouse Hen
Is it big or small?
What type of limbs
does it have? B
What body shape C
does it have?
What sense organs
does it have?
What body covering E
does it have?
Strawberry plant
Total: 15
Hen Mouse
22 Topic revision

TOPIC Term1
3 What plants need to grow
In this topic, you will learn about the

things that plants need so that they
can live and grow. You will also use
different methods to grow your own
plants.
ACTIVITY 1 Explain what plants need

Look at the pictures.
Talk about these questions.
1. Which plant looks healthy?
2. Which plant does not look healthy?
3. Why do you think the one plant is
healthy and the other plant is not
healthy?
4. What happens to plants if you do
not water them?
23

UNIT
Conditions for growth
25
1
Key words Plants need water, light, warmth and air to grow.
Plants will not grow properly if they get too much or
• cutting part of a plant
we cut off and use to
too little of these things.
grow a new plant
• seedling the new plant
Plants need light
that grows when a seed Plants make their own food. They need light to make
germinates food. Food helps plants grow.
• plumule the first shoot
a seedling grows
• radicle the first root a
seedling grows
Plants need light to grow.
Plants need water

Plants need water so that they can have strong stems
and firm leaves. Plants that do not get enough water
have weak stems and dried leaves.
The picture on the left below shows a plant that does
not get enough water. The picture on the right below
shows a plant that gets enough water.
Plants need water to grow.

24 Term 1

Plants need warmth
Most plants grow best when they get warmth. Plants
grow better if it is not too hot or too cold. Look at the
pictures below. The young plants on the left grow in
a cold place. The young plants on the right grow in a
warm place.
Plants need warmth to grow.
Plants need air

Plants are living things. All living things need air, and
plants also need air.
ACTIVITY 2 Identify the things plants need to

grow
Copy and complete these sentences about what
plants need to grow.
1. Plants that do not get enough _____ will have
weak stems and dried leaves.
2. Plants need _____ so they can make food to help
them grow.
3. Plants grow best when it is not too hot or too
_____.
4. Plants need _____ because they are living things.
Key concepts
Plants need light, water, warmth and air to grow.
Topic 3 What plants need to grow 25

UNIT 1 CONTINUED
Plants grow from cuttings

Some new plants can grow from parts of other plants,
such as leaves and stems. We can cut off a leaf or part
of a stem and plant it. The part we cut off is called a
cutting. A new plant will grow from the cutting.
Some common garden and indoor plants are grown
from cuttings. If you cut a piece off the stem of a
geranium or Busy Lizzie (Impatiens) plant and put it
in water, it will grow into a new plant. Plants with
soft stems and leaves grow better from cuttings than
plants with hard stems and leaves.
Safety
Roots grow from the leaves of the African violet to
• Be careful not to cut make a new plant.
yourself with the scissors
or knife when you make
your cutting.
Geraniums and African violets grow from cuttings.
ACTIVITY 3 Grow a plant from a stem cutting
You need: a plant such as a geranium; an empty

jar; water
1. Cut a piece off a stem as shown in the drawing.
2. Pull off the lower leaves on the stem cutting, but
leave one or two leaves at the top.
3. Put the stem cutting in a jar of water.
4. Leave the jar in a warm sunny place for a few days
until roots start to grow.
5. The stem cutting is ready to plant in soil when it
has lots of roots.
26 Term 1

Plants grow from seeds
Plants grow from seeds. When a seed starts to grow,
we say that the seed germinates.
Seeds need water and warmth to

germinate
A seed needs water and warmth to germinate. It also
needs air. The seed uses food stored inside the seed.
When seeds germinate, they grow into new plants
called seedlings.
The pictures below show how seeds germinate into
seedlings.
shoots
first shoot (a plumule)
seed
roots
first root (a radicle)
Seeds germinate into new plants called seedlings.
Key concepts
Plants can grow from cuttings and seeds.
Cuttings are parts of plants that can grow into a new plant.
When seeds germinate into new plants, they grow a radicle and
a plumule.
Topic 3 What plants need to grow 27

Practical task Investigate the growth of
plants from seeds and cuttings
Part 1: Investigate how a cutting grows
1. Follow the steps in Activity 3 on page 26 to make your cutting.
2. Observe the cutting every day. Look at the Skills focus on page 21 to
help you make your observations.
a. Make a copy of the observation form on the next page in your
workbook. Make sure you have enough rows for the number of days
you are going to observe the cutting.
b. Observe the growth of the cutting over 10 days. Measure and record
the height of the plant stem. Next, count and record the number of new
leaves on the plant for each day on the observation form.
c. After 10 days, make a neat drawing of the plant. Label your drawing.
Part 2: Investigate how seedlings grow

You need: the seedlings you germinated in Activity 3 on page 26; water;
ruler or tape measure
Method
1. Put the seedlings in a warm, sunny place, such as on a window sill.
2. Wet the cotton wool or paper towel the seedlings are growing on until it
is damp but not very wet.
3. Check the seedlings every day. Add a little more water if the cotton
wool feels dry.
4. Each day take one of the seeds and observe its growth. Look at the
Skills focus on page 21 to help you make your observations.
a. Make a copy of the observation form on page 29 in your workbook.
Make sure you have enough rows for the number of days you are going
to observe the seedlings.
b. Count the number of leaves on the seedling. Record these on the form.
c. Measure the height of the seedling’s stem and record the measurements
on the observation form.
d. When the table is complete, make a neat drawing of your final plant.
Label your drawing.
Write down the height of your plant.
28 Practical task Investigate the growth of plants from seeds and cuttings

Observation form:
Day Number of Height of plant stem
leaves
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Conclusion
1. Which new plant grew the most – the cutting or the seedling?
2. Think of ways you could make the plants grow faster.
Total: 10
Seedlings growing
Practical task Investigate the growth of plants from seeds and cuttings 29

Topic revision
Use the words below to complete the sentences.
radicle seedlings germinates plumule cutting
1. A is a part of a plant we cut off to grow a new plant.

2. When a seed starts to grow it .
3. New plants that grow from seeds are called .
4. The is the first root of a new plant that grows from a
seed.
5. The is the first shoot of a new plant that grows from a
seed.
Revision activity
1. Jabu and his friends planted mealie seeds. Jabu planted his seeds in a
sunny place and watered them every day. Maria planted her seeds in
a shady place and watered them every day. Leo planted his seeds in a
sunny place but he did not water them. Nasreen left her seeds in wet
cotton wool.
After two weeks the friends measured their mealie plants.
These are their results.
Name How the plants looked Height of plant stems

Jabu green and healthy 10 cm
Maria lighter green and quite healthy 6 cm
Leo dry and brown 3 cm
Nasreen thin and weak 2 cm
a. Whose mealie plants grew the best? (1)

b. Whose mealie plants grew the worst? (1)
c. Why did Leo’s mealie plants look dry and brown? (1)
d. Why were Maria’s mealie plants smaller than Jabu’s mealie plants? (1)
e. Why were Nasreen’s mealie plants thin and weak? (1)
f. How could Nasreen make her plants grow better? (1)
g. Name four things that plants need to grow. (4)
Total: 10
30 Topic revision

TOPIC Term 1
4 Habitats of animals
Starting off
In this topic, you will learn about the
different places where animals live. You
will also find out why animals need a
place to live.
ACTIVITY 1 Discuss where

animals live
Look at the pictures on this page.
1. Where do camels live?
2. Where do frogs live?
3. Why is a nest a good place for
chicks to live?
4. Where do the following animals
live?
a. a shark
b. an earthworm
c. a crocodile.
Different habitats of animals
31

UNIT
25
1 Different habitats
Key words Plants, animals and people all have places where
they live. We call the place where something lives its
• habitat the place where
a plant or animal lives
habitat. There are many different kinds of habitat,
such as grasslands, forests, rivers and the sea.
• predators animals that
catch and eat other
Different animals and plants live in different habitats.
animals For example:
• Zebras live in grasslands.
• The Knysna Turaco lives in forests.
• Crocodiles live in rivers.
• Whales live in the sea.
A zebra’s habitat is grasslands. The Knysna Turaco’s A crocodile’s habitat is rivers.

habitat is forests.
ACTIVITY 2 Identify, draw and describe a

habitat
1. Walk around the school grounds or the area close
to the school and observe any living things you
find.
A whale’s habitat is the sea. 2. Identify the habitat of each kind of living thing you
observe. For example, you may observe a snail in a
garden. The garden is the snail’s habitat.
3. Make a drawing of the habitat.
4. Write two or three sentences to describe the
habitat.
32 Term 1

Grassland habitats Did you know?
Grassland habitats have lots of types of grasses and The white rhino lives
few trees. Grasslands get enough rainfall for the in grasslands. It is
grass to grow but not enough rain for trees to grow. threatened by poachers
who kill the rhinos for
The rain falls in summer. Grassland habitats are
their horns.
usually warm in summer and cold in winter. Animals
find food and water in their habitat. Many grazing
animals such as impala, buffaloes and zebra live in
grasslands. These animals eat the grass. Predators
that catch and eat the grazing animals also live in
grassland habitats, for example lions.
Lions and impala live in grasslands. The blue duiker lives in a forest habitat.
Forest habitats
Forest habitats have lots of tall trees and small plants
like ferns. They get rain all year round. Forest habitats
do not get very hot or very cold. Many birds live in
forests. Smaller animals such as monkeys, bush pigs,
bushbuck and duikers also live in forests. They eat
leaves, fruits and seeds that fall from the trees. The
bush pig and monkeys also eat insects, worms and
lizards. Forest habitats are good places to hide from
predators such as leopards and eagles.
Topic 4 Habitats of animals 33

UNIT 1 CONTINUED
River habitats
River habitats have fresh water. The temperature of
the water does not change much. Some animals live
in the water, such as fish, water snails and tadpoles.
Some live above the water, such as ducks and
insects. Others live in the area surrounding the river,
such as frogs and many kinds of birds.
The animals find food in their habitat. Plants grow
in the water and on the river banks. Some animals
eat these plants, for example fish and hippos. Birds
like kingfishers catch fish that live in the river. Other
animals, like crocodiles eat animals that come to the
river bank to drink water. Some animals like frogs and
fish lay their eggs in the water.
Fish lay their eggs in river water.
34 Term 1

Sea habitats Did you know?
Many different kinds of animals live in the sea. The Many kinds of sharks are
sea has salty water. The temperature of the sea does endangered because
not change much. Many types of fish, turtles, seals, people kill them for their
fins, which are made
whales and dolphins live in the sea. They eat other
into soup, and because
living things in their habitat. For example, seals and they are scared of shark
dolphins eat fish. Sharks eat seals. The octopus hides attacks.
away under rocks and waits for fish to swim past so it
can catch them. Fish lay their eggs in the water.
The octopus hides away so that it can catch fish that swim past it in the sea.
Key concepts
A habitat is the place where a plant or animal lives. There are
different kinds of habitats such as grasslands, forests, rivers and
the sea.

UNIT 1 CONTINUED
ACTIVITY 3 Match animals with their habitats

Read about the different kinds of habitats on pages 32
to 35. Look at the drawings of the animals below and
the drawings of habitats.
Sea
Fish eagle Water boatman Blue duiker Buffalo
Lioness with cubs Seal and seal pup Frog
River
Zebra Fish Shark
Answer the questions in your workbook.

1. Match each animal in the pictures with its habitat.
Some animals can have more than one habitat.
2. Identify the foods that these animals find in their
habitats:
Grassland a. lion
b. shark
c. seal
d. frog
e. fish eagle
f. blue duiker.
3. Give two reasons why each animal in the pictures
lives in its habitat.
Forest
36 Term 1

Skills focus Compare
Key words
What is comparing?
• compare find out
When we compare, we examine two or more things to how things are
find out how they are similar or different. similar and how
they differ
How to compare things • similar have things
1. Use a Venn diagram to help you compare in common; almost
information between things that have differences the same
and things in common. • different things
2. Draw two overlapping circles as shown in the that are not the
same
diagram below.
3. Ask yourself: What is similar about the objects and • Venn diagram
drawing made up
what is different about them? of overlapping
4. Label each circle. circles; useful to
5. Write the different features in the correct circle. show comparisons
6. Write all the common features where the two between things
circles overlap.
river habitat: both: sea habitat:

fresh water; water salty water;
crocodiles, temperature does turtles, seals,
hippos, ducks, not change much, whales,
kingfishers, fish live in habitat, dolphins,
frogs, insects fish lay eggs in octopuses
live water, animals live in
in habitat find food habitat
in habitat
A Venn diagram comparing river and sea habitat.
ACTIVITY 4 Practise using a Venn diagram to compare

1. Draw a two-circled Venn diagram in your workbook.
2. Compare the forest and grassland habitats. Look at the Venn diagram
above to help you.
3. Compare your Venn diagram with that of another pair in your class.
Look for similarities and differences in your answers.
Skills focus Compare 37

UNIT
25
2 Need for a habitat
Key words Animals get all the things they need to live from their
habitat. They need food and water. Animals need
• shelter a place where
you are safe from bad
shelter in bad weather. They need to escape from
weather or danger danger. They need safe places to have their young
• escape to get away
and care for them.
from something
• indigenous living and
How South African wild animals
growing in the area that
someone or something
are suited to their habitats
is originally from In South Africa we have many indigenous animals
such as impala, the Knysna Turaco and the African
wild dog.
Impala
Impala are buck that live in grassland
habitats. They feed on the grass and
small trees. Impala are brown in
colour so they are not very easy to
see in the grassland. They hide under
small bushes and trees to escape
from predators and to shelter in bad
weather. The females and young live
The impala females and young live in large groups in in large groups, which help to keep
their habitat.
the young safe.
Knysna Turaco
The Knysna Turaco lives in forest
habitats. It is green so it blends in
with the colour of the trees. This
makes it hard for predators to see it.
The Knysna Turaco eats fruits, berries
and seeds from the forest trees as
well as insects and worms. It builds
its nest in trees or in creepers that
grow on the trees. The nest keeps the
chicks safe.
The Knysna Turaco lives in a forest habitat.
38 Term 1

African wild dog
The African wild dog lives in grasslands and savannah,
which has grassland and trees. Wild dogs hunt in packs
to catch animals such as impala and zebras. Their coats
are mottled in shades of brown, black and beige, and
they cannot be easily seen while they are hunting in the
grasslands. Wild dogs have a den where the pups are
born. The den is usually below the ground. The pups
stay in the den when the adults hunt. Members of the
pack take turns to look after the pups in the den.
African wild dog pups are safe in their den.
ACTIVITY 5 Describe and write about the habitats

of African wild animals
Read about the habitats of the three African wild
animals on these two pages.
1. Copy and complete the table below to describe the
habitats of the animals and how the animals are
suited to living in their habitats.
Description of How is the animal

Animal
habitat suited to living there?
Key concepts
Animals have a habitat to get food, water, a place to shelter, have
babies and escape from danger.

Topic revision
Use the words below to complete the sentences.
river shelter escape food grassland water
1. Lions and zebras live in habitats.

2. Crocodiles and fish live in habitats.
3. Animals get , and from their habitats.
4. Habitats help animals to from danger.
Revision activity
1. Look at the picture of the habitat below.
a. Name the type of habitat. (1)

b. Name two things the frog gets from the habitat. (2)
c. Write down two other reasons why animals need a habitat. (2)
d. Name two predators in the habitat. (2)
e. Name one animal that each predator eats. (2)
f. How does the habitat keep the tadpole safe from predators? (1)
Total: 10
40 Topic revision

TOPIC Term 1
5 Structures for animal shelters
Starting off
In Topic 4, you learnt about different
habitats where animals, birds and insects
live. In their habitats, animals, birds and
insects find or make shelters where they
will be safe from bad weather and other
dangers. Some sleep in trees, under rocks
or in caves. Many make their own shelters.
Some use materials from the environment.
ACTIVITY 1 Discuss animal shelters in

nature
1. Look at the photograph of the warthog
Tiny termites built this huge mound. and choose a word below to complete
each sentence.
babies burrow predators
a. The warthog’s shelter is a

under the ground.
b. Warthogs need a safe place to have
their .
c. Warthogs are in danger from
like lions and leopards if they
sleep in the open.
2. List four animals, birds or insects that
make shelters with materials from the
A warthog looks out of its burrow. environment. Give a short description of
each shelter.
41

UNIT Animal shelters can be natural or
25
1 human-made
Key words Animals, birds and insects living in the wild make
their own natural shelters. They make them on land
• natural something
and under the water.
formed or living in
nature, not made by
people
• wildlife rehabilitation
centre place where
injured or orphaned
wild animals are looked
after until they can go
back to the wild
Wasp nest
A sea snail uses its shell as a An owl takes shelter in a hollow tree. Bird’s nest
shelter.
Not all animal shelters are made by animals. People
make shelters to meet the needs of some animals.
Sometimes wild animals are hurt or sick and people
take care of them in wildlife rehabilitation centres
until they are well. Some animals are kept in zoos.
Pets and farm animals also need safe, comfortable
places to rest.
Budgie in a cage Rescued penguins A young goat herder

with her goats in an
enclosure made from
42 Term 1 acacia tree branches

ACTIVITY 2 Identify natural and human-made animal shelters
1. Look at the four pictures below. Answer the questions in
your workbook.
a. What kind of animal lives in each shelter?
b. Which shelters are natural and which are made by humans?
c. Write a sentence about the shape and size of each shelter.
d. What material is each shelter made out of?
A B
C
D
2. Copy the table below into your workbook. Use the list of animal
shelters to complete the table. Write each type of shelter in the
correct column. The first two have been done for you.
spider’s web stable for horses hamster cage
chicken coop bee hive cattle kraal sheep pen
meerkat burrow weaver bird’s nest tortoise shell
Natural animal shelter Human-made animal shelter
spider’s web stable for horses
Key concepts
Shelters are structures that protect animals, birds and insects from danger and bad weather.
Animal shelters can be natural or human-made.
Topic 5 Structures for animal shelters 43

UNIT
25
2 Animal shelters are structures
Key words Frame structures and shell structures

• rigid stiff; does not In Topic 2, you learnt that the different parts of
move or bend plants and animals form their structures. Shelters
• hollow has only empty are also structures. There are two main types of
space inside structures: frame structures and shell structures. A
frame structure is made of rigid parts that are joined
together. The parts make up a frame. Sometimes the
frame is covered up so you can’t see it.
Spider’s web Chicken coop Nesting box for a duck

A shell structure is hollow. It has a strong layer on the
outside so that it can hold itself up.
Goldfish bowl Wasp’s nest Hermit crab in a shell
Animal shelters can have

different shapes and sizes
Animals, birds and insects come in different shapes
and sizes and so do their shelters. Many big animals
like elephants, giraffe and buck, don’t make shelters
but use bushes, trees and rocks for protection. Some
animals make simple nests in the grass or trees.
Others build or dig out complicated structures. Each
shelter is made or chosen to meet the animal’s needs.
44 Term 1

Animal shelters can be made out of
many different materials
In the wild, animals, birds and insects gather materials
that they find in their environment to make their shelters.
Some animals, like spiders use materials made by their
own bodies to build their shelters. Other animals, like
termites and wasps, mix materials made by their bodies
with soil or other materials to make their shelters. Some animals, like the
Humans can choose from a range of materials including social weaver birds, live
wood, plastic, clay bricks, concrete, stones and metal together in groups and
when they make animal shelters. build big, complicated
structures.
ACTIVITY 3 Describe animal shelters

1. a. Look at the two dog kennels shown below. Which
kennel has a shell structure and which one has a
frame structure? Explain your answer.
A B
Some insects make nests
using patterns of shapes,
like this wasp’s nest.
b. What material is each kennel made out of?

c. Write a sentence to describe the size and shape of
each kennel.
2. Look at the structures on pages 43 and the top of
page 46.
Copy the table below into your notebook and write
the name of the structure of each shelter in the
correct column.
Frame structure Shell structure

UNIT 1 CONTINUED
Swallow’s nests Snail’s shell Ostrich shelter

Animal shelters are structures.
3. Look at each shelter in your table. Is it natural or

human-made? Write an ‘H’ next to each one that
was made by humans and an ‘N’ next to each one
that is natural.
4. Choose five different animal shelters that you have
seen in this topic. Copy the table below into your
workbook. Answer the questions for each shelter.
Use the example to help you.
Which materials are What shape is the What size is the

used to make the shelter? shelter?
shelter?
fish tank glass; plastic rectangular sides, about a metre long,
square ends half a metre deep and
half a metre high
5. Work with a partner. Find an old bird’s nest in your

area. Observe the nest closely but do not damage it.
a. Describe the size and shape of the nest.
b. Make a list of all the materials used to make the
nest. Write one sentence about each material
explaining why you think the bird chose that
material for building.
A nest
46 Term 1

Skills focus Design and draw to solve a
problem
In Technology you will design, make and evaluate Key words
products to solve problems and meet people’s needs.
A design brief is an instruction or plan that tells you: • design make a plan
that shows our ideas
• what you need to design and make for making a new
• who will use it product
• what it will be used for (purpose). • evaluate decide how
good, useful and
Specifications go with the design brief. Specifications successful something
tell you exactly: is
• what the product needs to do • product something
• what it should look like (size and shape) that people have
• what materials should be used to make it. made, grown or
created
• designer person
ACTIVITY 4 Understand a design brief and who designs new
specifications products
Malusi has a pet rat which roams around the house.

It sleeps inside an old cushion. His mother complains
about the mess that it makes all over the house. Malusi
is worried that a cat might catch and kill his rat.
Design brief: Design and draw a cage for Malusi’s
rat to live in.
Specifications: The cage should:
• be strong enough to keep the rat in and cats out
• be big enough for the rat to have space to run
• have a base that is waterproof.
1. Answer the following questions.

a. What is the product you need to design and make?
b. What will it be used for?
c. What must the product be able to do?
d. What materials would you think about using to
make it?
Skills focus Design and draw to solve a problem 47

Skills focus Design drawings
A designer draws and describes their design ideas so that the
people who will make the product know exactly what to do.
Labelled drawings allow you to record your ideas. They also let
other people see what you are imagining.
When you draw a flat view of an object, it is called a two-
dimensional or 2D drawing. 2D drawings show how high and how
wide an object is, but not how deep it is. Look at the dog kennel
labelled C on page 43. If you were given a design brief to make a
dog kennel your drawings would look similar to the ones below.
If we draw the front of the If we draw the side of the
kennel in 2D, it will look kennel in 2D, it will look like
something like this: this:
How to draw your design ideas

1. After you have read a design brief, take time to think and
gather the information you need. Then make a clear and
detailed 2D drawing of your design idea.
2. Label each part of your drawing. Labels give information
about how to make the product or explain how the different
parts work.
3. Show your drawing to a friend. Other people must be able
to understand it. Let them ask questions that will help you
Show your drawing improve your design.
to a friend.
ACTIVITY 5 Practise designing and drawing
Read the design brief and specifications in Activity 4 on page 47.
Make a 2D drawing of a shelter for the rat. Show all the parts of
the shelter. Use notes and labels to explain what shape and size
it should be and what materials you would use to make it.
48 Skills focus Design drawings

Case Study Hoot and Toot need a new home
Hoot and Toot are two Spotted Eagle Owls that live Key word
at the National Zoological Gardens of South Africa in • enclosure area that is
Pretoria. They go out into the zoo every day with their closed off with a fence
handlers so that visitors can see them up close. Their or wall to keep animals
enclosure is in a quiet part of the zoo where visitors inside
aren’t allowed.
Robynn Ingle trains Hoot and Toot. She knows a lot
about owls’ habits and how they live in the wild. She
knew that the owls needed a bigger enclosure with
some space to fly. They needed choices about where
to sit. The enclosure needed to protect them and give
them privacy, as well as allowing them to look out.
They needed a place to hide away and rest.
Robynn knows that all animals kept by humans need:
1. Fresh, clean water and proper food
2. A comfortable place to live
3. To be safe and healthy
4. To feel safe and happy
5. To be able to do the kinds of things they would do
in the wild.
Robynn helped the Friends of the zoo to design and
build a new enclosure for Hoot and Toot to meet all
their needs.
Hoot in her new enclosure Robynn Ingle with Hoot
Case study 49

Hoot and Toot also needed new nesting boxes
to hide in and to rest. Some students from the
University of Pretoria designed and made the
nesting boxes. First they did research on owls’
habits.
They discovered that Spotted Eagle Owls like
to roost on the ground. The students thought
about the size and shape of the boxes and what
materials they could use. They learnt that owls
must be able to turn around in their nesting
boxes and their heads must not touch the top.
The nests needed to protect the birds from sun, Hoot in her new nesting box
wind and cold. The nests could not cost too
much to make but they needed to be safe, comfortable and
easy to clean.
ACTIVITY 6 Write a design brief and answer questions

about animals’ shelters
1. Why do animals need shelters? Write three reasons.
2. What are the five things which all animals that are kept by
humans need?
3. Complete the design brief and specifications for Hoot and
Toot’s nesting boxes:
a. Design and make new for .
b. The boxes must .
c. The boxes must not .
4. Look at the photograph above.
a. Did the students build a frame structure or a shell
structure?
b. What materials did they use to make the box?
c. Write a sentence to describe the size and shape of the
box.
5. In a group, talk about keeping animals in zoos. Why is it a
good idea? Why is it not a good idea? How can the lives of
zoo animals be improved?
50 Case study

ACTIVITY 7 Design a chicken coop and evaluate
your design
Mrs J keeps four chickens and collects their eggs. Her
old chicken coop is falling down. Mrs J is worried that
a jackal will get to the chickens at night. She has many
planks of wood, lots of chicken wire and a few sheets of
corrugated iron.
1. Mrs J wants you to design a chicken coop for her
chickens. Complete the specifications.
a. The coop must keep the chickens safe
from .
b. It must be big enough for chickens.
c. It should be made out of these
materials: .
2. a. Do some research to collect ideas for your design.
Ask people who keep chickens. Look at real
chicken coops. Use the library and the internet.
b. Make some sketches and write notes about your ideas
for a chicken coop.
3. Choose your best idea and make a clear, 2D, labelled
drawing. Write notes if you need to explain your ideas.
4. Evaluate your design by answering these questions:
a. Does my design meet the design brief and the
specifications?
b. Can I make the design even better?
5. Make any changes that will improve your design. Hand
it in with your rough sketches and drawings.
Key concepts
Animal shelters are all structures.
A structure is something that is made or built.
Frame structures are made of different parts joined together to make
a frame.
Shell structures have a strong layer on the outside that holds itself up.
Animal shelters come in different shapes and sizes. They are made
out of a variety of materials.
Each animal shelter is chosen or built to meet the needs of the animal.

Topic revision
Technology language activity
1 4
S 5
2
A
3
E
Use the clues below to complete the highlighted sections Nest

of the crossword.
Across
1. The plan that shows all our ideas for making a new
product.
2. When we think about how good, useful or successful
something is we it. Web
3. structures have a strong layer on the
outside that holds itself up.
Down
4. A place where animals are safe from bad weather and
danger.
5. structures are made of different parts
joined together to make a frame.
Burrow
Revision activity
1. Write down the names of the animal shelters below
that are made by humans. (3)
burrow kennel barn nest hive cage
2. Look at the animal shelters in the photographs. Barn

Complete the sentences below.
a. The and the are examples of
frame structures.
b. The and the are examples of
shell structures. (2)
Total: 5
52 Topic revision

Term 1 test
1. Identify the pictures that show living things. Say which signs of
life they show. [5]
A B C D E
2. Match each part of a plant in column A with its correct function

in column B. [5]
A B
a. Roots grow into new plants
b. Stems attract insects for reproduction
c. Leaves keep the plant upright
d. Flowers absorb water and mineral salts
e. Seeds make food for the plant
3. Jackie, Zack and Bongi grew a few bean seedlings.
They watered their seedlings twice a week.
Jackie’s plants Zack’s plants Bongi’s plants

Jackie put her seedlings in the fridge, Zack put his under his bed
and Bongi put hers on the windowsill.
a. Which seedlings will grow the best. Give a reason. (2)
b. Why will the other seedlings not grow very well? (2)
c. What would happen to the seedlings if the children forgot to
water them for a week? (1)
[5]
Term 1 test 53

Term 1 test
4. Meerkats are indigenous animals that live in underground
burrows in hot, dry areas like the Kalahari Desert.
They give birth in the burrows. When meerkats come
out of their burrows, they have to look out for hawks
and eagles that can grab them and eat them.
a. Why do we say meerkats are indigenous animals? (1)
b. What is the meerkats’ habitat? (1)
c. In which three ways do burrows help meerkats? (3)
[5]
5. Complete a copy of the table below by putting a Meerkat
tick (ü) in the boxes that describe each structure
correctly. [8]
Bird cage Nest Rabbit hutch Termite mound
Structure Natural Human- Frame Shell

made structure structure
Bird cage
Nest
Rabbit hutch
Termite mound
6. Name one material used to make the following:
a. a birdcage (1)
b. a termite mound. (1)
[2]
Total: 30/2 = 15
54 Term 1 test

TOPIC Term 2: Matter and materials and structures
6 Materials around us
Starting off
In this topic, you will find out about
different forms of matter and materials.
You will also find out how a material or
substance can change from one form
to another when it is heated or cooled.
You will investigate some of the ways
in which heat can change materials.
ACTIVITY 1 Find out what you

know about solids,
liquids and gases
1. Look at the photographs.

2. Write down the solids, liquids
and gases that you can see in the
photographs.
3. What is the difference between a
solid and a liquid?
4. What is the difference between a
liquid and a gas?
5. Do you think that a liquid can
become a solid? Give an example.
6. Do you think that a liquid can
become a gas? Give an example.
7. Write a sentence to explain what
happens to ice if you leave it in
a warm place. Use the following
words in your sentence: solid, liquid
and melt.
55

UNIT
25
1 Solids, liquids and gases
Key words Matter is everything around us. Matter makes

up all the materials and substances that exist
• substance any type of
solid, liquid or gas
on Earth. Matter and materials can exist in three
different forms. These forms are: solids, liquids
• states of matter the
three forms in which
and gases. We call these three forms the states of
materials can exist: matter. Solids, liquids and gases are substances
solids, liquids and gases that make up all the materials around us.
• solid a substance that
has a fixed shape Some properties of solids, liquids
• liquid a substance that
does not have a fixed
and gases
shape and can flow
Solids
• flow the way a liquid
A solid has a fixed shape. The shape of a solid
moves and spreads
does not change easily.
• gas a substance that
has no shape and can An apple and a brick are solids. The only way they
move around freely can change their shape is by force. For example,
if you bite into the apple with your teeth or hit
the brick with a big hammer, you will change the
apple’s and the brick’s shape.
Liquids
A liquid does not have a fixed shape. A liquid takes
the shape of the container it is in. Milk, water and
juice are liquids. When you pour milk into a glass,
it takes the shape of the glass. If you spill the milk
on the floor, it will spread quickly as it takes the
Liquids flow and take on the
shape of their container. shape of the floor. We say that liquids flow.
Gases
A gas has no shape but it takes up space. A gas
moves around freely and spreads out into open
spaces. Gases will not stay in an open container or
space. They can be contained in a closed space,
such as air inside a balloon. You cannot see, feel, or
A solid (apple), a liquid (milk), smell some gases. Air is made of different gases.
and a gas (air)
56 Term 2

ACTIVITY 2 Sort and describe solids, liquids and gases
You need: wood; stone; plastic; fabric; cooking oil;

juice; tea; water; air; cylinder of cooking gas
Method
1. Observe the materials. Use the Skills focus on page
21 to help you make your observations.
2. Sort the materials into solids, liquids and gases.
Use the following questions to help you decide if Safety
each material is a solid, a liquid or a gas. Do not breathe in cooking
gas. It is very dangerous.
Solids:
• Does it feel hard or soft?
• Does it change shape when you squeeze it?
Liquids:
• Does it flow?
• Does it take on the shape of the container it is in?
Gases:
• Can you see it?
• Can you smell it?
• Can it be contained in a closed space, e.g.
inside a balloon?
3. Examine all the items given to you by your teacher,
as listed in the ‘You need’ box. Copy and complete
the table below by identifying each item as a solid,
a liquid or a gas, and describing the properties of
the material of each of them. We have done an
example for you.
Material Is it a solid, a Describe the properties
liquid or a gas? of the material
Stone solid It is hard. It does not
change shape when I
squeeze it.
Key concepts
Materials can exist as solids, liquids or gases: solids keep their
shape; liquids flow and take the shape of the container they
are in; gases have no shape – they spread out but can be Gas inside this container is used
contained in closed spaces. for cooking.
Topic 6 Materials around us 57

UNIT
25
2 Change of state
Key words As you learnt earlier, the three states of matter

are solid, liquid and gas. When a material
• change of state a substance
changes from one state of
changes from a liquid to a solid, from a solid to
matter to another when it a liquid, from a liquid to a gas, or from a gas to a
gains heat or loses heat, e.g. a liquid, we say that the material has a change of
liquid becomes a gas when it state.
gains enough heat
• melt when a solid gains heat Melting – changing from solid to
to become a liquid
• evaporate liquids can
liquid
change into gases If solids are heated, they can change into liquids.
• condense when gases For example, if we add heat energy to butter in
change to liquids a frying pan, it melts and becomes liquid. The
• solidify when a liquid loses photograph of the boy eating an ice-cream shows
heat to become a solid another example of a solid that is melting.
Evaporating – changing from

liquid to gas
When liquids are heated enough they can change
into gases. When this happens we say that the
liquid evaporates. Liquids evaporate when they
gain heat. For example, when you heat liquid
water it changes to a gas called water vapour.
Ice cream melts and becomes liquid Condensing – changing from

quickly on a hot day.
gas to liquid
When a gas cools it forms a liquid again. When
a gas changes back into a liquid we say that it
condenses. Gases condense when they lose
heat. For example, when you breathe out air on
a cold day the water vapour in your breath cools
down and condenses to form liquid water.
The water in the wet washing
evaporates into the air on warm days.
58 Term 2

When liquid water is heated When water vapour loses heat it
enough it changes to a gas. condenses to form drops of water.
ACTIVITY 3 Observe evaporation and Safety

condensation Steam is very hot and can
burn you. Never put your
You need: two saucers; a piece of cling film; and hand over boiling water.
water
Method
1. Pour some water into both of the saucers.
2. Cover one saucer tightly with a piece of cling film.
3. Leave the saucers in a warm place for a day.
4. Observe the saucers and answer these questions:
a. Is the amount of water in the saucers still the same?
b. How is the covered saucer different from the open
saucer?
5. Use the words in the box to complete these
sentences:
heat water water condensed evaporated

vapour droplets
a. The water in the open saucer gained

and to form .
b. In the covered saucer the water vapour cooled
and to form on the cling film.

UNIT 2 CONTINUED
Solidifying – changing from liquid

to solid
If liquids lose heat, they are cooled and they can
change into solids. For example, when you put
Some materials are solids at
water into the freezer, it becomes a solid. When you
room temperature. They melt take the water out of the freezer a few hours later,
and become liquid when they it has become ice. The water changes from a liquid
are heated. into a solid when we cool it. We say that the water
solidifies. However, not all substances have to be put
in the fridge or the freezer to solidify. For example,
butter and margarine are solids at room temperature,
as you can see in the photograph on the left.
ACTIVITY 4 Investigate evaporation, condensing,

freezing and melting using water
and ice
You need: a saucer; blocks of ice; beaker or glass;

hot water; small pot or other heatproof container;
sheet of glass or plastic wrap
Method
1. a. Put the ice blocks on the saucer and observe
them.
b. Is the ice liquid or solid?
c. Touch the ice. Does it feel warm or cold?
2. Put the blocks of ice in the beaker.
3. a. Put hot water into the pot. Put the beaker of ice
blocks into the hot water.
b. What happens to the ice blocks?
c. Why does this happen?
4. a. Take the beaker out of the pot. Heat the water
until it boils.
b. What do you observe above the boiling water?
c. Explain this observation.
60 Term 2

5. a. Your teacher will hold the sheet of glass or cling
wrap above the boiling water.
Safety
b. What do you observe? Be careful so that you do
not burn yourself with hot
c. Explain your observation. water. Let your teacher
6. a. How can you change the water back into ice? pour the hot water into
b. What is this process called? the pot.
7. Use the words to complete the sentences about
change of state in water.
heat water vapour loses evaporates
melts water condenses solidifies heat

a. Ice when it gains and
forms .
b. Water when it gains heat and forms
.
c. Water vapour when it loses
and forms water.
d. Water when it heat and forms
ice.
Key concepts
Solids melt and become liquids when they are heated.
When liquids are heated they change into gas and evaporate.
When gases cool, they condense and become liquid.
Liquids solidify and become solids when they are cooled.

Practical task
Investigate melting and solidifying Key word
You need: a square of chocolate; a cube of • melting point the
temperature at which a
butter; small block of candle wax; three beakers material melts
or pans; Bunsen burner or hot plate; thermometer
1. Place a square of chocolate, a cube of butter and a block of candle wax in
separate beakers or pans.
2. Heat the materials one at a time.
3. Measure the temperature of each material as soon as it melts. We call the
temperature at which a material melts its melting point. The Skills focus
on page 64 will help you to measure temperature.
4. a. Leave the material to cool down.
b. Measure the temperature at which each material solidifies.
5. Copy the table to record your results. (6)
Material Melting temperature Solidifying temperature
Safety
Be very careful when
using the Bunsen burner
and hot plate so that you
do not burn yourself.
Listen carefully to your
teacher’s instructions.
Measuring temperature with a thermometer
62 Practical task Investigate melting and solidifying

6. Record your results in a bar graph.
a. Copy the framework below.
5
Temperature ºC
0
cms Materials
b. Draw one bar for chocolate, one bar for butter and
one bar for candle wax. Make each bar as long as the
temperature at which the substance melted.
c. Make each bar 2 cm wide. Leave a gap of 1 cm between
each bar.
d. Label your bars Chocolate and Butter and Candle wax.
e. Write a heading for your bar graph. (8)
Answer the following questions:
1. Which material has the highest melting point? (1)
2. Which material has the lowest melting point? (1)
3. a. Are these materials solid at room temperature? (1)
b. Name two materials that will melt at room temperature.
(2)
4. Which material needs the most heat to melt? (1)
Total: 20/2 = 10
Practical task Investigate melting and solidifying 63

Skills focus Measure temperature
We use a thermometer to measure temperature. Key words
Temperature is how hot or cold something is.
• temperature
We measure temperature in units called degrees a measure of
Centigrade/Celcius. Water freezes at 0oC and boils how hot or cold
at 100oC. something is
There is a tube of liquid inside the thermometer. • predict say what
When the liquid gets hotter it moves up the tube. you think will
When it gets colder it moves down the tube. There happen before it
happens
are numbers on the thermometer to mark different
temperatures. The number that the liquid stops at is
the number of the temperature.
How to measure temperature
1. Hold the top of the thermometer.
2. Put the bulb of the thermometer into the material
to measure its temperature.
3. Leave the thermometer for a few minutes.
4. Observe the thermometer to see where the line of
the liquid is. Make sure you keep your eyes level
with the line on the thermometer.
5. Read the temperature from the degree marks on
the thermometer. Each mark on the thermometer is
one degree Celcius.
°C
110
Temperature 100
degree 90
Safety
marks 80 The liquid in some
70 thermometers is
60 silver. The silver
50 liquid is mercury.
glass tube 40 It is poisonous.
30 Never touch the
20
mercury if you break
10
a thermometer that
0
has mercury in it. The
mercury can enter
your body through
bulb your skin.
A thermometer
64 Skills focus Measure temperature

The temperature reading on this thermometer is 37 ºC.
ACTIVITY 5 Practise reading temperature
You need: a thermometer; beaker or jar of cold water;

beaker or jar of hot water
1. a. Use the thermometer to measure the temperature of
the cold water.
b. Write down the temperature in your workbook.
2. a. Use the thermometer to measure the temperature of
the hot water.
b. Write down the temperature in your workbook.
3. a. Predict what will happen to the water temperature if
you mix the cold and hot water.
b. Mix the cold and hot water and measure the
temperature.
c. Was your prediction correct?
Measuring and recording the change in temperature
Skills focus Measure temperature 65

UNIT
The water cycle
25
3
Key word The Earth has a limited amount of water. That water
keeps going around and around in what we call the
• water cycle the
movement of water
water cycle. In the water cycle water moves from
from the land and sea the land and sea to the air and back again. Water
to the air and back changes state in the water cycle. Water evaporates,
again by the processes condenses, freezes and melts in the water cycle. Look
of evaporating, at the drawing below.
condensing, freezing
and melting
Did you know?

The water cycle is
changing because of
global warming. As the
Earth gets hotter more
water evaporates. This
makes some places very
dry. More condensation
means that other places
get much more rainfall
and flooding.
The water cycle
66 Term 2

ACTIVITY 6 Identify changes of state in the
water cycle
Answer these questions about the water cycle
drawing.
1. Where does the heat come from to make water
evaporate from rivers, lakes and seas?
2. a. Copy the drawing of the water cycle shown here.
b. On the diagram write where these changes of
state happen:
a. evaporation b. condensation c. freezing
d. melting
3. Where does the evaporated water go?
4. What happens to water vapour when it
condenses?
5. How does the water that evaporated get
back to Earth in the water cycle?
6. Complete these sentences about the water
cycle. Use the words in the box to help you.
water vapour hail condenses evaporates snow clouds rain
a. Water on the Earth’s surface
and moves up into the air as water .
b. The water vapour cools and as
it rises into the air.
c. Drops of water high in the air form .
d. Drops of water fall to the Earth as .
e. Water in clouds freezes and falls to the Earth
as or .
f. Rain, snow and hail bring back to
the Earth’s surface.
Key concepts
The water cycle is the process by which water evaporates from
the Earth’s surface, condenses to form clouds and falls back to
the Earth. Water in clouds freezes to form snow and hail. Snow
and hail fall to the Earth and melt to form water.

Topic revision
1. Use the words to complete the sentences.
states solids cool solidify shape
space melt condense evaporate

a. The _______ of substances are solid, liquid and gas.
b. _________ keep their shape.
c. Liquids take the _________ of the container they are in.
d. Gases have no ________, but they take up __________.
e. When we heat solids, they _______ and become liquid.
f. When liquids are heated they ________ to form gases.
g. When gases ________ they ___________ to form liquids.
h. When liquids cool, they __________ and become solid.
Revision activity
1. Identify the state of materials in each of the pictures. (5)
2. Which changes listed below are examples of melting and which are
examples of solidifying? Give a reason for each answer.
a. You have a piece of chocolate in your pocket on a hot day. (2)
b. You put jelly in the fridge to set. (2)
c. You put butter in a pan so that you can fry an egg. (2)
3. Identify the change of state in the following parts of the water cycle:
a. clouds form (1)
b. snow forms (1)
c. water vapour forms (1)
d. snow becomes liquid water. (1)
Total: 15
A B C D E
68 Topic revision

TOPIC Term 2
7 Solid materials

The picture shows objects people know about solid
use every day. They are all made materials
from different solid materials. Not all
Look at the things in the picture. Talk
materials are the same. Think about
in your groups.
which materials were used to make
the things in the pictures. There is 1. a. Identify each object and say
a reason why we choose a certain what they are used for.
material to make something. In this b. From which material is each
topic, you will find out about different object made?
materials that are used to make other 2. Name one hard object and one soft
useful materials and objects. object.
3. Which of the objects will soak up
water when you pour water on it?
4. Which of the objects can hold a
liquid?
5. Give a reason why it is better to
use plastic to make the toy and not
glass.
69

UNIT
25
1 Raw and manufactured materials
Key words Raw materials are natural materials such as sand

and clay that can be used to make things. Natural
• raw materials natural
materials such as wood
materials come from nature. Sometimes we use raw
and clay that are made materials as they are.
into other things People also change
• manufactured materials raw materials in
materials or useful things different ways
made by people from to make other
natural or human-made
materials materials. We call
these materials
• sand fine particles of rock
manufactured
• clay small, smooth
materials.
particles of broken rock
• malleable can be shaped
easily Raw and
• ceramic objects made manufactured
from hardened clay and materials can be
Raw materials like clay can be used as they
sand used to make
are.
• brittle easily breaks into useful objects.
pieces
• coal a hard, black
substance that comes
from the Earth
• plastic a material made
from substances found in
coal and oil
• fibre string or thread
• leather a soft, flexible
material made from
animal hide
Manufactured materials such Raw and manufactured materials are

as glass and paper are made used to make useful objects.
by people.
70 Term 2

Examples of some raw materials
we use to make other materials
Sand is used to make glass
Rocks are broken down by wind and moving water
to become sand. Sand is a raw material that can be
used to make glass. When it is heated it melts into Liquid glass can be shaped.
liquid and can be shaped into many different objects.
When it cools down, it is not like sand or liquid any
more. It changes into glass.
Glass is useful for making many manufactured objects
for example windows, cups, plates and light bulbs.
Clay is used to make ceramics

Clay is a raw material that consists of sand that is very
fine. Wet clay is soft and malleable. It can be shaped
into bricks, pots, mugs and other crockery like plates A glass jug
and dishes. When clay objects are fired or baked in a
very hot oven they become harder and stronger. This
process of heating changes the clay into a ceramic
material. Ceramic objects are harder than clay but
they are also very brittle and can break easily.
Wash basins, baths, toilets and tiles are made from
ceramic materials.
Coal and oil are used to make plastics,

paints and fabrics
Coal is a hard, black substance that comes from the
Earth. Coal is formed from the remains of trees and
plants which grew millions of years ago.
These solid objects are made
with ceramic materials.
A piece of coal
Topic 7 Solid materials 71

UNIT 1 CONTINUED
Oil is a dark liquid that we find

underground the surface of the
Earth. Crude oil comes from oil
rigs and wells and is pumped to
oil refineries. Here the different
materials in the crude oil are
separated. Oil and coal are raw
materials that can be used to
make many new manufactured
materials.
Oil rigs are large structures with equipment for getting oil out
of the ground.
Plastic is a very useful

manufactured material that is
made from oil and coal. Plastics
have replaced many of the
natural materials we used to use
to make objects. There are also
many different kinds of plastics.
Look at some of the examples
on this page.
Coal and oil can be used to
make manufactured fibres. A
fibre is a long thread. Nylon
Plastic objects
and polyester are examples of
Did you know? manufactured fibres made from
oil. The fibres are made into
Plastic is very durable and it takes a long time to
degrade or rot. It is often used to make things like yarn and fabrics. Some fibres
containers and packets which we just throw away are used in pillows and duvets.
when we have finished using them. This plastic then Others become blankets and
becomes litter in our homes, streets and rivers. It tents.
finally ends up in the ocean. This pollution has a very
bad effect on life in the oceans. That is why all of us
must recycle or reuse our plastic objects.
72 Term 2

Another manufactured material that is made from
coal and oil is paint. Paints are used to colour and
decorate different objects. Paints can also be used to
protect wood from rain and preserve the wood.
ACTIVITY 2 Identify and classify materials

Paint is also made from oil and
1. Identify what materials the following objects have coal.
been made from. Copy and complete the table by
ticking the correct column.
Objects Sand Clay Coal or oil

1. Plastic spoon
2. Glass vase
3. Nylon nightdress
4. Ceramic tile
5. Plastic ball
2. Look at the photos of different plastic objects on

page 72. Suggest a natural material that could be
used to make each object.
Animal wool and hides are used to make
fabrics and leather
Animals like sheep have wool. Wool is a natural fibre.
People roll or spin these fibres to make yarn such as
knitting wool. Machines can also weave or knit yarn
into fabrics.
Sheep being sheared

UNIT 1 CONTINUED
People also use the skins or hides from animals to

make things. The hides can be changed into soft and
flexible leather. From early days people used leaves
and barks from certain plants for this tanning of
leather.
Today leather is used to make expensive shoes and
jackets, hand bags, belts, furniture and car seats.
The hunter-gatherers hunted wild animals for meat.
They used the animal hides or skin to make clothes
and shoes. Drums to make music or send messages,
were also made from animal skin.
ACTIVITY 3 Answer questions about fabrics

Different animal skins are used and leather
to make many things.
1. What is leather?
2. Look at the pictures of leather objects.
a. List three of the objects shown in the picture.
b. Find out which animal hides can be used to make
leather.
c. Do people still hunt these animals for their meat?
Discuss in a group.
3. Explain where wool comes from. What is it used
for?
Wood and fibre from plants are used to

make paper
Inside the stems and leaves of plants are long threads
or fibres. These raw materials can be used to make
paper and other things like cardboard packaging.
ACTIVITY 4 Read and answer questions about

how paper is made
1. Read the questions first, so that you know what to
look out for in the text and questions on page 75.
Tell a friend what happens in the pictures.
74 Term 2

2. Where do the plant fibres that are used to make
paper come from?
3. What is pulp?
4. What is done with all the waste paper collected at
buy-back centres?
5. Why must we recycle paper?
The trees are cut into logs.
How paper is made from wood and plant
fibres
1. Forestry companies plant trees like pine trees, They
chop down the big trees and a machine cuts them
into logs.
2. At the paper mill big machines take off the bark.
3. Another machine chips the logs into small pieces,
Recycled paper
about the size of a R2 coin.
4. The wood chips are then cooked in big steam pots,
until they are soft like runny porridge. The fibres
are now called pulp.
5. Because there are not enough forestry trees in
South Africa, recycled cardboard and paper are
added into the paper-making process. Recycled
paper comes from waste paper buy-back centres. The pulp is mixed into a thick
It is shredded into strips, soaked in water, and liquid.
added to the pulp. Another machine mixes the
pulp into a thick liquid or slush.
6. In the paper machine are different rollers. When
the slush moves over them the water drains away
or is pressed out. The web of fibres that remains
behind dries over hot rollers.
7. Some companies buy large amounts of paper in Large rolls of paper
big rolls. They cut them in different sizes, and sell
them to other companies.
Key concepts
Sand is used to make glass.
Clay is used to make ceramics.
Coal and oil are used to make plastics, paints and fabrics.
Wood and fibre from plants are used to make paper.
Animal wool and hides are used to make fabrics and leather.

UNIT
Properties of materials
25
2
Key words We make things out of different materials. To choose

the right materials we need to know how they will
• properties what a
behave if they are used in a certain way. In other
material looks like and
how it behaves words, we need to know what the properties of
• waterproof does not
the material are. For example, if you need to make
allow water to pass a container to store water, you would need to use a
through material that is waterproof and that is strong enough
• dent to make a hollow to hold the water but also light enough to carry it
on a surface around.
• flexible material bends
easily
• stiff material does not
bend easily
• examine find out more
about something
• absorbent to soak up a
liquid
Plastic is light and Paper does not have suitable

waterproof. It is also properties for making
strong enough to hold containers that store water.
the water.
Materials have different properties

Hard or soft
Some materials are soft and others are very hard. We
can test how hard a material is if we scratch, cut or
dent it. Think of a candle. You can make a scratch
on it with your fingernail. You would not be able to
scratch a ceramic mug with your fingernail. You can
dent an empty cool drink can with your fingers, but
you would not be able to dent a piece of wood. If
you cannot scratch, cut or dent a material, it is hard.
To compare the hardness of materials, they must be
tested in the same way.
Read about a fair test on page 86 in Topic 8.
76 Term 2

ACTIVITY 5 Compare the hardness of different
materials
You need: a nail or pin; a stone; mud, clay, clay

brick, a plastic bottle top; a metal bottle top; a
wooden cutting board; a ceramic clay tile clay
1. Scratch each object with the nail or pin or try to

dent it. Draw a table like the one below in your
coin
book and complete it.
Materials Material that is Material that is
scratched easy to scratch or more difficult to
dent scratch or dent
Stone and
clay
stone
2. Sort the materials into two groups – those that are
raw materials and those that are manufactured
materials.
3. Write down another property of each raw material
and each manufactured material.
clay
Stiff or flexible
Sometimes we need materials that are flexible,
because they can bend without breaking. A stiff
material is needed if something should not bend, such
as the handle of a spade.
ACTIVITY 6 Compare the flexibility and stiffness

of different materials Flexible hose and
stiff sprinkler
You need: a wooden ruler and a plastic ruler, both
the same length
1. Bend both rulers with the same force.
2. Which ruler is more flexible? Which ruler is more Stiff toothbrush with flexible
bristles
stiff?
3. Why must we use rulers that are the same length
for this test?

UNIT 2 CONTINUED
Strong or weak and light or heavy

How strong or how weak a material is can also help
us to see if it is the right material to use when we
make something. For example stone is a very strong
material. It can however be difficult to work with as it
is very heavy. It is often used to build with.
The lightness or heaviness of a material is also a
property that needs to be considered to see if it is
suitable to make something with. Plastic is light but
can also be very strong.
The Castle of Good Hope in Cape
Town is built of stone. It is the
oldest surviving building in South
Africa. It replaced an older fort that
was built out of clay and wood.
ACTIVITY 7 Examine the properties of raw and

manufactured materials
You need: plastic spoon; paper cup; wooden ruler;

stone sculpture; cotton fabric; nylon fabric; glass
bottle; ceramic pot
1. Gather the objects in the list above. Examine each object
to see if it is strong, weak, light or heavy.
2. Copy and complete the table below.
Object What Manufactured Is it Is it

material is or raw strong light or
this made material? or heavy?
from? weak?
Plastic spoon
78 Term 2

Waterproof or absorbent
Some materials can absorb or take in liquids like
water. Many fabrics are absorbent.
Other materials are waterproof which means they can
keep water out.
ACTIVITY 8 Describe properties of raw and Cloths absorb water.

manufactured solid materials
Collect some materials from the list below and bring
them to class. Label the materials.
You need: feather; wooden spoon; plastic spoon;
plastic bag; paper bag; clay brick; glass marble;
rusk; newspaper; small towel; leather belt; nylon
sock
A raincoat is waterproof.
1. Make a copy of the table and use it to compare
the properties of the different materials. Tick the
properties each material has. The first one has
been done for you.
Hard Soft Strong Weak Stiff Flexible Light Heavy Waterproof Absorbent
Feather ü ü ü
2. Use each word below in a sentence about a

material that has the property. For example: A
blown balloon is light.
brittle stiff hard soft flexible weak waterproof
absorbent heavy light

3. List one material made from:
a. sand b. clay c. coal and oil
d. plants e. animals
Key concepts
Raw and manufactured materials have certain properties.
These properties can include being hard or soft, stiff or flexible,
strong or weak, light or heavy, waterproof or absorbent.
Properties of materials tell us what they are like and how they
behave.

Topic revision
1. Match each word in column A with the correct description in
column B.
A B
1. Plastics a. threads in plant and animal materials
2. Absorbent b. made of clay and sand
3. Brittle c. made from oil and coal
4. Fibres d. breaks easily
5. Ceramics e. soak up a liquid easily
Revision activity
1. Describe the raw material of each of the following:
a. ceramics b. leather (2)
2. Write a sentence to explain what glass is. (1)
3. Make a copy of the table and tick the properties of glass, clay and
plastics. (5)
Properties Glass Clay Plastics

a. Flexible
b. Brittle
c. Becomes hard when baked
d. Waterproof
e. Soft
4. Look at the words in the word box and answer the questions below.
wool wooden walking polyester glass
slippers stick pillow jug
floor knitting plastic shopping plastic knitting

tile wool bag needles
a. Name one object that is made of a hard material. (1)
b. Give two examples of objects that are made of soft materials. (2)
c. List two objects that are made of stiff materials. (2)
d. List two objects that are made of flexible materials. (2)
Total: 15
80 Topic revision

TOPIC Term 2
8 Strengthening materials
Starting off
A In Topic 7, you examined the properties
of different materials. Some materials
are strong, like stone or rock, and some
are weak, like paper. In this topic,
you will find out how to strengthen
materials like paper. We can change
the shape of paper by folding it into
hollow pillars or rolling it into long,
thin tubes. Other materials can also be
shaped in the same way to make strong
structures.

know about the shape
B of strong structures
Look at the houses in the picture.
Talk in your groups.
1. What is the shape of the rondavel in
picture A?
2. What is the shape of the house in
picture B?
3. What is the shape of the roof of the
house in picture B?
4. What other structures can you think
of that have the same shape as A?
5. What other structures do you know
that have the same shape as B?
6. Can you think of structures that have
the shape of long, thin tubes? List
them.
7. Explain why structures have these
shapes.
81

UNIT
25
1 Ways to strengthen materials
Key word Structures like buildings must be strong enough

to stand firm against powerful winds, hail and
• folding bending
something over on
rainstorms. Sometimes they also have to support
itself to strengthen a weight. Strong materials are used to build strong
sheet of material structures.
In this topic, you will explore the different methods
we can use to strengthen materials to build stronger
structures.
Folding cardboard makes it

stronger.
This wind turbine is held in place by The chimney and tower at this
a strong circular pillar that can stand power station are circular pillars.
firm in strong winds.
Strengthen by folding
Some materials can be strengthened by changing
their shape. The shape of materials can be changed
by folding.
We use boxes to pack things in. To make these boxes
stronger, the cardboard paper is folded. Take a piece
of cardboard box and tear off one of the layers. Look
at the folded layer underneath.
Look at the picture of the cookie cup. The flat sheet of
round paper was folded. This strengthened the paper
to make it strong enough to hold the dough inside.
The cookie cup paper has been
folded to make it stronger.
82 Term 2

ACTIVITY 2 Strengthen by folding
You need: two sheets of A4 paper. You may re-use

waste paper
Method
1. Fold sheet A as follows:
a. Use a pencil and a ruler and put dots one
centimetre apart along both edges.
b. Use a ruler to join the dots from the top and the
bottom of the paper with a straight line.
c. Fold along the lines in opposite directions.
2. Leave sheet B as it is.
3. Gently try to bend sheet A and sheet B.
4. How do the two sheets differ?
5. Which sheet is easier to bend?
6. Does folding make a material stronger?
7. You will use this folded paper in the skills activity
on page 86.
Topic 8 Strengthening materials 83

UNIT 1 CONTINUED
Strengthen with hollow pillars

In Activity 2 you learnt that folding makes a weak
material like paper stronger. We can strengthen paper
by folding it into circular, triangular or square pillars.
ACTIVITY 3 Create hollow pillars

Making hollow pillars.
You need: 3 sheets of A5 paper; adhesive tape
Method
1. Fold three sheets of paper to create circular,
hollow and triangular pillars.
a. Bring the sides of a sheet of paper together as
shown in the picture. Stick the edges together with
adhesive tape.
You have now made a circular, hollow pillar.
b. Fold a sheet of paper into four equal parts as
shown in the picture below. Stick the edges
together with adhesive tape to make a square
shape.
You have now made a square, hollow pillar.
84 Term 2

c. Fold another sheet of paper into three equal parts
as shown in the picture below. Stick the edges
together with adhesive tape to form a triangular
hollow pillar.
You have now made a triangular hollow pillar. You

will use these pillars again in Activity 5.
Topic 8 Strengthening materials 85

Skills focus Carry out a fair test
When we investigate things, we test them. When Key words
we test something, there are factors that play
• factors things that play
a role in the result. A test is fair when we test a role in a result
everything in the same way. A fair test can have
• control object or
two parts: a control and an experiment. In the material where nothing
control, we keep all the factors the same. In the is changed
experiment, we change only one factor. • experiment a test
where one factor at a
ACTIVITY 4 How to do a fair test time is changed
You need: a sheet of folded paper; a flat sheet

of paper; four empty jelly boxes; two pencils
Test the strength of folded paper

To test the strength of folded and unfolded paper, we need to test them in
the same way.
Method
1. Set up the experiment and the control as in the photographs.
Experiment Control
2. Conduct a fair test.

a. Use the same pencils to test the strength of the flat sheet of paper and
the folded sheet of paper.
b. Carefully put the pencil in the middle of both sheets.
c. Add pencils until the paper folds and the pencils fall down.
3. Record your findings.
4. Draw conclusions.
a. Write one sentence in which you say what you found out in your
investigation.
b. Why do you think your test was a fair test?
86 Skills focus Carry out a fair test

Practical task
Test and compare the strength of hollow pillars
ACTIVITY 5 Test the strength of hollow pillars
You need: The circular, square and triangular pillars you created in
Activity 3; workbooks or text books of the same kind
Method
1. Stand the three hollow pillars upright on a level surface. (3)
2. Conduct a fair test, testing each pillar. Read what a fair test is on
page 86.
a. Put the same items on each of the hollow pillars, then add more items
until one of them collapses. (1)
b. Count and record the number of items it could support. (3)
c. Carry on with the other two pillars and count and record what they
could support. (3)
Copy the table below into your workbook and record your results.
Circular pillar Square pillar Triangular pillar
Number of text books

supported by pillars
3. Write down your conclusions.

a. Which shape can support the heaviest load? (1)
b. Write one sentence to say what you found out in your investigation. (1)
4. Do you think your test was a fair test? Write down two reasons for your
answer. (3)
Total: 15
Practical task Test and compare the strength of hollow pillars 87

Skills focus Draw a bar graph
A bar graph is a diagram or picture that shows Key word
information in bars or columns.
• bar graph a diagram
that shows information
in bars or columns
Bar graph showing the favourite drink of learners in a class
Favourite drink Number of learners

Milkshake 11
Fizzy drinks 6
Fruit juice 4
Coffee 3
Water 2
88 Skills focus Draw a bar graph

Your teacher will explain to you how the bar graph on
page 88 was drawn.
ACTIVITY 6 Record results in a bar graph
Method
You can now draw your own bar graph using the results of
your investigation in Activity 5.
Look at the heading of the bar graph. It tells you what the
information in the bar graph shows. Write the heading for
your own bar graph:
Compare the strength of different shaped pillars
1. The bar graph has two lines, one going from the bottom
to the top (side line), and the other one going from left to
right. This is the bottom line. Draw these two lines now
like in the bar graph on page 88.
2. Make a mark every 1 cm on the side line.
3. The side line shows the number of text books the
pillars could support. Label it to the left of the line.
4. On the bottom line you must draw 3 columns or bars,
one for each pillar. Write this underneath the bottom line:
Hollow Pillars that are tested.
5. Make each bar 2 cm wide, and draw them 2 cm from
each other. Each bar shows a different pillar. Name the
bars: circular, square and triangular.
6. Look at the information in your table, and show the
number of workbooks they could support, on the side
line.
7. Shade or colour in your bars.
Skills focus Draw a bar graph 89

Skills
Practial
focus
task Strengthen materials by rolling into
long, thin tubes or struts
Struts are used to strengthen structures, like the Key word
chair in the picture. That is why struts must be
• struts lengths of strong
made of a strong material. Struts can be made material that are joined
stronger, by rolling the material into long, thin to make a strong frame
tubes. In the next activity we will make struts to use
in Topic 9.
ACTIVITY 7 How to make paper struts
You will make a number of struts to use in a practical

project in Topic 9.
You need: a dowel stick 10 mm thick
and 30 cm long; a sheet of A4 paper or
newspaper cut to A4 size; sticky tape;
stapler and staples, or paper clips
Step 1 struts
Put a sheet of paper flat on your desk.
A structure strengthened
by struts
Put the dowel stick close to the edge of the paper.
90 Practical task

to Step 2
Lift the paper with your thumbs and start rolling the paper around the
dowel to its end. Keep the side edges straight.
Step 3
Stick the other edge of the paper with sticky tape to the thin roll or strut
you made. Make sure the side edges are straight.
Step 4
Carefully remove the stick.
Hint: The tubes will

be easier to make if
you wipe the sheet
of paper with a damp
sponge before rolling
it. It will not need
sticky tape. Leave in
the Sun to dry.
Skills focus Strengthen materials by rolling into long, thin tubes or struts 91

Topic revision
Match each word in Column A with the correct description in
Column B.
Column A Column B.
1. Square hollow a. bending something over on itself to strengthen
pillar a sheet of material
2. Folding b. a length of material that we insert into a frame
structure to strengthen it.
3. Triangular c. when a flat sheet of material is folded into a
hollow pillar square pillar.
4. Struts d. when a flat sheet of material is folded into a
triangular pillar.

Column A Column B.
1. Factors a. explain what a result means
2. Control b. a test where one factor at a time is changed
3. Interpret c. object or material where nothing is changed
4. Fair test d. a diagram or picture that shows information in bars
or columns
5. Experiment e. things that play a role in a result
6. Bar graph f. a special way of doing an experiment with results
that can be trusted
Revision activity
1. Name a structure from daily life that is a circular pillar. (1)
2. Why does it have a circular shape? (1)
3. Name a structure from daily life that is a square pillar. (1)
4. Complete this sentence: The roof of a rectangular house is an
overturned ________ pillar. (1)
5. Look at the fair test on page 86.
a. List two factors that can affect this experiment. (2)
b. Say whether it will be a fair test if you put the 2 jelly boxes
in the control 10 cm apart, and the two boxes of the
experiment 20 cm apart. Give a reason for your answer. (4)
Total: 10
92 Topic revision

TOPIC Term 2
9 Strong frame structures
Starting off
There are different ways in which
materials can be made stronger.
You learnt about hollow pillars and
struts in Topic 8. Struts can be joined
into different shapes to make strong
frame structures. Frame structures
are structures that are made out of a
framework of strong materials. The
photograph of the pylon shows struts
that have been joined into triangular
shapes. These help to make the pylon
stronger and more stable. In this topic,
you will explore ways to join struts to
make strong structures and you will
look at different frame structures that
are strengthened with struts.

know about structures
Look at the picture and answer the
questions.
1. Describe what you see in the
picture.
2. What is used to build a pylon?
3. Why are pylons built so high?
4. What do they carry?
5. How many triangles can you count?
6. Why do you think there are triangles
in the structure?
The pylon is an example of a frame structure.
93

UNIT
25
1 Struts and frame structures
Key words Frame structures have different functions: to hold things

up, to give a certain shape or to bridge a gap between
• frame structures
structures made of
two places. To be able to do this, they need to be very
different parts that strong. Frame structures are made of different parts
are joined to make or struts joined together. Struts can be joined into
a frame that holds triangular shapes to make a strong, stable frame, such
things up, to give a as in roof trusses, bridges, cranes, pylons and skeletons.
shape or to bridge a
gap Limb bones are also struts.
• triangulation struts Struts are joined into triangular
are joined into the
shape of a triangle shapes
The photographs below show how different structures
are strengthened when struts are joined in a triangular
shape. Look out for triangular shapes in the pictures
below. Think about how the triangles are used to make
the structure stronger in each picture. Then answer the
questions in Activity 2.
A B strut
strut
Roof trusses Struts strengthen a bridge.

C
strut crane D E
strut
Arms and legs

need strong
struts to be
able to work
properly.
Moses Mabida soccer stadium in construction. A pylon Limb bones are

struts.
94 Term 2

ACTIVITY 2 Look at struts in strong, stable structures
1. a What is structure A used for?
b. What is the shape of each roof truss in A?
c. Why do you think they have these shapes?
d. Why must a roof be a strong structure?
2. a What is structure B used for?
b. How is it strengthened?
c. Why must it be strong?
3. a. What materials are used to build a soccer stadium?
b. How do they get all these heavy materials to the top
of the structure in picture C?
c. Describe why cranes must be strong.
d. Describe how they are strengthened.
Struts in the human skeleton

There are also struts inside the human body. They
form part of our skeleton, which is also a frame
structure. The bones in our legs and arms are struts knee
and give shape to our bodies. These limb bones have leg
joints, like in our elbows and knees. The joints allow
us to bend and move our limbs. In the picture we
see how our legs can bend at the knee joint. We can Humans have struts in their
compare the joints with that of the chair in the picture. skeletons.
ACTIVITY 3 Identify and compare struts and joints in

the human body and in a chair
Look at the pictures and discuss the following questions:
1. Identify struts in the human body.
2. How are the struts in the human body joined together?
3. Identify the joints of the chair.
4. How do the joints of the person sitting on the chair, differ
from the joints of the chair?
5. What can happen if the chair is not strengthened at its
joints? Chairs also have legs.
Topic 9 Strong frame structures 95

UNIT 1 CONTINUED
Different ways to join struts to make stronger structures

When struts are joined in such a way that they form a triangle, they make a
strong frame. In our next activity we will explore the strength of a triangle so
that we can understand why triangles are seen in so many strong structures.
We will also compare it with square shapes.
ACTIVITY 4 Explore ways to join struts to make

A a strong structure using triangular
and square shapes
You need: the struts you made in Activity 7, Topic 8;

split pins or other paper fasteners
1. Make a square structure as shown in the
photograph labelled A.
2. Draw the structure in your book and label it
structure A.
3. Test the strength of structure A by pushing its
B opposite corners gently.
4. Make a triangular structure as shown in the
photograph labelled B.
5. Draw the structure in your book and label it
structure B.
6. Test the strength of structure B by pushing its
opposite corners gently.
7. Compare the strength of A and B. Write down how
Squares and triangles each of them behaved.
8. What have you learnt about the strength of a
triangular shape and a square shape?
Explore ways to strengthen an unstable

square shape with struts
When you look closely at the structure of a pylon, you
can identify many square shapes from the bottom to
the top. They join the four pillars or legs. We can add
struts to these unstable square shapes to form stable
triangles.
96 Term 2

ACTIVITY 5 Investigate how struts can change
unstable squares into stable
triangles
A. Prepare a square shape using struts

You need: 4 identical paper struts; 4 identical split
pins or other paper fasteners; scissors; ruler
A
1. Cut four struts 20 cm long.
2. Join the four struts with split pins at the corners to
make square frame A.
3. Test the strength of frame A by gently pushing on
the opposite corners of the frame.
4. Describe what happens to the corner joints of
frame A.
5. Draw square frame A showing what happens to
the corner joints when you push on the opposite
corners. Label your drawing: Frame A.
B. Make a square with triangles inside it
You need: 4 identical paper struts 20 cm long,
same as in A; 4 identical paper struts of 10 cm long;
12 identical split pins or other paper fasteners, same
as in A; scissors; ruler B
1. Cut four identical struts 20 cm long.

2. Join the four struts with split pins at the corners to
make square frame B.
3. Cut four struts 10 cm long. Use split pins to fasten
them across the corners of frame B like in the
picture.
4. Test frame B by gently pushing on the opposite
corners.
5. Describe what happens at the corner joints.
6. Draw square frame B showing what happens to
the corner joints when you push on the opposite
corners. Label your drawing: Frame B.

7. Copy the table below. Compare the strength of
frames A and B. Tick in the correct column.
Structure A Structure B
Sides of frame split open at
two corner joints
Sides of frame moved closer
together at two corner joints
Corner joints stay stable and
strong
Frame is stable
Frame is unstable
8. Write down what you can conclude about the role

played by triangular struts in a frame structure.
Triangular struts prevent the sides of a structure from

splitting open at a corner joint. They also prevent
two sides of a structure from moving closer together
at the corner joints. Even small triangles shaped by
short struts can strengthen a frame structure. Putting
triangles into a structure is called triangulation.
Triangular roof truss
Key concepts
Frame structures can be strengthened with struts.
Struts can be joined into triangular shapes to make strong, stable
structures.
Examples of strong frame structures that are strengthened with
struts are roof trusses, bridges, cranes, pylons, and skeletons.
98 Term 2

UNIT
25
2 Indigenous structures Key words
• traditional based on
old beliefs or old ways
People build different types of traditional houses from of doing things
raw materials all over the world. A range of natural • specification
materials are used. In some areas there are plenty of something specific
trees or grass and reeds. Others have plenty of rocks about a product
and clay. They sometimes have cow dung and wood • constraint something
ash to mix with clay. Some places have many wild that limits a product
animals from which they can use the hides, while
people living in very cold areas even build houses
from ice blocks. Such materials are indigenous to that
area. In every part of the world we find indigenous
traditional homes.
D C
B
E
F A
Map of the world showing indigenous structures

UNIT 2 CONTINUED
ACTIVITY 6 Explore indigenous homes from all

over the world
Look at the map on page 99 and discuss the
questions.
1. Where do you think people in KwaZulu-Natal find
Circular-shaped house with the materials to build their beehive-shaped huts as
cone-shaped roof in A?
2. In what conditions would you build a stilt house,
as in photograph B?
3. Why do you think the people in B use wood and
bamboo to build their houses and not clay or
stone?
4. Why do you think the Bedouin people made
their tents from woven camel and goat hair, as in
photograph C?
5. Look at photograph D. What is this house called?
6. Why do you think people make their houses from
blocks of snow?
7. American Indians in Northeast America made
Beehive-shaped house: an igloo
wigwams of saplings and bark, grass or rushes.
What type of vegetation do you think grows in
Northeast America?
8. Why do you think the people who live in F make
their houses from clay?
Shapes of housing structures in

different parts of the world
All over the world there are different shapes of
structures used for indigenous housing.
They can be grouped into the following: beehive
structures, cylinder or circular shape covered with
a cone-shaped roof, a triangular shape standing on
the ground, a cone-shaped structure standing on the
ground, a square house with a cone-shaped roof, and
Cone-shaped house: a wigwam a few more.
100 Term 2

By now you know about hollow pillars and strong
shapes. People all over the world used these strong
shapes way back in history. They were also used by
people in Southern Africa. The beehive structures
A half-circle shape
were used by the Zulu, Swazi and Nama people to
make huts. The Xhosa people built circular or cylinder-
shaped rondavels and made a cone-shaped roof on
top. The wigwam of the American Red Indians was a
cone structure standing on the ground.
Traditional indigenous building

structures from other areas A cylindrical shape
People move from one place to another and take
indigenous knowledge and skills with them. They adapt
them to answer their housing needs in the new place.
Examples of making frameworks out of
struts
1. Wattle and daub is used for making walls, in which
flexible wooden twigs or strips are woven into a
lattice, called wattle. These lattices or panels are A cone shape
then tied to a framework of poles or struts. It is
used to build a square structure.
This frame structure is then covered with a sticky
material, called daub. Daub is a mixture of wet soil,
clay, sand, animal dung and straw. Wattle and daub
have been used for at least 6 000 years and examples
of such structures are found in Swazi communities. A square cube shape
The wall is made by weaving

the branches between upright
Square house from wattle and daub stakes.

UNIT 2 CONTINUED
2. Some cultures build round houses without corners.

They did not have to strengthen corner joints.
Others build square or rectangular houses which
they construct from a framework of poles and
struts, one to the outside and one to the inside of
the house. The space in between is filled up with
stones packed closely together. Sometimes it is
covered with a clay mixture on the outside.
3. Some huts are in the shape of an arch. The arch is
a strong structure, because a load on top of such a
structure will be spread over the whole roof.
Examples of indigenous houses of
Southern Africa
Rondavels
The Xhosa people build huts called rondavels. The
Xhosa people also call these huts rontabile and
ungqu-phantsi. The huts have round walls and
thatched roofs. The rondavels are built from raw
materials found in the area. The Xhosa people build
Example of a Xhosa rondavel their huts by sticking poles or pillars into the ground.
Planks or laths are attached to the poles, like struts in
a framework. Rocks are inserted between the laths.
The whole structure is covered with a mixture of clay
and cattle dung. These walls are decorated with paint.
The roofs are constructed of wooden poles cut to
length. The roof is covered with thatch sewn to the
poles with grass ropes. It is sewn from the bottom
Structure of roof from inside. working towards the top. Such a roof becomes
Look at the triangles made by waterproof.
struts.
102 Term 2

Beehive-shaped huts
Traditionally, Zulu people live in beehive-shaped huts.
The isiZulu word for such a hut is uguqa. The men
in the community construct the huts by making a
framework of flexible young trees in the form of an
arch. They tie the branches together to form triangles.
The women weave ropes and mats from grass. The
mats are laid over the wooden frame of the hut, from
Example of an uguqa
bottom to top. They tie the mats to the framework
with thick grass ropes.
Matjieshuis
Traditionally, the Nama people of Namibia live in
structures called a matjieshuis. The men collect
branches, mainly from tamarisk trees. They remove the
thorns and hold the branches over a very hot fire. They
then remove the bark and bend the branches. When
the branches cool down, they keep their bent shape.
The bent branches are tied together to form a dome
or arch shape. More branches are used as struts to Framework of a matjieshuis
strengthen the framework. The women harvest reeds.
They dry the reeds in the Sun, cut them to the correct
length and weave them into mats. Finally, they drape
and fasten the mats over the framework.
ACTIVITY 7 Compare indigenous structures to

modern houses
Choose any of the indigenous structures. Draw a table
in which you compare it to the house you live in.
Completed matjieshuis
a. List the materials used for the walls.
b. Explain how each house is strengthened.
c. List all the properties that are the same.
Key concepts
Indigenous people use the raw materials from where they live, to
build traditional houses.
Indigenous traditional homes such as a Zulu hut, Xhosa rondavel
and Nama matjieshuis make use of a framework of struts to make
them strong.
A Swazi hut
Branches from trees are used as struts.

Project
Design, make and evaluate a strong structure
In South Africa, many communities lose their possessions or lives in floods. In
Technology we design, make and evaluate products to meet people’s needs.
Part 1: Identify a problem
Look at the house built on a
platform in the picture. People
that live in very wet areas build
their homes above the ground
to keep them dry. Talk in your
groups about the problems
caused by floods and how
it affects people in our own
country. Think of how to build
a strong structure, like a tower
with a platform on which
people can build their shelters.
Think of squares and how you
can use struts and triangulation
to make your structure stronger. Look again at the pictures of structures in
Unit 1. Think how people will get on to the structure.
Part 2: Specifications and constraints
Your structure must meet all the specifications below. It should:
1. not be higher than 25 cm
2. not wobble or fall over
3. be able to stand on a flat-lying cereal box. Plant the struts into the cereal
box about 70 mm deep.
4. have a platform 200 mm by 300 mm
5. be able to carry a load the mass of a tin of condensed milk
6. Use sticky tape and paper fasteners to join the struts in the structure.
7. Take into account the fact that in reality, people must be able to get on to,
and possibly live, on the structure.
104 Practical task Design, make and evaluate a strong structure

Part 3: Design possible solutions
Safety
Draw at least three ideas for making your structure.
Always point the sharp
Write notes on your drawing to explain your ideas. end of a tool away from
Part 4: Choose the best idea your body.
Choose your best idea and make a clear drawing. Write Do not run while
holding anything sharp,
extra notes next to your drawing if you need to explain especially tools, in your
your ideas. hand.
Part 5: Plan to make the structure
1. Write down step by step how you are going to build your structure.
This is your plan.
Step What to do Material Tools Who will do it Start time Finish time
1
2
3
4
2. Make your structure. Use your design and your plan for making the
structure. Work neatly and carefully. Stick to safety rules.
Part 6: Evaluate your model of the tower structure
Use the form below to evaluate your structure and how well you
worked.
Yes/ no
1. Can my structure stay put when I try to
push it from the top?
2. Can it carry a tin of condensed milk?
3. Does it collapse towards the inside?
4. Did I finish in time?
5. Did I follow all the specifications?
6. Have I followed my plan?
7. What should I do differently next time?
Total: 15
Practical task Design, make and evaluate a strong structure 105

Topic revision
Revision activity
1. Look at the pictures below. Provide labels for A, B, and C.
Use the words ‘struts’, ‘pillars’ and ‘triangulation’. (3)
A B
Pylon Wind turbine
2. Indigenous people used materials in their environment to build

their houses. Copy and complete the table below. Some blocks
have already been filled in for you. (5)
People Materials used to build Houses they
their houses built
Inuit people from Alaska ice blocks
Zulu people from KwaZulu- young trees and grass mats
Natal
Nama people. matjieshuis
Xhosa poles, stone, thatch
Bedouin people from tents
the Sahara Desert
3. Explain what is meant by wattle and daub. (4)
4. a. Explain what is meant by triangulation. (1)
b. Give two examples of where triangulation is used in modern buildings or
structures. (2)
Total: 15
106 Topic revision

Term 2 Exam
1. Draw a Venn diagram to compare the limbs and sense
organs of a lizard and a cow. (5)
2. Jane covered a beaker of water with plastic wrap and left
it in a sunny place. When she came back an hour later
she noticed droplets of liquid on the inside of the cling
wrap. Answer these questions.
a. What were the droplets made of? (1)
b. Name the process by which the droplets formed. (1)
c. If Jane measured the volume of water in the beaker after
one hour would it be greater, the same or less than when
she started the investigation? Explain your answer. (3)
3. A group of learners made ice cream. They mixed together
milk, sugar and cocoa powder. They poured the mixture
into a plastic container and put it in the freezer. The
learners took the container out of the freezer the next day.
a. Which state of matter was the milk when the learners
began? (1)
b. Which state of matter was the milk when they took the
ice cream out of the freezer? (1)
c. Why did the milk change from the one state to
the other? (1)
d. Name the process that took place to make the milk
change state. (1)
e. Why could the learners pour the ice cream mixture into
the container before they put it in the freezer? (1)
4. From this list:
glass dish gum tooth clay pot
jug cloth boots brush
clay brick newspaper plastic plate leather belt towel
a. Name two objects that are flexible. (2)
b. Name one object that is waterproof. (1)
c. Name two objects that are absorbent. (2)
d. List the objects that are brittle. (2)
Term 2 exam 107

Term 2 Exam
5. State why you would say an object is made of a soft material? (1)
6. Name two ways in which a sheet of paper can be changed into strong
hollow pillars. (2)
7. a. Which raw material was used to make a glass jug? (1)
b. Give an example of a manufactured ceramic material. (1)
c. Explain how a soft clay brick becomes hard. (1)
d. Compare the properties of a glass jug and a plastic jug. (2)
e. Describe what a fabric is and give one example of a fabric. (2)
8. Make two drawings with labels to show why a triangle is a more
stable structure than a square.
Explain how you can test which one is the strongest. (3)
9. Look at the photograph of an animal shelter. Answer the questions.
a. What is the name of the animal shelter in the picture? (1)

b. Is the shelter natural or human-made? (1)
c. Name two materials that have been used to make the shelter. (1)
d. Is the shelter a frame structure or a shell structure? (1)
e. Write a sentence to describe the shape and size of the shelter. (1)
Total: 40
108 Term 2 exam

TOPIC Term 3: Energy and change and systems and control
10 Energy and energy transfer

All living things need energy. We know about living
need energy to grow, play, work and things and energy
sleep. We get energy from the food 1. Think about what you learnt in Topic 1.
we eat. In this topic, you will learn Make a list of the seven life processes
that the energy in our food comes of living plants and animals.
from the Sun. 2. What happens if living things get no
In Topic 3, you learnt that plants need food?
light to grow. Plants use the energy 3. Discuss with your class the answers
in sunlight to make their own food. to these questions:
They use the energy in the food to a. What do you feel like doing when
grow. In this topic, you will find out you are ‘full of energy’?
that we also use some of this energy. b. What gives your body energy?
c. Where did the sunflowers in the
picture on this page get their
energy from?
109

UNIT
1 Energy for life
Key words We use energy for everything we do

• energy makes things Everything we do needs energy. Energy makes things
happen, move or happen, or it makes things move or change.
change
All living things need energy to live. They use energy
• source of energy to grow, to breathe, to move and to feed.
something that we get
energy from Your body uses energy for different activities
• nutrients substances in
every day.
food that living things
need to live, to grow ACTIVITY 2 Identify uses of energy
and to stay healthy
3 4
1. Look at pictures 1 to 4.
2. Match each picture with one of the statements
below.
2
a. We need energy to play music. Listening to music
also uses energy.
b. This man is using energy to travel in a canoe.
c. Sleeping animals use energy.
d. Riding a bicycle uses energy.
3. Which of these activities do you think you need the
most energy for?
4. Which activity do you do when you are tired and
have the least energy?
5. When you are asleep, what does your body need
energy for?
6. Write down four other things that people and
animals need energy to do.
7. Is there anything you can do without energy?
8. Talk about your answers with the class.
110 Term 3

We get energy from our food
A source of energy is something that we get energy
from. Food is a source of energy for your body. When
you run your muscles use energy. The energy for your
muscles comes from the food you eat.
Our food comes from plants and animals. These
pictures show different types of food. Fruit and vegetables come from
plants.
Energy is stored in food. Inside our bodies, the food
is broken down so the energy can be used in our
muscles, and for us to live and grow.
ACTIVITY 3 Do a food survey

1. Do a food survey to find out what type of food
people eat.
a. Ask three people you know what they had to eat
yesterday.
b. Use a table like the one below to write down what
they say. The food in this picture comes
from animals.
A food survey
Food from plants Food from animals
Person 1
Person 2
Person 3
2. Do some research to find out the meaning of these

words:
a. herbivore
b. carnivore
c. omnivore.
3. Choose one of the words from question 2 to
describe each person in your survey. Write the
word in the first column in your table.
4. Which of the words would you use to describe
yourself?
Topic 10 Energy and energy transfer 111

UNIT 1 CONTINUED
Energy in food comes from the Sun

The Sun is a source of energy. Plants use light energy
from the Sun to make their own food. Their food gives
them energy to live. As they grow, they store some of
the food in their bodies. Plants provide food for animals
and people.
A cow uses the energy stored in grass to live.
Plants use
sunlight to
make their
food.
Plants use
energy in their
food to grow.
They get water
and other
nutrients
from the soil. Plants store energy from the Sun.
ACTIVITY 4 Identify the source of energy in our

food
1. Look at the picture above.
Key concepts 2. Make a list of the different types of plants in the
picture.
• We use energy for Which of these plants provide food for people?
everything we do.
• We get our energy
3. Write down your answers to these questions:
from the food we eat. a. What do plants use light energy for?
• Energy in our food b. What is the source of this light energy?
comes from the Sun. c. What is the cow eating to get energy?
d. Where did the energy in the grass come from?
112 Term 3

Practical task
Find out which parts of a seedling need sunlight to grow
In Topic 3, you found out how seedlings grow. In this activity you will
investigate the sources of energy that a seedling uses to grow.
You need: 4 bean seeds; 2 jam jars; some cardboard; water
Part 1: Make a prediction
1. Which parts of a seedling do you think need sunlight to grow?
2. What could you do to test your idea?
Part 2: Conduct your investigation and record your findings
Step 1: Put cardboard and/or newspaper
The beans need into the jar.
some air. They
Step 2: Put two beans between the glass
must not fall
and the cardboard.
into the water.
Step 3: Pour about 2cm of water into the jar.
1. Follow the steps below to prepare each jar.

2. Put one jar in a sunny place. Put the other jar in a dark cupboard.
3. Look at the jars every day. Make sure there is always some water at the
bottom of the jars. The cardboard, or newspaper, must not get dry.
4. Draw and describe any changes that you see. Use a table like the one
below.
Date Jar 1: Beans in sunlight Jar 2: Beans in a dark cupboard
5. Observe and look after your beans until at least one has grown into a
healthy seedling with leaves.
6. Compare the seedlings in the two jars. What is the same? What is
different?
Conclusion
1. Does a seedling need light to grow a radicle? Why/why not?
2. Which parts of a seedling need light to grow? Explain why.
Plant your healthy seedlings in a garden or pot with some soil. Look after
them and they may grow some beans.
Practical task Find out which parts of a seedling need sunlight to grow 113

UNIT
2 Energy from the Sun
Key words The Sun gives us light and heat. Light and heat are
two types of energy.
• transfer of energy
the process by which Plants change light energy from the Sun into energy
energy goes from one that is stored in food. Animals get the energy they
part of an energy chain need by eating plants, or other animals, for food.
to another
In this way, energy from the Sun goes to plants and
• energy chain the order then to animals. This transfer of energy happens in
in which energy goes
from the Sun, to a plant a food chain. A food chain is also called an energy
or animal chain. It shows the order in which energy goes from
the Sun to a plant and then to an animal.
Here is an example of an energy chain:
In an energy chain, arrows show the direction in which the energy goes from one part of the chain to the next.
Dead plants and animals provide food for other

animals, like earthworms.
An energy chain that shows the transfer of energy from the Sun to a bird that eats earthworms.
114 Term 3

ACTIVITY 5 Draw and write about energy transfer
1. Put these pictures in the correct order to show an
energy chain.
A B C
2. This paragraph describes the energy chain for

the pictures above. Copy the paragraph into your
workbook. Fill in the missing words.
Sun food apple eats tree
Light energy from the ______ is used by the apple
________ to make its own ________.
A child _______ the apple. Energy in the ________
goes to the child’s body.

3. Draw three different energy chains. You need to
include at least one energy chain for a herbivore
and one for a carnivore.
4. Write a paragraph to describe each energy chain.
As well as the names of the plants and animals,
your paragraph needs to include the words ‘light
energy’ and ‘food’.
5. If there was no Sun, would there be any plants?
6. If there were no plants, would there be any
animals?
Key concepts
Energy is transferred from the Sun to plants, and from plants to
animals in a sequence called the energy chain.
Topic 10 Energy and energy transfer 115

Topic revision
1. Find words in the word box that describes, or completes, one
of the statements below.
energy nutrients source transfer
a. Something that we get energy from.
b. Substances in food that living things need to live, grow and
stay healthy.
c. Energy is the process by which energy goes from
one part of an energy chain to another.
d. makes things happen, move or change.
Revision activity
1. Write down three things that your body uses energy for. (3)
2. Is there anything you can do without energy? (1)
3. Complete these sentences:
a. My body gets energy from the I eat.
b. The energy in food comes from the .
c. Plants use energy from the to make
their own . (5)
4. Draw an energy chain to show how energy is transferred from
the Sun to a person eating a piece of cheese.
(Show the cheese and the person as separate parts of the
chain.) (9)
5. Write down your answers to these questions:
a. When a seedling begins to grow, where does it get its energy
from? (1)
b. When a seedling is bigger, what source of energy does it need
to grow? (1)
Total: 20
116 Topic revision

TOPIC Term 3
11 Energy around us
Starting off
In Topic 10, you learnt that the energy
in our food comes from the Sun. You
drew energy chains to show that energy
is transferred from the Sun to plants,
and from plants to animals.
In this topic, you will find out that there
are different types of energy around
us. You will learn more about sources
of stored energy and the things that
can use the energy to make something
happen or change.
ACTIVITY 1 What do you know

about the energy
around us?
1. Talk with your partner about what is
happening in this picture. Write down
your answers to these questions.
a. Is it day or night? Where is the light
coming from?
b. What other type of energy do we
get from the Sun?
c. What is the girl using energy to do?
d. What is making the kite stay up
and move in the sky?
e. What is wind?
2. Write down your answers to these
questions.
a. What source of energy does your
body use to move and grow?
b. What type of energy do plants use
to make their food?
c. What is the source of that energy?
117

UNIT
25
1 Energy can be stored and transferred
Key words Energy around us

• system something that Energy is all around us. For example, during the day
has two or more parts the Sun brings us light and heat. We can see things
that work together happening and changing.
• input of energy the Even at night, when it is dark, we are aware of energy
energy that goes into a
around us. We hear people talking and making music.
system to make it work
Sound is a type of energy. We feel the wind on our
• output of energy the
faces. Wind is moving air; it has movement energy.
energy that comes out
of a system Some of the energy around us comes from objects
that we use. For example, lamps, stoves and radios.
1 2 3
ACTIVITY 2 Identify types of energy

4 1. Look at pictures 1 to 4 and talk about what is
happening in each picture.
2. Match each of the sentences below with one of
the pictures.
a. The energy in sound travels to our ears and we
hear the sounds.
b. Heat is energy. Heat energy passes from hot
things to cooler things.
c. Light is energy. We need light energy to see when
it is dark.
d. Things that move have energy. Your muscles use
energy when you kick a ball. The energy goes
from your leg to the ball. The moving ball has
movement energy.
118 Term 3

Sources of stored energy
In Topic 10, you learnt that a source of energy is
something that we get energy from. Food is a source
of energy for our bodies. The energy that is stored in
food comes from plants. Plants use energy from the
Sun to make food.
People also use energy that was stored in the bodies Coal was made from plants that
of plants or animals long ago. Sources of this energy lived millions of years ago. Coal
include wood, coal, crude oil and natural gas. is a source of energy for most
of the mains electricity in South
Crude oil is found deep underground. It was made Africa.
from the bodies of very small plants and animals that
lived in the sea millions of years ago.
ACTIVITY 3 Identify sources of energy

1. Name the source of energy in each of the pictures
below.
A B
C D
2. Match each source of energy with a picture on

page 118.
3. Make a list of the objects that you use in your
home to get:
a. light We use petrol, paraffin and
b. heat liquid petroleum gas (LPG) as
sources of energy. They are
c. music (sound). made from a type of oil called
4. Write down the source of energy that each object crude oil.
uses.
Topic 11 Energy around us 119

UNIT 1 CONTINUED
Energy can be transferred

Energy can go from a source of energy to where it is
needed. This is called energy transfer. During this process
one type of energy may change to another type.
For example, when we burn wood to make fire the stored
energy in the wood is changed to light and heat, as
shown in the picture below.
Light energy from the
burning wood helps us to
see when it is dark.
Heat energy from the fire

goes into the air to make
us warm.
Heat energy from the

burning wood goes to the
pot. The heat cooks the
food in the pot.
Burning wood gives light and heat.
ACTIVITY 4 Discuss examples of energy transfer

1. In your group, talk about what is happening in the
picture above.
Key concepts 2. Write down your answers to these questions.
We are aware of a. What was the source of stored energy for the
energy around us, campfire?
including movement, b. What type of energy was transferred from the fire to
heat, light and sound.
Energy is stored in the pot?
food, wood, coal, c. What other type of energy came from the fire?
crude oil, natural d. What did the children need the fire for?
gas. We use these as e. What was the source of the energy in the wood?
sources of energy to
3. Share your answers with the class.
do different activities.
Energy can be 4. With your class, talk about other activities where
transferred from a energy is transferred. For example, when you listen
source of energy to to a radio, what type of energy is transferred to your
where it is needed. ears?
120 Term 3

Skills focus Draw a flow diagram for a
process
A flow diagram helps us to understand the order in which
something happens. A flow diagram shows you the steps in
a process in the correct order.
The energy chains that you drew in Topic 10 are examples
of flow diagrams. A flow diagram can also be used to show
how energy is transferred from a source to where it is
needed.
How to draw a flow diagram

1. Write the steps that show the order in which something
happens. You can write them down the page or across
the page.
2. Draw a shape around each step; it can be a circle, a
square or a rectangle. This makes each step easy to see.
3. Draw arrows between each step.
4. Look at the flow diagram below. It shows how an electric
light works.
The light bulb

Electricity goes
Turn the light changes the
along wires to
switch on electricity to
the light bulb
light
ACTIVITY 5 Practise drawing a flow diagram

1. Draw a flow diagram to show:
a. the process of making a cup of tea
b. the transfer of energy from the Sun to a pot heating
water on a campfire.
Skills focus Draw a flow diagram for a process 121

UNIT
25
2 Input and output of energy
A system is something that has two or more parts

that work together to make something happen.
Safety
Machines and appliances are types of systems.
• Be careful near a
paraffin lamp. If it falls A machine needs energy to make it work. The energy
over it can cause a fire. that goes into a system is called the input of energy.
For example, a paraffin lamp needs paraffin. The
amount of paraffin that you put into a lamp is the
input of energy.
A machine provides an output of energy that is useful
to us. For example, when a paraffin lamp is burning, it
produces light. The light it produces is the output of
energy.
A paraffin lamp can be made to burn more brightly
by giving it more paraffin to burn. When you give the
lamp more input of energy, it provides more output of
energy.
Sometimes machines and appliances provide an
output of energy that is not useful to us. For example,
a paraffin lamp also produces heat.
A parrafin lamp burning brightly
122 Term 3

ACTIVITY 6 Describe the input and output of energy
A coal stove
1. Look at the picture. What is the source of
energy for the stove?
2. This paragraph describes the input and
output of energy for the stove. Copy the
paragraph into your workbook. Fill in the
missing words.
output heat burns coal heat warm
The input of energy for this stove is one

bucket of _______. When the coal _______ it
makes enough ______ to cook our food. It
also makes the room _______. The _______ of
energy for the stove is ________.
3. This paragraph describes what you need

to do to make more sound come from a
drum.
Copy the paragraph into your workbook.
Fill in the missing words.
input quieter output loud
Beat the drum hard to make a ______ sound.

Beat it gently to make a _______ sound.
The energy you need to beat the drum is the _______
of energy. The sound the drum makes is the
_______ of energy.

UNIT 2 CONTINUED
Riding a bicycle
1. Look at the picture to see how a bicycle works.
2. a. Where does the input of energy for a bicycle
come from?
b. What is the output of energy?
3. To make the bicycle go faster, what does this girl
need to do?
4. To go up a hill will the bicycle need more or less
input of energy?
Electrical appliances
Many appliances use electricity to work. These are
called electrical appliances. Some examples are
shown in the pictures on page 125.
Pushing the pedals on a bicycle
makes the wheels move. Many electrical appliances use mains electricity.
Some electrical appliances use energy from batteries.
There are also electrical appliances that change
energy directly from the Sun into electricity.
ACTIVITY 7 Draw a flow diagram to show the

input and output of energy
1. Look at the appliances on page 125.
2. Use a flow diagram to show the input and output
of energy for each appliance. One example is
drawn for you below.
Input of energy Appliance Output of energy
movement wind-up
sound
energy radio
3. Do some research to find out about another

appliance that uses energy directly from the Sun.
124 Term 3

A kettle heats water. A wind-up radio uses energy
from your muscles to make An iron transfers heat energy to
electricity. clothes.
A fan makes the air move. This is a solar lighting system. It Batteries supply energy
changes light energy from the Sun to give light from a
into electricity. It can store energy in torch.
a battery. Energy from the battery is
transferred as light at night.
Key concepts
Machines and appliances need an input of energy to make them
work. They provide an output of energy that is useful to us.

Topic revision
1. Choose the correct word from the words below and
complete each sentence.
input wood source stored output
a. A of energy is something we get energy

from.
b. Energy is in sources such as food, ,
coal, oil and natural gas.
c. In a system, energy can be transferred from a
to where it is needed.
d. Machines and appliances need an of energy
to work.
e. They produce an of energy that is useful
to us.
Revision activity
1. Use what you know about energy to complete
this table. (9)
Something that uses Input of Output of

energy energy energy
a. A torch to help us see in
the dark
b. A radio to listen to music
c. Person playing a drum
d. A wood fire to keep us
warm and to help us to
see at night
2. List two machines or appliances that you use in your

home or school. (2)
3. Draw a flow diagram to show the input and output of
energy for each system. (4)
Total: 15
126 Topic revision

TOPIC Term 3
12 Movement and energy in a system
Starting off ACTIVITY 1 Discuss musical

Have you ever watched someone play instruments
a musical instrument? Did you notice 1. Look at the picture above. Each
that it takes a lot of concentration and child has a musical instrument.
work to play music? The musician must a. What is the name of each
blow, beat, tap, scrape, stretch, pluck, instrument?
press or shake the instrument in order b. Describe the sounds that you think
to create the sound we call music. each instrument can make.
Musicians need to practise for many c. Will any of these instruments
hours in order to make the sounds just make sounds if no-one is touching
right. In this topic you will learn how them?
musical instruments are systems that d. Take turns to explain to each other
need an input of energy in order to how each instrument is played.
produce an output of sound. 2. Do you think that your voice can be
called a musical instrument? Explain
your answer.
3. When a band plays, the musicians
make sounds that we call music.
But noise is also made up of
sounds. How is music different from
noise?
127

UNIT
25
1 Movement and musical instruments
Key words In Topic 11, you learnt that a machine needs an input
of energy to make it work. The parts of the machine
• pluck when we stretch
and let go the strings on
then work together to make something happen. The
an instrument to create machine produces an output of energy that is useful
sounds to humans.
• percussion instrument Musical instruments are systems too. They have parts
musical instrument that that work together to make something happen. They
you play by hitting, also need an input of energy to make them work. If
shaking or scraping it
there is no input of energy, the instrument will not
• string instrument make any sound. People give musical instruments
musical instrument that
produces sound from the energy (input energy) that they need to produce
strings sound (output energy). Many musical instruments
• wind instrument use movement input of energy (like hitting or beating,
musical instrument that shaking, blowing, plucking) to produce sound.
you play by blowing air Sound is also a form of movement energy.
into it
• vibrate to move to
and fro with small, fast
movements shaker
• unique different from

others in its own special
way
• sinew a thick band of Shaking
strong material in your
drum
body that joins a bone
to a muscle Hitting or Beating
The girl plucks the guitar
tuba
strings (movement input
energy) and the guitar
makes a sound (sound
output energy).
Blowing
Input of energy: System: Musical Output of energy:

Fingers move to pluck instrument Guitar produces a sound
the strings of the guitar (guitar) that we can hear
128 Term 3

ACTIVITY 2 Describe how movement input of energy
makes musical instruments work
1. Match each musical instrument in Column A with the
description of how to play it in Column B.
Drum
Colum A Column B
Instrument Input of movement energy
a. Tambourine Blow air through it Banjo
b. Guitar Hit it with sticks or with your hand
c. Drum Shake it or tap it
d. Whistle Pluck or strum the strings with your fingers
2. Study the pictures of musical instruments. Answer the
questions with a partner.
Saxaphone
a. Do you know how each of these instruments is played?
Write a sentence to describe what we do to each
instrument to make music. Penny whistle
b. Do you know any other musical instrument that is not
shown here? Draw a picture of the instrument and write a
sentence to describe how it is played.
Types of musical instruments Harp
Musicians usually group musical instruments according to
how we play them. Different instruments need different types
of movements as input energy. There are three main groups
of instruments.
1. Percussion instruments that we shake, scrape or hit, like
a drum or a tambourine. Triangle
2. String instruments that we play by plucking or rubbing
the strings, like a guitar or a violin.
3. Wind instruments that we blow air through, like a
pennywhistle or a tuba.
ACTIVITY 3 Fill in a table

1. Look again at the pictures of musical instruments in Violin
Activity 2. Copy the table below and fill in the name of
each instrument in the correct column.
Percussion Wind String
instruments instruments instruments
Recorder
Topic 12 Movement energy in a system 129

UNIT 1 CONTINUED
Musical instruments have parts

that move or vibrate
ACTIVITY 4 Investigate vibrations and sound
1. Take a long plastic ruler. Place the ruler on the edge
of your desk. Half the ruler should be on the desk.
Half should be hanging over the edge. Hold the
part that is on the desk firmly with your hand. Pull
the other end down gently and then let it go.
a. What do you see? b. What do you hear?
2. Did you notice that the ruler moved up and down
very quickly after you let it go? We call these
movements vibrations. Did you hear the noise that
the vibrations made? All sounds are vibrations.
1. Drum
Try ‘playing’ the ruler in different ways to make
different sounds.
a. Move the ruler so that most of it is hanging off the
desk. Pull it down and let it go again. How quickly
does it vibrate? Is the sound different to before?
b. Now move the ruler so only a small part is
hanging over the edge. Make it vibrate again.
2. Triangle What do you notice this time?
How do vibrations make music?

3. Pennywhistle Many musical instruments have parts that vibrate.
Sometimes the whole instrument vibrates. When
something vibrates it shakes very quickly with small
forward and backward movements. An input of
movement energy (such as blowing, hitting, plucking
or rubbing) starts the vibrations. The vibrations move
Which part of each instrument out from the instrument through the air and we hear
vibrates? them as sound.
Look at each of the instruments on this page. Which
The strings of the part of the instrument do you think is the part that
guitar start vibrating
vibrates?
when we pluck
them.
130 Term 3

Indigenous African musical
instruments
A bow (also called umqangala)

is a simple string instrument
made out of natural materials
The //gwashi is a stringed The mbila mutondo of the Venda like sticks and animal sinews.
instrument played by the !Kung people is the only traditional Bows are played by plucking,
San. The player plucks the strings marimba in South Africa. A marimba hitting or rubbing the string.
with his fingers and sings. has wooden bars of different lengths. Sometimes a round container
Each bar produces a different note is attached to the bow. This
when you hit it. collects the sounds from the
Music, song and dance are important to all people in bow and makes them louder.
Africa. Indigenous African musical instruments were
first designed, made and used in Africa. Many of these
are still used by African communities and some are
now used in other places around the world as well.
Each of these instruments produces its own unique
sound. Sound is the main output energy of all musical
instruments.
The mbira (also called ‘kalimba’, ‘sansa’ Horns have been used as musical
or ‘dipela’) is a small wooden instrument instruments throughout Africa.
with metal keys. The keys are plucked The horn is played by blowing
with the thumbs. It comes from through a hole in the side. Horns
Zimbabwe but is used by the Venda, were often used to call people to
Tsonga and Pedi people in South Africa. the chief’s kraal.
Some instruments, like drums, are found all over the

world. But in each place the design and materials are
different.
Topic 12 Movement energy in a system 131

ACTIVITY 5 Read to compare indigenous
musical instruments
wood 1. Read about indigenous African instruments on
page 131. Discuss in a group:
a. Which of these instruments have you seen being
played?
b. What name do you give to the instrument?
c. What kind of sound does it make?
2. What is the movement input energy required to
make each instrument work? For each one, decide
animal if it is a wind, string or percussion instrument.
skin 3. Choose two indigenous instruments played in
South Africa. Use books and the Internet to find
out all you can about the two instruments. Try to
find a real example of each instrument and speak
to someone who plays it.
African drums are usually made 4. Copy the table into your workbook. Fill in the
out of wood with animal skin information you have found about the instruments.
stretched across the opening.
Name of Name of
instrument 1: instrument 2:
____________________ _____________________
Draw a picture of the instrument
Which cultural group plays this
instrument?
What materials is the instrument
made out of?
Is it a wind, string or percussion
instrument?
Describe the sound the instrument
makes.
When is the instrument usually
played?
Key concepts
Musical instruments are systems. Most musical instruments use
movement input of energy (such as hitting, shaking, blowing,
plucking or rubbing) to produce sound (output of energy).
Most musical instruments have parts that vibrate. The vibrations
move through the air and we hear them as sound.
Sound is the main output of energy of all musical instruments.
132 Term 3

Skills focus Evaluate a product
In Technology you will design and make many products. It is important to
evaluate what you do all the time. You need to evaluate as you design a
product and also as you make it. The key questions to ask when you evaluate
a product are:
a. Does this do what it is supposed to do?
b. How can I make it work better?
ACTIVITY 6 Practise evaluating products
1. a. Some learners were asked to evaluate the musical instrument

designed and made by another group. Read what they wrote:
Peer Evaluation: Blue Group’s Funky flute

We liked We didn’t like
It is light and easy to carry. The material it is made from is not strong.
The colours are bright and attractive. The flute will bend easily.
It plays clear notes. The sound it makes is very soft.
The Funky flute could be improved by:

Using a stronger material that won’t bend.
Experimenting with ways to make the sound louder.
b. Take part in a class discussion about what people think about when
they evaluate products.
2. a. Work in a group. Evaluate the two musical instruments in the
photograph. Draw and fill in a table like the one above for each
instrument.
Think about:
• what materials they are made of and
where those materials come from
• how they are made
• who would use them
• how long they would last
b. Which instrument does your group like
best? Give reasons why.
Musical intruments
Skills focus Evaluate a product 133

Practical task
Practical task: Design and make a musical instrument
The Grade 1 class at your school wants to start a music club. Their teacher
is happy to run the club but they have no money to buy instruments.
Part 1: Problem statement

1. a. What do the Grade 1s need?
b. Complete this sentence:
I could design and make a .
Part 2: Design brief

Design and make a musical instrument for the Grade 1s
to use in their music club. The instrument:
• must use movement energy to make sound
• must be strong so that it will not break easily
• must be made using mainly recycled materials
• must be finished neatly and decorated Homemade musical
instrument
a. Work in pairs. Read the design brief carefully.
b. Write down all the important words.
Part 3: Research
1. What do you need to find out in order to design and make a musical
instrument?
2. Copy the mind map below
into the middle of a page
in your workbook.
List your questions
about making a musical
instrument.
Find an answer for each
question on your mind
map. You may want to use
the research you did for
Activity 5.
134 Practical task Design and make a musical instrument

Part 4: Design
1. Sketch at least two ideas for making your musical instrument. Write
notes on your sketch to explain your ideas.
2. Choose which idea you like best. Can you make it even better?
3. Draw your final design.
4. List everything that you need to do to make your musical
instrument.
5. How can you get everything that you need?
6. Plan how you will use your time. You need to make your instrument in
class. Write your plan.
Part 5: Make Hint: Make quick
Make your musical instrument. models to try out
Use your design and your plan for making the your ideas. Use your
instrument. results to improve
Work neatly and carefully. your ideas.
Part 6: Evaluate
Use the form below to evaluate your musical instrument and how well
you worked. Turn back to the Skills focus on page 133 to see how to
evaluate a product.
Evaluate your musical instrument Yes No
Does my musical instrument use movement input
energy to make sounds?
Is it strong?
Is it made out of recycled materials?
Is it neatly finished and decorated?
Did I finish in time?
I liked:
I didn’t like:
Next time I will:
Total: 15
Practical task Design and make a musical instrument 135

Topic revision
1. Match the words in column A with their meaning in
column B.
A B
a. Input of energy Instrument that is played by plucking or
rubbing the strings
b. Percussion instrument The energy that comes out of a system (like
a musical instrument)
c. Wind instrument The energy that goes into a system (like a
musical instrument) and makes it work
d. Output of energy Instrument that is played by blowing it
e. String instrument Instrument that is played by hitting or
shaking it
Revision activity
1. Write the names of the following instruments in the
correct column. (6)
guitar recorder trumpet drum marimba gwashi
String instrument Wind instrument Instrument played by

hitting it
2. Which sentences are true and which are false?

a. Sound is a form of energy.
b. If there is no input of energy, a musical instrument will
produce sound on its own.
c. Musical instruments produce heat as their main output of
energy.
d. All sounds are vibrations.
e. Musical instruments never vibrate. (5)
3. Study the musical instrument on the right. Write two Pan pipes
sentences about what you notice. (Hint: think about what
it is made of, how it is played, who might play it etc.) (4)
Total: 15
136 Topic revision

TOPIC Term 3
13 Energy and sound

Starting off
There are sounds all around us. Listen and
hear. Sounds can be loud or soft. Sounds
can be high like a whistle blowing or
deep and low like a lion’s roar. But what
is sound? In Topic 12, you learnt about
musical instruments. Musical instruments
make sounds when a part or all of the
instrument vibrates (shakes backwards
and forwards very quickly). How are other
sounds made? And how do we hear those
sounds? This topic will help you answer
Alarm clock
these questions.
ACTIVITY 1 Discuss sounds

1. Look at the pictures. Discuss the
questions with a partner.
a. Describe the sound that each object
makes.
b. How does each object make sound?
Do they have parts that vibrate, like
musical instruments?
Chainsaw
c. How do you think the sound gets from
the object to our ears?
2. Draw a picture of a noisy place that you
have been in recently.
a. Write down the names of all the objects
in the picture that make sounds.
b. Write a sentence to describe the kind of
sounds each object makes.
c. What part of each object vibrates to
make the sound?
d. What input of energy is needed for
each item to make a sound?
Guitar strings
137

UNIT
25
1 Vibrations and sound
Key words In Topic 12, you learnt that musical instruments make
sounds when a part of the instrument or the whole
• tuning fork a metal
object with two long
instrument vibrates. Sounds are vibrations that we
arms. When you tap it, it can hear.
produces a musical note
• sound wave the way ACTIVITY 2 Investigate how sounds are made
that sound travels
through the air 1. Watch as your teacher taps a tuning fork to make
it ring. Your teacher will bring the tuning fork close
• ear canal a tube that
connects the outside of to the surface of a bowl of water. What do you
your ear to the inside of notice?
your ear 2. Put your hand on the front of your throat. What
• eardrum a thin piece of can you feel? Hum your favourite song. What do
skin inside your ear that you feel now? Complete the following sentence:
vibrates when sound When I hum I can feel ________.
waves hit it
3. Put your hand on the top of a radio that is
• nerve a group of long switched on. Play the music softly and then turn
fibres that carries
messages between your
the volume up loud. What do you feel?
brain and a part of your 4. Cut a piece of plastic and
body stretch it over the open end
of an empty tin can. Use an
elastic band to keep it firmly
in place. Put a few grains
of salt on top of the plastic.
Now tap the side of the can
gently with a metal spoon.
Tuning fork What do you see?
5. Choose from the words below to complete the
paragraph.
vibrates feel see sound energy
All sounds are made when something _________.
If there is no vibration there will be no _________.
We usually can’t _________ vibrations but we can
_________ them when they are loud. Sound can
pass its _________ on to other objects to make
them vibrate too.
138 Term 3

Sound waves move outwards from
the part that vibrates
Imagine a pond where the water is still and smooth. Now imagine throwing a stone into the middle of the
pond. What will you see?
When we throw a stone into water, little waves move

out in all directions, away from the spot where the
stone hit the water. Sound works in a similar way.
Sound energy always moves away in all directions
from the part that is vibrating (the source of the
sound). When an object vibrates it makes the air around
it vibrate too. The vibrations move outwards through the
air like a wave and we hear them as sound.
ACTIVITY 3 Investigate how far a sound travels

from its source
1. Work in a group. Your teacher will give you a
noisemaker like a drum or two blocks of wood to
bang together. You must find out: How far does
the sound you make with your noisemaker travel?
a. Plan how you will find an answer to the question.
How will you record your answers?
b. Do your investigation.
2. Discuss these questions in your group.
a. Do you think the answer you found is correct?
Why, or why not?
b. Are you happy with your investigation? What
would you do differently next time?
3. Did the sound travel through walls or doors? What
does this tell you about sound?
Topic 13 Energy and sound 139

UNIT 1 CONTINUED
How do we hear sound?

We know now that sound is caused by vibrations and that sound travels
through the air. But how do our ears pick up the vibrations and hear the
sounds? Look carefully at the picture below and read all the labels.
1. Sound waves travel through

the air.
2. Your outer ear is the part of
your ear that you can see.
3. Your outer ear catches sound
waves and sends them along
your ear canal.
4. The sound waves make your 8
eardrum vibrate. The eardrum
is stretched tight like the
plastic on the empty tin can in
2 4 5 7
Activity 2.
5. The vibrations travel through 1
tiny bones in your middle ear.
6. The vibrations travel through
your inner ear.
7. A nerve takes a message
about the sound to your brain.
8. When the message reaches
your brain you hear the sound.
3
6
ACTIVITY 4 Complete a flow chart
Use the drawing and notes above to help you fill in the missing words in the
flow chart.
The sound wave The ___ catches the The sound wave
passes through the air. sound wave. travels along the ___.
Vibrations travel through Vibrations travel The sound wave hits

the ___. through the bones the ___ and makes it
of the ___. vibrate.
A ____ takes the message to the ___ ,

which makes sense of the sound.
140 Term 3

Hearing and feeling vibrations
If you are standing next to a railway track and a train
goes past, will you hear or feel the vibration? The
answer is: both. You discovered in Activity 2 that
we usually cannot see vibrations. But we can hear
them and sometimes feel them. People who are deaf
cannot hear through their ears. But they can still feel
vibrations in their bodies.
Darren Rajbal is a talented hip If someone is deaf and blind, they can Dame Evelyn Glennie is a
hop dancer from Durban. In 2009 learn to feel lip movements and voice famous musician. She plays
he won South Africa’s Got Talent. vibrations to understand speech. percussion instruments like
He has been deaf since birth. He drums, marimbas and tympani.
feels the music in his body and She has been completely deaf
responds with amazing dance since she was 12 years old. She
moves. feels the vibrations of the music
with her whole body. She often
ACTIVITY 5 Feeling sound vibrations performs barefoot so that she
can feel the vibrations of the
music with her feet as well.
1. Have you ever been able to feel sound vibrations in
your body? Tell your partner about the experience.
2. We know that deaf people can feel the vibrations
of music and other sounds. Brainstorm ideas for
how this can be used to improve deaf people’s
lives.

UNIT 1 CONTINUED
Sound vibrations travel through

different materials
We know that sound travels through air. Do you think
sound can travel through other materials like water,
plastic, metal and wood? This activity will help you to
answer the question.
ACTIVITY 6 Listen to sound vibrations through

different materials
You need: a stone; a spoon; a bag filled with water;

a metal cup; a plastic container; a piece of wood
1. Follow the instructions.

a. Ask your partner to hold the stone near your ear and
tap the stone gently with the spoon. Can you hear a
sound? If so, is it loud or soft?
b. Hold a bag filled with water next to your ear. Your

partner should hold the stone against the other side
of the bag and tap the stone gently with the metal
spoon. Can you hear a sound? Was it louder or
softer than before?
142 Term 3

c. Hold a metal cup next to your ear. Your partner
will hold the stone on the other side of the mug
and tap the stone gently with the spoon. Can you
hear a sound? How loud or soft is it?
d. Hold a plastic container next to your ear. Let your
partner tap the stone again on the other side of
the container. Can you hear a sound? How loud or
soft is it?
e. Hold a piece of wood next to your ear. Your

partner should tap the stone again. Can you hear
a sound? If so, how loud or soft is it?
2. Record your answers in a table like this.
Material Does sound travel Is it louder or softer
through this than when the sound
material? travelled through air?
Air
Wood
Metal
Plastic
Water
Key concepts
All sounds are made when something vibrates.
The vibrations move outwards in all directions from the object
that is vibrating.
Our ears hear the vibrations as sound.
We can feel vibrations with our bodies.
Vibrations travel through materials such as air, water, plastic,
metal and wood.
Sound (vibration) travels better through some materials than
others.

UNIT
25
2 Making sounds
Key words Sounds can be soft like a whisper or they can be

loud like an explosion. In the activity below you will
• volume how loud or
investigate what makes sounds loud or soft.
soft a sound is
• pitch is a measure ACTIVITY 7 Investigate loud and soft sounds
of how high or low a
sound is
1. a. Read the list of words below. Think about the
sound that each one makes. Put them in order
from the softest sound to the loudest sound.
person person train passing
whispering blinking by
people kettle car
explosion
talking boiling starting
b. Discuss: Why do you think some sounds are
louder than others?
2. a. Say your name very softly.
b. Now say your name as loud as you can. What did
you do to make your voice louder?
3. a. Hit a drum hard. Then tap it gently. What do
you hear?
b. Complete this sentence: When a drum is hit hard it
Guitar
makes a __________ sound. When it is hit gently it
makes a _____________ sound.
A 4. a. Look at the photographs A to C. Describe the
sound you can make with each object.
b. How would you make a loud sound with
each object?
c. How would you make a soft sound with each object?
B
Gong Whistle Rattle
144 Term 3

More input of energy makes
sounds louder
Sound is a form of energy. For anything to make a
sound it needs input of energy which is changed into
sound energy (vibrations).
Input of energy: Output of energy:

gentle blowing soft whistling sound
If we put in only a little input of energy (gentle blowing), there will be only a
little output of energy (soft whistling sound).
Input of energy: Output of energy:

hard blowing loud sound
If we put in a lot of energy (hard blowing) there will Hearing aids give certain sounds
be a lot of output energy (loud whistling sound). more energy. This makes it
easier for a hearing-impaired
More input of energy makes a sound louder. We say person to hear the sounds.
that it increases the volume. Volume is a measure of
how loud or soft a sound is. For example we need to
hit a drum harder, blow a whistle harder or stretch
a string further to increase the volume of the sound
it makes. Most musical instruments use movement
input of energy to produce sound as their main
output of energy. Other objects which produce sound
need different kinds of input energy. For example, a
cellphone’s input of energy is electrical energy from a
battery.
When we turn up the volume on the TV we give the
speakers more energy to make bigger vibrations and
louder sounds.

UNIT 3 CONTINUED
High and low sounds

Different types of vibration make different types of
sounds. Very fast vibrations make a high sound like a
whistle or a squeak. Slower vibrations make low, deep
sounds like thunder or a big dog growling. Pitch is a
measure of how high or how low a sound is.
ACTIVITY 8 Investigate what makes sounds

higher and lower
1. Hook one end of an elastic band over a door
handle. Hook the other end around your finger.
2. Move your finger away from the handle so that the
elastic band starts to stretch.
3. Pluck the elastic band. Listen to the sound it
makes.
4. Stretch the elastic band even tighter.
5. Pluck the elastic band again. Listen to the sound
that it makes.
6. Experiment with making the elastic band tighter
and looser. Each time, pluck the elastic band and
listen to the sound that it makes.
7. What happened to the sound the elastic band
made as you stretched it tighter?
8. Write a sentence. Describe how the tightness of the
elastic band affects how high or low the sound is.
Plucking elastic bands
String instruments
On string instruments, tighter strings play higher
notes and looser strings play lower notes. Often the
strings are joined to pegs. You can turn the pegs to
make the strings tighter or looser, so that they play
the right note.
146 Term 3

ACTIVITY 9 Make sounds at different pitches
You need: eight empty glass bottles that are the

same size; water or sand; a spoon or stick
Method
1. Put a different amount of water or sand into each Bottles containing water or sand
bottle. Then tap each bottle with a stick. Listen to
the sound that each one makes.
2. Arrange the bottles in a row. Put the one that makes
the lowest sound first in the row and put the one
that makes the highest sound last.
3. What do you notice about the amount of water or
sand in each bottle, and the sound it makes?
Penny whistle
4. The space between the top of the water or sand and
the opening of the bottle is like a tube. Choose the
correct word to complete the following sentence:
When you hit a short tube it makes a higher/lower
sound than a long tube.
5. Can you make music on your bottles? Work out a
tune that you can play.
Tuba
The shape of a musical instrument also affects how Wind instruments

high or low the sounds are that it makes. A little penny
whistle makes high sounds when you blow into it but a
big tuba makes deep, low sounds.
Chimes are made of metal tubes. Each tube is a different

length and it plays a different note when it is hit. The
longer the tube, the lower the pitch of the note it plays.
Key concepts
Volume measures how loud or soft a sound is.
More input of energy makes a sound louder. Less input of
energy makes it softer.
Pitch measures how low or high a sound is.
A string stretched tight will make a high sound. A loose string
will make a low sound.
A short tube makes a high sound. A longer tube makes a lower
sound.
Chimes

UNIT
25
3 Noise pollution
Key words Noise is any unwanted sound. If loud, unpleasant

or harmful sounds carry on for a long time, we call
• audiologist a person
who tests hearing
it noise pollution. Most noise pollution comes from
and fits hearing aids machines, tools and vehicles made by humans.
for people who are Volume (how soft or loud a sound is) is measured in
hearing-impaired
decibels (dB). If you are near sounds that are louder
• hearing aid small than 85dB a lot of the time, your hearing will slowly
machine that fits
behind the ear or inside get worse. If you hear a noise that is louder than
the ear and makes 130 dB your hearing can be damaged right away.
sounds louder A hearing loss caused by noise will not get better.
We say that someone who has a hearing loss is
hearing-impaired.
ACTIVITY 10 Talk about noise pollution

1. Explain to a partner why noise pollution is bad.
2. Read the case study on the next page. Answer the
questions.
a. Why didn’t Xolile Nkutha and the other miners
protect their ears from the noise?
b. How does a hearing aid help people who are
hearing-impaired?
3. Musicians playing in bands and orchestras are in
danger of hearing loss. So are people who listen to
loud music. List all the ways in which you and your
family listen to music.
a. Do you think listening to loud music through
earphones can damage your hearing?
b. What can you do to protect your ears?
A jackhammer
Aeroplane Truck Lawn mower

Some machines, tools and vehicles make loud noises
148 Term 3

Case study
Losing your hearing
Xolile Nkutha worked as a miner in a gold mine for 24 years.
The mine gave the miners ear muffs to protect their ears. The
muffs were hot and uncomfortable to wear and the miners could
not hear each other when they wore them. Xolile and the other
miners did not wear them very often. They did not know that
Miners use equipment that
being in the noisy mine for eight hours every day would damage makes very loud noises.
their hearing. Later, Xolile could not hear people properly when
they talked to him. He had his hearing tested by an audiologist.
He had to wait a long time to get a hearing aid from the
hospital. The hearing aid made the sounds that entered his ears
louder so he could hear what people were saying again.
Description dB levels Noise source

Damages hearing
140 Shotgun blast
immediately
130 Plane taking off
120 Vuvuzela
Extremely loud 110 Car hooter
100 Underground in a mine
90 Big truck
Damages hearing over
80 Factory noise Key concepts
time Sounds that are loud,
Loud 70 Classroom noise unpleasant or harmful to
our ears, and continue
60 People talking in the street for a long time, are
Comfortable 50 People talking at home called noise pollution.
If we don’t protect
40 Fridge humming
our ears from noise
Soft 30 Whisper pollution it can cause
20 Watch ticking permanent damage to
our ears.
10 Normal breathing Hearing aids help
people who are hearing-
impaired by making the
sounds louder.
Case study 149

Topic revision
1. Match the word in column A to its definition in column B.
A B
a. Volume what is needed for things to happen
b. Energy to stretch a string and let it go
c. Vibrate how high or low a sound is
d. Pitch how loud or soft a sound is
e. Pluck to move to and fro with small, fast movements
Revision activity
2. a. Use the picture and labels below to help you fill in the
missing words in the flow chart.
brain
outer ear bones in middle ear

inner ear
sound wave nerve
eardrum
ear canal
Sound wave passes through the air ➞ 1. ➞ear canal

➞ 2. ➞ 3. ➞ inner ear ➞ 4. ➞ brain (4)
b. Why do you hear sounds more softly if you cover your
ears with your hands? Write a sentence to explain. (3)
3. How would you show someone that sound travels
through solids? Write a few sentences to describe what
you would do. (3)
Total: 10
150 Topic revision

Term 3 test
1. Write down one word to complete each sentence.
a. Sounds are that we can hear. (1)
b. Sound always moves from the object that is
vibrating. (1)
c. The of a sound is a measure of how loud or soft
the sound is. (1)
d. If a sound is loud we can and hear the vibration. (1)
e. Sound is the main of energy of a musical
instrument. (1)
[5]
2. Which sentences are true and which are false?
a. A guitar and a trumpet are both string instruments. (1)
b. Sound travels through the ear canal before it hits
the eardrum. (1)
c. Working in a noisy environment over a long period of time
will not affect your hearing. (1)
d. More input of energy makes a sound louder. (1)
e. When humans are underwater they cannot hear the noises
that sea creatures make because sound doesn’t travel
through water. (1)
[5]
3. Look at the photograph and
answer the questions.
a. If you tap each jar with a
spoon, which one will make
the sound with the lowest
pitch? (1)
b. Which jar will make the
sound with the highest
pitch? (1) A B C D
c. What can you do to make a
very soft sound with one of the jars? (1)
[3]
4. Write down the names of two indigenous African musical
instruments. For each one, say if it is a percussion, wind
or string instrument. (2)
[2]
Term 3 test 151

Term 3 test
5. Which of these sentences is correct? (1)
[1]
a. Our bodies use energy for only some of the things
we do.
b. Our bodies use energy for everything we do.
6. a. What is the source of stored energy for
your body? (1)
b. Identify one other source of stored energy that
people use. (1)
[2]
7. These pictures show different parts of an energy chain.
Draw the energy chain using words and arrows. (3)
[3]
8. Answer these questions to identify four types of
energy.
a. What type of energy can people hear? (1)
b. What type of energy do you need when you are cold?
(1)
c. What type of energy helps people to see when it
is dark? (1)
d. What type of energy does a moving ball have? (1)
[4]
9. Identify the correct words to complete this paragraph.
Then write the paragraph in your workbook. (3)
[3]
Wood is a source of for a campfire.
Water in a pot on the campfire gets hot because
energy is transferred from the fire to
the in the pot.
10.Look at this picture of a girl listening to a radio.
a. If the switch for this radio is off, would the radio work?
Give a reason for your answer. (1)
b. What is the output of energy from the radio that is
useful for the girl? (1)
[2]
Total: 30/2 = 15
152 Term 3 test

TOPIC Term 4: Planet Earth and beyond and systems and control
14 Planet Earth
B
A
Starting off ACTIVITY 1 Learn from a picture

We live on a round rocky ball called
1. Match the objects A, B and C with
the Earth. It is one of eight planets that
move round the Sun. The Sun is our the labels Earth, Moon and Sun.
2. What are the small bright lights you
nearest star. It gives us heat and light.
The Moon is a smaller, rocky ball. It can see in the picture?
moves round the Earth. 3. Put your finger on the Earth. Now
move it along the path that Earth
Most of the Earth is covered by follows as it moves around the Sun.
water. There are pieces of dry land What shape is this path?
in between the large water surfaces. 4. Look at the Earth in the picture. The
Earth is covered by its own ‘blanket’ blue parts are water. Can you see
of air called the atmosphere. The more water or more land?
atmosphere helps to keep Earth warm 5. Put your finger on the Moon and
and protects it from the dangerous rays trace its path. Around which object
of the Sun. does the Moon move?
6. Which of the three objects gives
light and warmth?
153

UNIT
25
1 Features of Earth
Key words Earth has many special features or characteristics.

We will find out about some of these in this unit.
• feature an interesting
or noticeable part of
something Earth is round and made of rock
• sphere a round shape, A very long time ago people believed that Earth was
like a ball flat and that they could fall off the edge. They believed
• surface the outside this because when they looked far into the distance,
part or top layer of it seemed as if Earth ended where it touched the sky.
something Today, photographs taken from space prove to us that
• soil sand that is mixed Earth is not flat. It is shaped like a round ball. This
with dead or rotting
round shape is also called a sphere.
material
• Earth’s water surfaces
large areas of water
that cover Earth’s rocky
surface
• oceans the largest
of Earth’s saltwater
surfaces
• seas smaller saltwater
surfaces Earth is round, like a ball. Earth and sky appear to meet.
• continent one of seven
large pieces of Earth’s Earth is made of rock. We live on the surface of Earth
land surface where the rock is hard. At the centre of Earth, the
• island a piece of rock is so hot that it has melted.
land that is smaller
than a continent and
surrounded by sea
• atmosphere the layer
of air that surrounds
Earth
• lake a large area of
water that has land all
around it
The surface of Earth is made of hard rock
154 Term 4

ACTIVITY 2 Draw and describe what you see
and what you know
1. Find a wide open space and look out as far as you
can see. Draw what you see.
2. Complete this sentence: People used to think that
Earth was flat because …
3. Draw the true shape of Earth.
4. How can we be sure about Earth’s shape?
5. What is Earth made of?
Earth’s surface has land, water

and air
The surface of the Earth is hard and is made of rock.
All the land that we see is made of rock. It can be
hard to believe this when we see green fields, gardens
or sand dunes. In a green field or in a garden we
see soft sand and soil. But under this sand and soil
there is hard rock. The sand is formed from the rocky
surface as it crumbles. The soil is also sand, which
has mixed with other things like dead leaves and
plants.
There are many places on Earth’s surface that are
covered by large stretches of water. We call these
stretches Earth’s water surfaces.
The sand in this field is formed from the rock We can see Earth’s land and water surfaces.
underneath it.
Topic 14 Planet Earth 155

UNIT 1 CONTINUED
When we see water on Earth’s surface, we must remember

that there is hard, rocky land underneath this water. Earth’s
rocky surface is not smooth. It has huge mountains, as well as
deep hollow parts to it. The water can only collect in the parts
of Earth’s surface that are hollowed out, like a basin.
There is also a layer of air that surrounds Earth’s surface.
Although we cannot see it, this layer of air is always present.
The land surface continues under the water surface, and water collects in the hollows
between the rocks.
ACTIVITY 3 Show what you know

1. Use a brown pencil crayon to draw a round Earth with
an uneven surface. The surface should show some high
mountains and some deep hollows.
2. On your drawing, use a blue pencil crayon to shade a part
of the brown rocky surface that could be filled with water.
3. Write the labels ‘rocky surface’ and ‘water surface’ on your
drawing.
4. Explain where sea sand comes from.
5. Explain why the soft soil in the farmer’s field is also part of
Earth’s rocky surface.
6. What part of Earth’s surface can we not see?
7. In two or three sentences describe the Earth and its
features. Here are some words to help you:
sphere rocky sand and soil water atmosphere
156 Term 4

Most of Earth’s surface is covered
with water
More than a half of Earth’s surface is covered by water.
land 29%
water 71%
There is more water than land on Earth’s surface

Earth is called ‘The Blue
All this water makes Earth look blue from space. Look at Planet’.
the photograph of our blue planet.
The water that covers most of Earth is salty seawater.
Large, salty water surfaces are called oceans. Oceans
have different names in different parts of the world. You
can see the names of the oceans on the map below. In
some places, small parts of the ocean are called seas.
The oceans of the world

UNIT 1 CONTINUED
Earth’s land is made up of

continents and islands
The parts of Earth’s surface that are not covered
by water are the land surfaces which we can see.
The land surfaces are either continents or islands.
Continents are very large pieces of land. There are
seven continents. South Africa is at the very southern
part of the African continent. Islands are smaller
Africa is one of seven continents pieces of land that are surrounded by water.
ACTIVITY 4 Identify oceans, continents and

islands
Look at the map on page 157.
1. List the names of the seven continents.
2. Name the ocean to the west of South Africa.
3. Which ocean is to the east of South Africa?
4. Name the island in the Indian Ocean that is close
to South Africa.
5. Point to other islands on the map. Name each
island.
6. Which continent lies to the north of Africa?
7. Which continent lies to the west of Africa?
8. Which oceans are on the east and west of
Australia?
9. Look at the photograph at the top of the page and
answer the questions.
a. Which continent can you see in the photograph?
b. Name the island you can see in the photograph.
Earth has a thin layer of air around it

Earth’s surface is covered by a special layer of air. This
layer is called Earth’s atmosphere. It extends about
600 km above Earth’s surface. Earth’s atmosphere
contains the gases that living things need to breathe.
This layer of air also acts like a blanket. This ‘blanket’
helps to keeps Earth’s surface warm enough for living
Earth is surrounded by a layer of things to survive.
air called Earth’s atmosphere.
158 Term 4

Earth provides a home for different Did you know?
living things If human activities
damage a habitat the
Earth provides a home for all the plants, animals and plants and animals that
people that live on it. Plants, animals and people all live there cannot survive.
have special places where they live. We call the place For example, if dirty water
where something lives its habitat. Each living thing from factories is pumped
into a river, the fish which
must live in a habitat where it can survive. Earth has live in the river will die.
many different habitats. Here are just three examples People who depend on
of habitats that Earth provides. the fish for food will not
get enough to eat
ACTIVITY 5 Describe three habitats
Use the photographs below to help you answer the
questions.
1. What must these termites have in their habitat to
build their shelter?
2. How does the water provide food for the fish?
3. The leopard is a shy animal. How does its habitat
suit it?
Habitat of a termite Habitat of a fish Habitat of a leopard
Key concepts
Earth is our home. It is a round, rocky ball that has all that is
needed to support life: land, water and air. The hard surface of
Earth is uneven so the hollow parts are filled with water. The
large land surfaces are called continents and smaller pieces of
land, surrounded by water are called islands. Water covers more
than half Earth’s surface to form oceans, seas and lakes. Earth
provides many different habitats to suit the different needs of
living things.

UNIT
25
2 Earth and space
Key word Earth is a planet in space

• planet a large object Earth is a planet. A planet is a
that moves around a large object that moves around
star a star. Our Sun is a star. Earth
• stars objects in space is a planet of the Sun. So Earth
that give off their own always moves around the Sun.
light
The Sun has eight large planets
• Sun a very bright star that move around it and Earth is
that gives light and
warmth to Planet Earth one of them.
• space unending The Sun and its eight planets
darkness beyond Earth’s are in space. Space is like a
atmosphere
never-ending darkness that is
• Moon a cold, round
above the ‘blanket’ of the Earth’s
object that always
moves around Earth atmosphere. In space there are
many other objects, as well as
gas and dust. Astronauts are
people who travel to space in
space ships.
A space shuttle is launched
with a rocket.
Sun
Earth
Earth is one of eight large planets of the Sun.
160 Term 4

From Earth we can see the Sun,
Moon and stars Safety
The Sun is a bright star that is near enough to Earth It is very dangerous to
look into the Sun. It can
for us to see it. We can only see the Sun in the cause you to go blind.
daytime when our half of the Earth is facing towards
it. We can use a slowly turning ball as a model to
represent the turning Earth. We can use the light from
a torch to represent the light of the Sun. If we shine
the torch onto the ball, only half of the ball will be lit
up. As the ball turns slowly, a different part of it will
face the Sun.
We see the Moon because it is the

nearest object to Earth in space.
The Moon is always close to us. The
Moon is cold and dark but gets its
light from the Sun. So when we see
a bright shiny Moon, we are seeing
the light of the Sun reflected from
the Moon.
Only half of Earth can see the
There are millions of stars in space. We can only see Sun at any one time.
some of them as small lights because they are so far
away. Stars shine all the time but we cannot see them
during the day because the Sun is too bright.
ACTIVITY 6 Write about the Sun, Earth and Moon

Use the information in this unit to help you complete
each sentence and add at least one more sentence.
1. The Sun is ...
2. The Earth is ...
3. The Moon is ...
4. A planet is ...
Key concepts
Earth is one of the Sun’s planets. The Sun and its planets are all
in space. Space is like unending darkness that lies beyond Earth’s
The Moon is close to Earth.
atmosphere. From Earth, we can see the Sun, Moon and some
of the stars.

Topic revision
1. Use the words below to complete the sentences. Write each
sentence in your workbook.
continents atmosphere planet habitat Sun
a. Earth moves around the .

b. Earth is a because it moves around the Sun.
c Each living thing on Earth has its own where it lives,
grows and survives.
d. The layer of air that belongs to Earth is called the .
e. The are the large pieces of Earth’s land surface.
Revision activity
1. Draw a picture that shows why we say that Earth is a planet of
the Sun. Label your drawing. (5)
2. The Moon is a rocky body, but we can see it shining. Explain
why this is so. (5)
3. Draw a large sphere to represent Earth.
a. Onto the sphere, draw Earth’s uneven surface.
b. Shade in at least one part of the surface that would be covered
with a water surface. Label a land and water surface.
c. Draw and label Earth’s atmosphere on the sphere. (5)
4. Each living thing needs its own habitat if it is to survive. List
three things that plants and animals must have to survive. (3)
5. Why can outer space not be a habitat for people? (2)
Total: 20
162 Topic revision

TOPIC Term 4
15 The Sun and its effect on Earth
Sun
Earth
Starting off ACTIVITY 1 Look at the picture

Our planet Earth is one of eight planets of the Sun and the
that move around the Sun. They move planets
in paths called orbits. The Sun is a
mass of very hot gas at the centre of 1. What do we call the object in the
the solar system. All the planets are at centre of this diagram?
a different distance from the Sun. The 2. How many planets are shown
Earth is just the right distance from the around it?
Sun to benefit from its heat and light. 3. How many planets are closer to the
Heat and light from the Sun make it Sun than the Earth is?
possible for life to exist on Earth. In 4. How many of the planets are
this topic, you will learn about the Sun, further from the Sun than Earth is?
and how it supports life on Earth. You 5. Can you name any of the planets?
will also learn about the planets, and
how they move around the Sun.
163

UNIT
25
1 The Sun is our closest star
The Sun is a star

There are millions of stars in space. All stars are huge
balls of very hot gas. The Sun is one of the stars; it is
a ball of very hot gas.
The Sun gives out heat and light

The hot gas the Sun is made of gives out heat and
light. In Topic 10, you learnt that heat and light are
types of energy. You also learnt that energy can be
transferred from its source to other places. If you sit
near a fire, you will feel its heat, and see its light. The
heat and light energy from the fire are transferred
to you. In the same way, heat and light energy are
The Sun is made of very hot gas. transferred from the Sun to Earth.
The Sun is very big

The Sun is very big. It is much, much, bigger than the
Earth. As you can see in the picture, the Earth is only
a small dot compared to the Sun. The Sun’s diameter
is about 110 times bigger than the Earth’s diameter.
So the Earth, the size of the dot shown in the picture,
can fit along the line from one side of the Sun to the
other 110 times.
The Sun is much bigger than the The Sun is very far away
Earth The Sun is very far away from the Earth. It is about
150 million kilometres away. This distance is very hard
for us to imagine, as no distance on Earth is nearly as
great.
164 Term 4

The Sun is our closest star Did you know?
Although the Sun is far from Earth, other stars are If we travelled fast
even further away. The Sun is not a particularly big or enough to reach the Sun
bright star. It appears larger and brighter to us than the in eight minutes, it would
other stars because it is so much closer to Earth than take us four years at the
same speed to reach the
they are. next nearest star!
The Sun provides heat and light to Earth for
living things
The Sun’s heat and light travel through space in all
directions. Some reaches Earth. You can see this in
the picture. Without the heat and light that the Sun
provides, it would be very cold and very dark on Earth
and plants and animals would not survive. You will
learn more about this in Unit 3 of this topic.
The Sun provides heat and light to Earth.
ACTIVITY 2 Write about the Sun

Write the answers to the questions below in your book:
1. What is the Sun made of?
2. Why do we say that the Sun is a star?
3. Which is bigger – the Earth or the Sun?
4. Why do the other stars seem smaller than the Sun?
5. What does the Sun provide to the Earth?
6. Why do the other stars not provide these, too?
Topic 15 The Sun and its effect on Earth 165

UNIT 1 CONTINUED
A model is something you make to show what a real

thing is like. It is usually smaller than the real thing,
and shows its main features. In this activity you will
make a model of the Sun.
ACTIVITY 3 Make a model of the Sun and the

Earth
You need: a pair of scissors; glue; paint; crayons

A model of the Sun
or colouring pens; 8 sheets of scrap paper;
cardboard; a large round object, like a large pot;
the pot’s lid, or a large bowl
Method
1. Use your large round object to help you draw a
circle on the cardboard.
2. Cut out the circle.
3. Colour in the circle so that it looks like the surface
of the Sun. The picture will help you.
4. Trace round your hand and fingers on a sheet
of paper. Do this 7 more times and then cut the
shapes out.
5. Colour the fingers in to look like heat and light
from the Sun.
6. Stick the shapes on the back of your Sun, so only
the fingers stick out beyond its edge. You can see
our model in the picture.
7. Write down the answers to these questions about
your model:
a. What does the shape of the model show about
the Sun?
b. What does the colour of your model show about
Key concepts the Sun?
The Sun is a ball of hot gas.
It is much bigger than c. What do the ‘fingers’ coming from the Sun in your
Earth. model show about the real Sun?
It is the closest star to the d. Name one thing that your model does not show
Earth. about the Sun.
It provides heat and light
to Earth.
8. Keep your model to use in another model later on
in Topic 16, Activity 4.
166 Term 4

UNIT
25
2 Moving around the Sun
The Earth moves around the Sun in a Key words

pathway called an orbit • Earth’s orbit the
The Earth travels round the Sun. The pathway that it pathway along which
moves along is called its orbit. You can see the Earth the Earth moves around
the Sun
in its orbit in the picture. Earth is in a different position
in its orbit every day. It travels round the Sun in the • solar system the Sun
and all the objects that
direction shown by the arrow.
move around it
orbit
Earth and its orbit
The Sun is a star and is at the centre of the

solar system
The word ‘sol’ is the name for the Sun in Latin, the
language of the ancient Romans. We do not call the
Sun ‘sol’ but we use the word ‘solar’ when we talk
about things that are linked to the Sun. The solar
system is therefore the Sun’s system. It is made up
of the Sun and all the objects that move around it.
The only star in the solar system is the Sun. This star,
the Sun, is at the centre of the solar system, and
everything else moves around it.

UNIT 2 CONTINUED
The Earth is one of eight planets in the

solar system
Look at the picture below. It shows the Sun, the Earth
and the other planets that move round the Sun. The
Earth is one of the eight planets in the solar system.
Planets are all large spheres that travel round the Sun.
They do not make their own heat and light like stars
do because they are not made of hot gas.
• Each planet is a different distance from the Sun.
• Each planet has a name.
• Each planet moves in its own orbit.
• The planets are not all the same size.
• The planets do not all look the same.
Mercury Venus
Jupiter
Saturn Sun
Mars
Earth
Neptune Uranus
The Sun and the planets
ACTIVITY 4 Find out about the solar system

from a picture
Look at the picture of the solar system.
1. Write down the names of the planets in order,
starting with the planet closest to the Sun. Each
name must start with a capital letter.
2. Which planet has the shortest orbit?
3. Which planet has the longest orbit?
4. Which planet will be hottest? Why?
5. Which planet will be coldest? Why?
6. Which is the biggest planet?
7. Which planet has rings around it?
8. Which is the biggest object in the solar system?
168 Term 4

ACTIVITY 5 Make a model and a drawing of the
solar system
1. Divide into groups of 9. Any extra learners should
spread out among the groups of 9.
2. Decide in the group who will be each of the
planets, and who the Sun. If necessary, more than
1 person can be the Sun as it is so big.
3. Each learner should make a label, or a hat, to show
which object in the solar system they are.
4. Go outside, and find a large space for each group.
Groups might need to take turns.
5. The learners who are planets and the Sun learner
should arrange themselves as they are in the solar
system. Everyone should check that their group is
organised correctly.
6. Now all the planets should move round the Sun
in their orbit. The real planets do not move at the
same speed, so you do not have to, either.
7. After a few times round the Sun, change places so
that the learners who are the Sun have a turn to be
a planet – and move again.
8. Return to class, and make a large well-labelled
drawing of the solar system, showing the Sun and
the eight planets in their orbits. Read through the
Skills focus: Communicate information to others,
on page 173.
Key concepts
The solar system is made
up of the Sun, which is a
star, Earth and seven other
planets. The Sun is at the
centre of the solar system.
The eight planets all move
around the Sun in their
own orbits.

UNIT
25
3 The Sun and life
The Earth gets the right amount of light and heat from
the Sun for supporting life. The Sun’s heat warms the
Earth, and helps plants and animals to survive. We
receive its light during the day.
Heat and light are both types of energy. In previous
topics in the book, you learnt about the things that are
needed for life. Life on Earth needs water and energy
to survive and the Sun’s heat and light energy help us
The Sun is made of very hot gas. to meet these needs.
Light from the Sun starts the energy chain
All living things need energy for the seven life
processes. You learnt about the seven life processes in
Topic 1. Energy from the Sun moves along the energy
chain, to plants and then to animals. The diagram
below shows you how important light from the Sun is
for life processes.
1. Light from the Sun

3. The owl eats the helps the wheat make
field mouse. It uses its own food.
the energy for its
life processes.
2. The field mouse eats the wheat. It uses

the energy for its life processes.
An energy chain
170 Term 4

Heat from the Sun helps living things have
enough warmth Safety
Everything on Earth needs warmth to survive. The Energy from the Sun can
Earth receives just the right amount of heat from the be harmful. You should
Sun to provide warmth to plants and animals. Too not spend too much time
in the Sun without a hat
much or too little heat can kill plants and animals. and sunblock.
Places on Earth do not all receive the same amount of
heat from the Sun. Some are too cold or too hot for
life to survive. But for the Earth as a whole, the right
amount of energy is received from the Sun to support
life so that life can survive here.
Seeds need warmth to grow, and animals need

warmth to maintain their life processes.
Without heat, seeds

would not grow, and
there would be no
plants and so no food
on Earth. The heat that This lizard is getting heat
helps seeds grow comes from the Sun to help it
from the Sun. keep warm.
ACTIVITY 6 Write about the Sun

1. Name the two types of energy from the Sun that
support life on Earth.
2. Why can the Sun supply this energy
but not Earth itself?
3. Look at this energy chain.
a. Where does the energy that the
tree needs to make food come
from?
b. What would happen to the
caterpillar, lizard, snake and eagle
if the tree could not make food?
c. What will happen to the eagle if
people kill all the snakes? A simple energy chain.

UNIT 3 CONTINUED
Did you know? Heat from the Sun is important for the
No new water is being water cycle
made on Earth. The same Rain is needed for life on Earth. It waters plants, and
water goes around and also fills rivers, dams and underground stores which
around in the water cycle.
people and animals use. Rivers take rainwater down
If people waste water, or
make it dirty, there might to the sea. Rain is part of the water cycle. Do you
not be enough clean remember how important evaporation is in the water
water in future to keep all cycle? And also that it is the heat from the Sun that
the people on Earth alive. causes water to evaporate? Look at the diagram to
help you remember what happens in the water cycle.
Did you know?
On hotter planets that
are closer to the Sun, any
water that was once there
has evaporated. On colder
planets further from the
Sun any water there is
frozen.
Key concepts The water cycle

The Earth gets the right
amount of light and heat ACTIVITY 7 Explain how heat from the Sun
from the Sun for supporting affects life on Earth
life. Light is used by plants
to make food which is 1. Why is the water cycle necessary for life on Earth?
used as energy along the
energy chain; this energy
2. Explain why heat from the Sun is important in the
and warmth support life water cycle.
processes. Heat energy is 3. What would happen to the water cycle and life on
needed in the water cycle, Earth if Earth did not receive heat from the Sun?
which produces rain and 4. Suggest one thing you could do to save water and
the water all life needs to
survive. to help make sure there will be enough water for
people in the future.
172 Term 4

Skills focus Communicate information
to others
As you learn, you collect information. It is important that you also learn to
share your information with others. You can share information by:
1. writing
2. talking
3. showing a picture
4. drawing.
Nkosinathi collects information about the solar system. His teacher asks
him to share this information with the Grade 2s in his school. He uses all
four methods to communicate by following these steps:
Step 1: He thinks about his audience: What age are they? How well do
they read? What might they already know? What will they find interesting?
He decides that he will talk about the solar system, using a drawing, some
written information, and pictures to help him.
Step 2: He makes a clear drawing of the Solar system, showing the eight
planets in their obits around the Sun. He labels the Sun and the Earth.
Step 3: He finds clear pictures of the Sun, the Earth and the other planets.
Step 4: He writes short explanations of what the Sun and the planets are.
Step 5: He arranges all his information on a poster, with a clear heading.
Step 6: He practises what he will say, using his poster to help him.
ACTIVITY 8 Use four methods to communicate information to

an audience
1. Collect information on the Sun that you learnt in Topic 15 and from any
other sources you may have.
2. Follow Nkosinathi’s six steps to share your information with a Grade 2
class in your school.
Skills focus Communicate information to others 173

Topic revision
1. Copy the sentences below into your book. Use the following
words to complete them.
heat planets solar orbit light stars
a. are balls of very hot gas.
b. The Earth is one of eight .
c. The path that a planet moves round the Sun in is called its
.
d. The Sun is the star at the centre of the system.
e. The Sun’s and are important for life on
Earth.
Revision activity
1. Write the sentences below into your book so that they
are correct. (5)
a. A star is a star/planet.
b. The Sun is a ball of very cold/hot gas.
c. The Earth/Sun is at the centre of our solar system.
d. The Earth/Sun is the biggest object in the solar system.
e. The Sun is Earth’s closest/furthest star.
2. Draw a diagram to show how the Earth moves round the
Sun. Label the following: Sun; Earth; orbit. Use an arrow to
show the direction in which the Earth moves. (5)
3. Answer the questions below.
a. Why is the Sun the only star that provides Earth with heat
and light? (1)
b. Why is light from the Sun important in the energy chain? (1)
c. Why is heat from the Sun important in the water cycle? (1)
d. What happens to water on planets that are much closer to
the Sun?
e. Why does this happen? (2)
Total: 15
174 Topic revision

TOPIC Term 4
16 The Moon
Starting off
Through the ages, people have looked
up at the Moon and wondered about
it. Now we can send spacecraft to the
Moon, and humans have even landed
there. These activities have helped us
learn a lot about it. In this topic, you will
find out about what the Moon is made
of, its size and distance from Earth and
why it shines. You will investigate how
the shape of its lit part changes during
a month. You will also read stories
about the Moon from different cultures.
The Moon ACTIVITY 1 Answer questions

about a picture of the
Moon
1. What do you think the Moon is

made of?
2. What does the surface of the Moon
look like?
a. Is it rough or smooth?
b. Can you see any mountains there?
c. Can you see any continents?
d. Can you see any lakes, rivers or
oceans?
e. What do you think the circular
shapes you can see are?
3. Do you think the Moon is bigger or
smaller than the Earth?
4. Why does the Moon shine?
175

UNIT
25
1 Features of the Moon
Key word The Moon is a ball of rock in space

• crater a round hole The Moon is round, like a ball. It is made of rock. The
made by something surface of the Moon is covered in dust and pieces of
that has fallen on it broken rock, but there is no proper soil on the Moon.
People have been to the Moon and brought pieces

of Moon rock back to Earth. People who travel into
space like this are called astronauts. You can see two
astronauts collecting samples of Moon rock in the
picture below.
Scientists studying Moon rocks have found that they

are similar to rocks on Earth.
Examples of Moon rock These astronauts are collecting Moon rocks to take back to Earth.
176 Term 4

The rocky surface of the Moon is not smooth. It has
large dents in it, called craters. You can see some of
these in the picture below.
A
A
The surface of the Moon showing craters, indicated with an A .
There is no air and no water on the Moon

Did you know?
The Moon does not have any air. This means that
living things which need air cannot survive on The Earth is the only
place in the solar system
the Moon.
where the environment
can sustain life. However,
There is no liquid water on the Moon. This means
if people on Earth today
that there are no rivers, no oceans and that no rain damage the Earth’s
ever falls. However, scientists think there might be environment by, for
ice in some of the Moon’s very deep craters where example, making the
it is shaded and cold. The lack of liquid water on the water and air dirty
(pollution), Earth will not
Moon means that no plants and animals from Earth be able to support life in
can live there. the same way in future.
ACTIVITY 2 Write about the Moon
1. What shape is the Moon?

2. What is the Moon made of?
3. What covers the surface of the Moon?
4. What are the features labelled A in the photograph
of the Moon’s surface?
5. Give three reasons why living things cannot survive
on the Moon.
6. What do you think astronauts have to do to survive
on the Moon? Look at the picture on page 176 for
some clues.
Topic 16 The Moon 177

UNIT 1 CONTINUED
The Moon is smaller than the Earth

The Moon is much smaller than the Earth. You can
see how much smaller it is in the picture below.
The Moon is much smaller than the Earth.
The Moon is closer to the Earth than the Sun

The Moon is the nearest body in space to the Earth.
It is much closer than the Sun as you can see in the
table below.
Distance from Earth to Distance from Earth to
Sun Moon
150 000 000 km 384 400 km
If you could travel fast enough to reach the Sun in 8

minutes you would get to the Moon in 1,5 seconds at
the same speed.
ACTIVITY 3 Compare sizes and distances
1. Write down the Moon, the Sun and the Earth in

order from biggest to smallest.
2. How many Moons fit across the Earth? Look at the
picture to help you answer.
3. Which is closer to the Earth, the Moon or the Sun?
4. Are any of the planets closer to the Earth than the
Moon is?
Key concepts
The Moon is a round, rocky body in space. There is no air or
liquid water on the Moon. It is much smaller than the Earth, and
much closer to the Earth than the Sun is.
178 Term 4

ACTIVITY 4 Make a model of the Earth, Sun
and Moon
You need: A pair of scissors; about 2 m of string;

colouring materials like crayons or paint and a
brush; a coat hanger or stick; cardboard; round
objects that you can draw round: for the Moon:
something small like a bottle cap or a coin; for
the Earth: something like the lid of a round 250
ml plastic tub; for the Sun: something as large as
Earth
possible, like a saucepan lid or a plastic bowl. You
can use the model Sun you made in Topic 15, if you
have it. Moon
Method
1. Draw circles around each shape on your
cardboard.
2. Cut out each shape and then make a small hole
near the edge of each circle.
3. Colour in your circles so they look like the Earth,
Moon and Sun.
4. Cut your string: a short piece for the Earth (just Sun
long enough for the Earth to hang below the
hanger); a piece about 2 cm longer for the Moon
and a long piece (about 1m) for the Sun.
5. Push one end of the string though the hole in each
circle, and make a knot to hold it in place.
6. Tie the loose end of each length of string to the
middle of the coat hanger or stick.
A model of the Earth, Sun and
Hold up your model and think about what it shows:
Moon
1. Which two objects are close together; and which is
much further away?
2. Which object is much bigger than the other two?

UNIT
25
2 Phases of the Moon
Key word The Sun’s light shines onto the

• phases of the Moon
the changing pattern of
surface of the Moon
sunlight on the Moon The Moon is made of rock, and so it does not produce
its own light. We see the Moon shining in the sky
because the Sun’s light shines onto its surface, and
lights it up.
We can only see that part of the Moon

which the sunlight shines on
The Moon is round, so the Sun cannot shine on all of
it at the same time. The part the sunlight shines on is
lit. We can only see the part of the Moon that is lit by
sunlight – the rest is too dark.
The changing pattern of sunlight on the

Moon is called the phases of the Moon
Look at the pictures below. You can see the lit part
of the Moon that we see does not always have the
same shape; it changes slightly from day to day. The
changing pattern of sunlight on the Moon is called the
phases of the Moon.
We can only see the part of the Each lit shape is a phase. You can see the names of
Moon that sunlight shines on. some of the phases.
New Moon Crescent Quarter Gibbous Full Moon
The Phases of the Moon: The changing patterns of sunlight we see on the Moon over about 30 days.
180 Term 4

The pattern repeats every 29 ½ days
The phases always appear in the same order and the
pattern repeats itself every 29 ½ days. If it is Full Moon
today, it will be Full Moon again in 29 ½ days’ time.
ACTIVITY 5 Answer the following questions

about the Moon and its phases
Look at the phases of the Moon.

1. What is lighting the Moon?
2. Why does the Moon not make its own light, while
the Sun does?
3. What is the name of the phase when the lit part
we can see is smallest?
4. What is the name of the phase when all of the
Moon we can see is lit?
5. How does the size of the lit part of the Moon
change from New Moon to Full Moon?
6. How does the size of the lit part of the Moon
change from Full Moon to New Moon?
Gibbous Quarter Crescent New Moon

Practical task
Investigate the changing shape of
light on the Moon Key concepts
Step 1. Fold a piece of white A3 paper neatly in half. The Moon is lit by
sunlight. We can only
Fold it in half another four times. Press hard on the folds.
see the part of the Moon
If you open up the paper, you should see 32 blocks. that is lit, the rest is too
dark.
The Sun’s light makes
a shape on the Moon.
These shapes change
in the same order over
a month. The changing
pattern of Sunlight on
the Moon is called the
phases of the Moon.
Step 2. Write the date of each day for the next 30 days
in the blocks. Also fill in the name of each day.
182 Practical task Investigate the changing shape of light on the Moon

Step 3. Look at the Moon each day. Sometimes you will see it
during the day, other times at night. Draw the shape that you see.
If you do not see the Moon, write ‘not seen’.
Observe and record the changing shape of light on the Moon each
night for at least a month.
Now look at your drawings of the Moon and answer these
questions:
1. Which phase did you see on the first day that you drew the
Moon?
2. How many days passed before you saw this same phase again?
3. On which day and date did you see Full Moon?
4. On which day and date was it New Moon?
5. From which date to which date was the lit part of the Moon
growing bigger?
6. From which date to which date was the lit part of the Moon
growing smaller?
Give your drawings of the Moon and your answers to the questions
to your teacher. You can get extra marks if:
a. You have given all dates and names correctly.
b. Your drawings of shapes are correct and neat.
c. You recorded the correct shape for each day.
Total: 15
Practical task Investigate the changing shape of light on the Moon 183

UNIT
25
3 Moon stories
People through the ages have looked at the Moon,

and wondered about it. Some people use the phases
of the Moon to tell them when to start planting
their crops. Different phases of the Moon also mark
important days in many religions. In many cultures
there are stories to explain things about the Moon.
ACTIVITY 6 Read stories and beliefs, and

answer questions
1. Read or listen to the stories on the next page.

2. Answer the questions about the San story:
a. What phase is the Moon in when it begs the Sun
not to cut any more of it off?
b. What phase is the Moon in when the Sun starts to
slice bits off it again?
3. Answer the question about the Tswana belief
about the Moon.
a. Look at the markings on the Moon. Make a
drawing to show your class.
4. Answer the question about the Xhosa belief about
the Moon.
a. How often would a New Moon rise up from the
hole covered by the sea into the sky?
5. Answer the questions about the Sotho, Venda and
Tswana beliefs about the Moon.
a. What is the name of the phase when the Moon is
just a thin curved shape in the night sky?
b. Have you ever seen the Moon pointing down
or up? Watch carefully to see if you can see it
doing this.
Key concepts
Many cultures have stories about the Moon. These cultural
stories tell us about the importance of the Moon in people’s
lives.
184 Term 4

Why the Moon changes its shape –
San story
The San people believed that the Moon was a man
who did something that made the Sun angry. As a
punishment, the Sun slowly sliced pieces off the Moon
with its sharp rays. Every time there was just a thin slice
of the Moon left, he would beg the Sun not to let him
die. Then the Sun would let the Moon grow big again. The thin slice of the Moon begs
As soon as he was his full size, the Sun would start to the Sun not to let him die.
slice pieces off him again.
The markings on the Moon –

Tswana
African people have often seen pictures on the Moon’s
surface. The early Tswana people always saw a woman
carrying a child on her back. Other people saw a man or
a woman carrying a bundle of sticks on their back.
How we get a new Moon – Xhosa A picture in the Moon
There is an ancient Xhosa story that says that the sea

covers a big hole. In that hole are many new Moons. As
soon as one Moon finishes, a new Moon rises up into
the sky from the hole.
Meaning of the direction of pointed

ends of the Moon – Sotho, Venda,
Tswana As one Moon finishes, another
When the Moon is just a thin curved shape in the night rises from under the sea.
sky, the pointed ends sometimes point down towards
Earth and sometimes they point upwards. Some African
cultures saw the Moon shape to be like a bowl. In the
bowl were all kinds of sicknesses. When the points of
the Moon were turned upwards, the sicknesses were
held in the bowl and people were safe. But when the
points turned downwards, the bowl emptied many
sicknesses and diseases onto the people. At these times
people tried not to go outside after dark.
The Moon pointing downward

Topic revision
1. Use the words below to complete the sentences.
frozen phases liquid craters round
a. The Moon has a shape, like a

ball.
b. The Moon’s surface has large dents
called .
c. There is no water on the Moon.
d. There might be some water on
the Moon.
e. The changing pattern of sunlight on the
Moon is called the of the Moon.
Revision activity
1. What is the Moon made of? (1)
2. Say if the following statements are true or false:
a. There is no liquid water on the Moon. (1)
b. There is no air on the Moon. (1)
c. There is fertile soil on the Moon. (1)
3. Is the Earth bigger or smaller than the Moon? (1)
4. Is the Sun bigger or smaller than the Moon? (1)
5. Write the following words in the order of the one that
is closest to Earth to the one that is furthest from
Earth: Sun | Star | Moon (3)
6. Look at the picture above:
a. What phase is the Moon in? (1)
b. After how many days will the Moon be in this phase
again? (1)
c. Why does the Moon not shine itself, like a star does? (2)
7. Draw the phase of the Moon that we see after
New Moon. (2)
Total: 15
186 Topic revision

TOPIC Term 4
17 Rocket systems
Starting off
Rocket People have experimented with rocket
systems for thousands of years. They have
used rockets to make deadly weapons.
They have made rocket-driven vehicles that
travel on land, on sea and in the air. But
most importantly, people have used rocket
Space
shuttle systems to travel into space. Rockets carry
people, equipment and other spacecraft into
space. People have used rockets to travel to
the Moon, and rockets have even been used
to get special robotic vehicles called rovers
onto Mars. In this topic, you will find out
more about how rocket systems work and
you will make a rocket system yourself.
ACTIVITY 1 Discuss rockets

1. Study the picture on the left. The picture
shows a rocket being launched. The
rocket is taking a space shuttle out into
space.
a. When a rocket is launched, why is there
fire and smoke?
b. A car has an engine and moving parts
like wheels that allow it to move. What
gets a rocket moving? How do you
think a rocket works?
2. Would you like to be one of the
astronauts sitting in the space shuttle?
Explain your answer.
3. NASA has stopped using the space
shuttles. They are developing new types
of spacecraft. Brainstorm why you think
they want to develop new spacecraft.
NASA’s Space shuttle Discovery is launched.
187

UNIT
25
1 Modelling a rocket
Key words
• rocket long tall
structure that can be
propelled into space
• launch to send a
spacecraft into space
• gravity the pull that
holds things on the
Earth Rockets go into space. People have used rockets to travel
to the Moon.
• payload the people,
equipment or other People use rockets to travel into space and to visit the
spacecraft carried by a Moon. When a rocket is launched, it shoots up very
rocket fast from Earth. Each rocket is a system. A system has
• vehicle a machine that different parts that work together to make something
is used to carry people happen. Every system needs an input of energy to
or things from one make it work.
place to another
A rocket system needs a lot of energy to get it moving
• propel to move or push
something forwards fast enough to escape Earth’s gravity and to push
through the Earth’s atmosphere. Rocket systems burn
fuel to release the energy they need.
payload Process
Input of energy Fuel is burned. Hot Output of energy
Energy stored in fuel gases shoot out of the Fast upward
bottom of the rocket movement energy
A rocket is a system. All systems need energy to make them work.
Rockets take people, equipment and other spacecraft into space. This is
called the rocket’s payload. The rocket shuts down when its fuel is finished
and drops back to Earth.
shell structure
Rockets must be strong and light. Their job is to carry vehicles, equipment
and people into space. Every kilogram needs fuel to get it into space. The
lighter the rocket the more equipment it can carry into space. The rocket’s
shape makes it easier for it to slip through the air.
A rocket
188 Term 4

ACTIVITY 2 Investigate how a rocket system
works Payload
1. Choose the correct words to complete the paragraph.

payload fuel light burns
a. A rocket system gets the energy it needs from .
b. The fuel which releases hot gases.
c. A rocket must be and strong.
d. A rocket carries a into space.
2. Your teacher will blow up a balloon and hold it closed with his
or her fingers.
a. What do you think will happen if the teacher lets it go? Write a
sentence.
b. Your teacher lets the balloon go. Write down what you observe.
c. Why do you think that happened? Write a sentence to explain.
What makes a balloon move?

When you let a blown up balloon go, it shoots forward very
quickly. Why does it do this?
1. 1. 2. 2.
Balloon moves this way
The air in the balloon is under When you let go, the balloon pushes
pressure. The air is pushing on the air out in one direction.
the balloon and the balloon is The air pushes the balloon forward
pushing on the air. When air is in the opposite direction.
under pressure it will try to escape.
Gases push this way
Science in history
Sir Isaac Newton was a scientist who lived about 300 years ago.
He discovered that all objects on Earth move according to the
same rules or laws. He wrote down the laws that he discovered.
His third law says that for every push in one direction there is an
equal push in the opposite direction. This is the law that explains
how balloons and rockets move.
Topic 17 Rocket systems 189

UNIT 1 CONTINUED
Gases push
rocket up Rockets are propelled by hot gases
Rockets work in the same way as balloons. When
liquid or solid rocket fuel burns inside a rocket, hot
gases shoot downwards out of the bottom of the
rocket. The rocket is then pushed upwards into the
sky at great speed. We say the rocket is propelled
into the sky. This is how a rocket system works
the rocket is propelled upwards
Rocket pushes payload

gases down
fuel is stored here
fuel burns here
gases shoot downwards
This is how a rocket system works.
ACTIVITY 3 Investigate balloon movement
You need: a long piece of fishing line; a plastic

straw; adhesive tape; a few balloons
Method
1. Work in pairs. Read the instructions at the top of
page 191.
2. What do you predict will happen when you let go
of the balloon? Write down your prediction.
190 Term 1

a. Tie one end of the fishing line b. Blow up a round balloon. c. Slide the loose end of the
onto a door handle or window Squeeze the end closed so fishing line through the straw.
frame. that no air escapes. Keep the Pull the string tight and then let
end tightly closed while your go of the balloon.
partner tapes the straw firmly
along the side of the balloon.
3. Follow the instructions above.

4. Write a sentence about what happened when you
let go of the balloon. Draw a picture with labels
to explain what happened. If the balloon moved,
measure how far it moved.
5. Test how far your balloon will move if there
are different amounts of air in the balloon. For
example, how far will it go if the balloon is half full,
a quarter full and so on. Measure the distance it
travels each time. Record your measurements in a
bar graph like the one below.
6. What did you discover about the distance that the
balloon rocket travels each time?
30
Distance
25 travelled
Key concepts
20 People use rockets to travel
to the Moon and further
cm
15 into space.
When a rocket system is
10 launched, fuel burns inside
the rocket. Hot gases
5 shoot downwards. The
rocket and its payload are
0 propelled upwards.
1/4 full 1/2 full Full
Topic 17 Rocket systems 191

Skills focus Make a model
Modelling is an important part of the
Technology process. We build models to
check whether or not our design ideas will
work. We can model just a part of our design
or the whole thing. We can then test the
model and see what improvements we need
to make. We can keep making improved
models until we are satisfied.
Models are usually:
1. Smaller than the real object we are
designing Before rockets were sent into space,
2. Made from recycled or cheap materials engineers made models to see
3. Carefully measured, joined and finished. whether their design ideas would
work.
ACTIVITY 4 Practise making a model
1. Design a balloon rocket that shoots straight
upwards towards the ceiling. Think about
the rockets that you made in Activity 3.
How could you change the design so that
the rocket shoots upwards?
a. Draw your design ideas. Label your
drawing to explain how it will work.
b. Discuss your ideas in a group. Choose
the best idea. Make improvements or
changes.
c. Make a model to test the group’s best
idea.
d. Try out your model. How well does it
work?
2. Write a paragraph to describe what
happened when you tested your model.
3. How would you improve your design, after
testing your model?
192 Skills focus Make a model

Practical task
Design, make and evaluate a rocket model
Design brief
Working in a group, design, make and evaluate a rocket model that will carry
a payload, travelling upwards towards the ceiling.
Specifications
1. You must use at least one balloon in the design.
2. You must use a straw to guide your balloon upwards along a string
hanging down from the ceiling.
3. The payload will be paperclips. Your rocket model should carry the most
possible paperclips. The rocket that carries the most paperclips will win.
Step 1. Design
a. Brainstorm ideas for your design. Use ideas from Activities 2 and 3.
b. Sketch your ideas. Make improvements. Make a labelled drawing of your
final ideas.
Step 2. Make
a. Your teacher will give you balloons, drinking straws, tape and paper clips.
Gather any other materials you need.
b. Make your model. Work carefully and safely.
Step 3. Evaluate
a. Test your model to see how it works. You can launch your rocket five
times. Each time, record how many paper clips it carries and how high it
goes.
b. After each launch, make improvements to improve its performance.
c. Compare results. Whose model went the highest with the most paperclips?
Step 4. Communicate
a. Each group must write a report about their project. Include all drawings
and results of your testing. Describe what you did and how you did it.
Describe any problems you had and how you solved them. Describe how
you would improve your design after testing it.
Practical task Design, make and evaluate a rocket model 193

Topic revision
1. Choose the correct word to complete the sentences.
payload propelled models launch
a. When we a rocket we send it up into

space.
b. A rocket takes people and equipment into space.
This is called the rocket’s .
c. Rockets are upwards when hot
gases shoot downwards.
d. People build to see if their design
ideas will work.
Revision activity
1. Complete the following sentences.
a. People use rockets to . (2)
b. A rocket system gets its input of energy
from . (1)
c. A rocket must be light because . (2)
d. When a rocket is launched we see fire and smoke
because . 2)
e. Sir Isaac Newton’s third law of movement says that for
every push in one direction . (1)
2. Look at the picture and then answer the questions.
a. Neli blew up a balloon. She is holding the open end
tightly closed. Neli suddenly lets the balloon go. Draw a
picture to show what will happen to the balloon. Draw
arrows and write notes to help you explain. (4)
b. How is a rocket similar to a balloon? (3)
Total: 15
194 Topic revision

Term 4 Exam
1. Draw a picture of the Earth that shows the following features of Earth:
a. the shape of the Earth b. a continent c. an ocean d. the atmosphere
Use colour or shading to show the continent, the ocean and the atmosphere;
use labels to show the continent, the ocean, the atmosphere, and to name
the shape of the Earth. [8]
2. Give an example of an animal whose habitat is the sea. (2)
[2]
3. What is wrong with the energy chain in the picture below? Draw a flow
diagram to show the correct energy chain for the plants and animals in
the picture. (2)
[2]
4. Look at the solar light in the picture below.

Write this paragraph in your workbook and fill in the missing words. (2)
[2]
A solar lamp needs an input of energy from the to work.
The output of energy that is useful for us is .
5. Identify a type of lamp that uses energy that came from the Sun a
long time ago. What source of stored energy does it use? (1)[1]
6. Write down the missing words to complete the sentences.
a. Sound is a form of . (1)
b. Sounds are made when something .
(1)
c. Musical instruments are systems that need
of energy to work. (1)
d. Sound can through air, wood
and water. (1)
e. The more input of energy you give to a musical
instrument, the the sound will be A solar light
that it makes. (1)[5]
Term 4 exam 195

Term 4 Exam
7. Look at the photograph on the right. Write a paragraph to
describe what is happening. Use the following words in
your paragraph:
launch fuel hot gases propel upwards downwards
(5)[5]
8. Choose the correct word for the spaces in each of the
sentences below. Then write out the complete sentence in
your workbook.
Moon star full planet bigger smaller solar
phases rock air water light heat Sun
a.
The Sun is a . (1) A space shuttle is
b.
The Earth is a . (1) launched with a rocket.
c.
The Sun is much than the Earth. (1)
d.
The Sun is at the centre of the system. (1)
e.
The Moon is made of . (1)
f.
The Moon is than the Earth. (1)
g.
People cannot live on the Moon because there is no
and no . (2)
h. The Sun provides and for living things
on Earth. (2)
i. The Earth and the Moon are both lit by the . (1)
j. Full Moon and New moon are both of the Moon. (1)
[12]
9. Look at the diagram. Write down what A, B and C are. (3 x 1)
[3]
Total: 40
A
B C
196 Term 4 exam

Glossary
A compare find out how things are similar and
how they differ
absorbent to soak up a liquid
page 37, 76
page 79
condense when gases change to liquids
atmosphere the layer of air that surrounds
page 58
Earth
page 158, 188 constraint something that limits a product
page 99
audiologist a person who tests hearing and
fits hearing aids for people who are hearing- continent one of seven large pieces of Earth’s
impaired land surface
page 149 page 158
control object or material where nothing is
B changed
bar graph a diagram that shows information page 86
in bars or columns
page 88 crater a round hole made by something that
has fallen on it
bread mould a fungus that grows on bread page 177
and other foods
page 2 cutting part of a plant we cut off and use to
grow a new plant
brittle easily breaks into pieces page 26
page 71
D
C dent to make a hollow on a surface
ceramic objects objects made from hardened page 76, 177
clay and sand
page 71 design make a plan that shows all ideas for
making a new product
change of state a substance changes from page 47, 104, 134, 193
one state of matter to another when it gains
heat or loses heat, e.g. a liquid becomes a gas designer person who designs new products
when it gains enough heat page 48
page 88 different things that are not the same
clay small, smooth particles of broken rock page 37
page 70, 99
E
coal a hard, black substance that comes from ear canal a tube that connects the outside of
the Earth your ear to the inside of your ear
page 72 page 140
communicate share information or ideas eardrum a thin piece of skin inside your ear
page 21, 173 that vibrates when sound waves hit it
page 140
Glossary 197

Earth’s orbit the pathway along which the fibre string or thread
Earth moves around the Sun page 72
page 167 flexible material bends easily
Earth’s water surfaces large areas of water page 77, 101
that cover Earth’s rocky surface flow the way a liquid moves and spreads
page 155 page 56
enclosure area that is closed off with a fence folding bending something over on itself to
or wall to keep animals inside strengthen a sheet of material
page 49 page 82
energy makes things happen, move or change frame structures structures made of different
page 110, 117 parts that are joined to make a frame that
energy chain the order in which energy goes holds things up, to give a shape or to bridge a
from the Sun, to a plant or animal gap
page 114, 117, 170 page 94
environment everything around us
G
page 3, 41
gas a substance that has no shape and can
escape to get away from something move around freely
page 38, 188 page 56, 119, 158, 163, 188
evaluate decide how good, useful and germinate when a seed starts to grow
successful something is page 4, 27
page 47, 104, 133, 193
germs very small living things that can cause
evaporate liquids can change into gases disease
page 58, 172 page 2
examine find out more about something gravity the pull that holds things on the Earth
page 78 page 188
excreting getting rid of body wastes such as
urine H
page 3 habitat the place where a plant or animal lives
page 32, 41, 159
experiment a test where one factor at a time
is changed hatch a chick breaks out of the egg in which it
page 86 was growing
page 5
hearing aid small machine that fits behind the
F ear or inside the ear and makes sounds louder
factors things that play a role in a result page 149
page 86 hollow has only empty space inside
feature an interesting or noticeable part of page 44, 81, 93, 156
something
page 154
198 Glossary

I melting point the temperature at which a
material melts
indigenous living and growing in the area that
page 62
someone or something is originally from
page 39, 99, 131 Moon a cold, round object that always moves
around Earth
input of energy the energy that goes into a
page 161, 175, 187
system to make it work
page 122, 128, 145, 188 N
island a piece of land that is smaller than a natural something formed or living in nature,
continent and surrounded by sea not made by people
page 158 page 42, 70, 99, 119
L nerve a group of long fibres that carries

messages between your brain and a part of
label write about something to give
your body
information about it
page 140
page 21, 48
nutrients substances in food that living things
lake a large area of water that has land all
need to live, to grow and to stay healthy
around it
page 112
page 159
launch to send a spacecraft into space O
page 188 observations using your senses to look at
leather a soft, flexible material made from something closely to find information about it
animal hide page 21
page 74 oceans the largest of Earth’s saltwater surfaces
limbs body parts such as legs, arms, fins and page 157
wings that are used for movement organism a living thing, especially a very small
page 16 one
liquid a substance that does not have a fixed page 4
shape and can flow output of energy the energy that comes out
page 56, 71, 177, 190 of a system
page 122, 128, 145
M
malleable can be shaped easily P
page 71 payload the people, equipment or other
manufactured materials materials or useful spacecraft carried by a rocket
things made by people from natural or page 188
human-made materials percussion instrument musical instrument
page 70 that you play by hitting, shaking or scraping it
melt when a solid gains heat to become a page 129, 141
liquid
page 58, 71, 154
Glossary 199

phases of the Moon the changing pattern of rigid stiff; does not move or bend
sunlight on the Moon page 44
page 180 rocket long tall structure that can be propelled
pitch is a measure of how high or low a sound is into space
page 146 page 188
planet a large object that moves around a star
S
page 160. 163
sand fine particles of rock
plastic a material made from substances found page 71, 101, 155
in coal and oil
page 72, 140 seas smaller saltwater surfaces
page 157
pluck when we stretch and let go the strings
on an instrument to create sounds seedling the new plant that grows when a
page 128 seed germinates
page 27, 113
plumule the first shoot a seedling grows
page 27 sense organs parts of the body that are used
to sense the environment; the sense organs
predators animals that catch and eat other allow animals and people to see, feel, hear,
animals taste and smell things
page 33 page 16
predict say what you think will happen before sensing being able to see, hear, touch, taste or
it happens smell things
page 65, 113, 190 page 3
product something that people have made, shelter a place where you are safe from bad
grown or created weather or danger
page 47, 104, 133 page 38, 41, 104
propel to move or push something forwards similar have things in common; almost the
page 190 same
properties what a material looks like and how page 37, 139, 176
it behaves sinew a thick band of strong material in your
page 76, 81 body that joins a bone to a muscle
page 131
R
radicle the first root a seedling grows soil sand that is mixed with dead or rotting
page 27 material
page 155, 176
raw materials natural materials such as wood
and clay that are made into other things solar system the Sun and all the objects that
page 70, 99 move around it
page 167
reproducing producing babies or young
animals or plants solid a substance that has a fixed shape
page 3 page 56, 69, 190
200 Glossary

solidify when a liquid loses heat to become a surface the outside part or top layer of
solid something
page 60 page 155, 176
sound wave the way that sound travels system something that has two or more parts
through the air that work together
page 140 page 122, 127, 163, 187
source of energy something that we get
T
energy from
page 111, 119 temperature a measure of how hot or cold
something is
space unending darkness beyond Earth’s page 64
atmosphere
page 160, 164, 176, 187 traditional based on old beliefs or old ways of
doing things
specification something specific about a page 99
product
page 104 transfer of energy the process by which
energy goes from one part of an energy chain
sphere a round shape, like a ball to another
page 154, 168 page 114
stars objects in space that give off their own triangulation struts are joined into the shape
light of a triangle
page 160, 164 page 98
states of matter the three forms in which tuning fork a metal object with two long
materials can exist: solids, liquids and gases arms. When you tap it, it produces a musical
page 56 note
stiff material does not bend easily page 138
page 77
U
string instrument musical instrument that
unique different from others in its own special
produces sound from strings
way
page 129, 146
page 131
structure the parts of something
page 12, 44, 81, 93 V
struts lengths of strong material that are vehicle a machine that is used to carry people
joined to make a strong frame or things from one place to another
page 90, 93 page 188
substance any type of solid, liquid or gas Venn diagram drawing made up of
page 56, 72 overlapping circles; useful to show
comparisons between things
Sun a very bright star that gives light and
page 37
warmth to Planet Earth
page 160, 163, 178 vibrate to move to and fro with small, fast
movements
page 130, 137
Glossary 201

volume how loud or soft a sound is
page 145
W
water cycle the movement of water from
the land and sea to the air and back again by
the processes of evaporating, condensing,
freezing and melting
page 66, 172
waterproof does not allow water to pass
through
page 76, 103
wildlife rehabilitation centre place where
injured or orphaned wild animals are looked
after until they can go back to the wild
page 42
wind instrument musical instrument that you
play by blowing air into it
page 129
202 Notes

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CAPS

Natural Sciences and Technology

R. Adatia • K. Barker • F. Clitheroe • S. Cohen • R. De Villiers

© Maskew Miller Longman (Pty) Ltd 2013

First published in 2013

Book design by MML Studio

stions and looked for

Life and living and

Matter and materials and structures

Energy and change and systems and

Earth and beyond and systems and control

9780636135512_plt_nst_g04_lb_eng_zaf.indb 5 2013/07/09 1:45 PM

Steps for doing Natural Sciences

Steps for doing Technology

Natural Sciences and Technology will help you if you

9780636135512_plt_nst_g04_lb_eng_zaf.indb 6 2013/07/09 1:45 PM

1 Living and non-living things

Starting off ACTIVITY 1 Find out what you

9780636135512_plt_nst_g04_lb_eng_zaf.indb 1 2013/07/09 1:45 PM

Sunflower Mealie plant Bacteria/germs

Some living things

ACTIVITY 2 Look at living things

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Plants grow. People grow.

Reproducing. They Feeding. They need Moving. They can

Topic 1 Living and non-living things 3

9780636135512_plt_nst_g04_lb_eng_zaf.indb 3 2013/07/09 1:45 PM

Key word Things that seem not living can be alive

A seed germinates and grows into a plant.

ACTIVITY 3 Germinate bean seeds

You need: bean seeds; cotton wool or paper towel;

9780636135512_plt_nst_g04_lb_eng_zaf.indb 4 2013/07/09 1:45 PM

ACTIVITY 4 Grow yeast

You need: fresh or dry yeast; beaker, glass or jar;

An egg seems to be not living, but there can be a

A young chick grows inside an egg.

Topic 1 Living and non-living things 5

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ACTIVITY 5 Look at pictures of eggs hatching

1. Look at the pictures of a chick hatching. The

What makes things that seem not living

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Skills focus Observe 7

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Some things are non-living. Non-living things cannot carry out

ACTIVITY 7 Identify, sort and compare living and non-

1. Decide if each of the things in the picture is living or non-living.

Object Life processes it carries Is it Is it non-

9780636135512_plt_nst_g04_lb_eng_zaf.indb 8 2013/07/09 1:45 PM

Living tree Non-living tree Wood burning in a fire

Did you know?

Topic 1 Living and non-living things 9

9780636135512_plt_nst_g04_lb_eng_zaf.indb 9 2013/07/09 1:45 PM

environment processes non-living

1. Air, soil and water are things.

air sheep bean seed leather belt

grass basket peach tree ant water soil

hen’s egg fire stone yeast germ wood