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Lesson 3: How does the thickness of a material affect its strength?

Testing how stiff or flexible materials are when they have a different thickness.
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Two piles of books spaced around 15cm apart with a piece of paper folded twice and laid across the books like a bridge. There are six connecting cubes placed on the paper bridge and it is bending slightly.

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Learning objective

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Before the lesson

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Lesson plan

1. Recap and recall

Explain that the children will be thinking about strong shapes. Display the Presentation: Agree or disagree? and read out the statement aloud. Ask the children to discuss the statement with a partner and decide whether they agree or disagree. Remind them that they need to explain why they agree or disagree.

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In this unit

Assessment – D&T Y2: A chair for a bearLesson 1: All about chairs!Lesson 2: How does the shape of something affect its strength?
Lesson 3: How does the thickness of a material affect its strength?
Lesson 4: Making a chair for a bearLesson 5: Evaluating, improving and finishing a chair for a bear
Created by:
Kapow Primary Team
Kapow Primary Team
Our team comprises experienced classroom teachers who love the foundation subjectsFind out more
Maintained by: Kapow Primary teamLast update: 12 March 2026

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