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Summaries · Grade 4 Natural Sciences › Raw materials and structures from nature
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Raw materials and structures from nature

Where materials come from, and how we learn from nature to build. Read one part at a time and tap “I know this”. Then test yourself in the quiz.

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From nature to the shop

Raw materialBecomes…
SandGlass
WoodPaper, furniture
Clay (baked in a kiln)Bricks, pots
Limestone (heated)Cement
Iron oreSteel
Wool (sheared from sheep)Yarn, jerseys and blankets
Cotton plantCotton cloth
Animal skinLeather
Sap of rubber treesRubber
Rule

Raw material = from nature. Manufactured product = made by people, like a glass bottle.

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Structures from nature

A weaver bird weaves its nest from strips of grass: it is light but holds its shape. A honeycomb’s six-sided cells are strong. People learned from structures like these.

A weaver’s nest and a traditional hut: both built from natural materials.
A weaver’s nest and a traditional hut: both built from natural materials.
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Why recycle?

When we recycle, we take fewer raw materials from nature. Wood is renewable, because we can plant new trees.

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Remember this and test yourself

Remember this: your summary
  • A raw material comes straight from nature: wood, clay, sand, wool.
  • Glass is made from sand, paper from wood, bricks from clay, steel from iron ore.
  • Leather comes from animal skin, wool from sheep’s hair, cotton from a plant, rubber from tree sap.
  • Most raw materials are first processed to make them more useful, for example sand into glass or clay into bricks.
  • People learn from nature: a bird’s nest, a honeycomb, a traditional hut.

Write these points in your book. Read them again the night before the test.

Memory trick

From the beach comes the window (sand → glass), from the forest comes the book (wood → paper), from the mud comes the wall (clay → bricks).

Flash cards · Tap to turn over

Important words

First say what the word means, then turn the card over.

Test yourself · Part 2

True or false?

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