How can you tell they’ve got it: Changing Shapes of Solids?

If they’ve got it, you’ll see things like: Demonstrate four ways to change the shape of a solid: squashing, bending, twisting, stretching; Compare how different materials respond to these forces (e.g. clay squashes easily, wood does not); Explain that the material itself stays the same even when the shape changes. Or just try it together: Can your child show you how to change the shape of clay by squashing it, twist a pipe cleaner, and explain that some materials bend while others snap?

Science Matter & Materials Ages 6–7

Changing Shapes of Solids

Your child can change a solid's shape by squashing, bending, twisting, or stretching. Clay squashes easily, but wood does not. The material stays the same.

In curriculum terms

Investigate how the shapes of solid objects can be changed by squashing, bending, twisting, and stretching

Ages are typical, not deadlines — follow your child’s pace. How to help at home →

How to tell they’ve got it

Tick these off as you see them — no test required.

Demonstrate four ways to change the shape of a solid: squashing, bending, twisting, stretching
Compare how different materials respond to these forces (e.g. clay squashes easily, wood does not)
Explain that the material itself stays the same even when the shape changes

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Try this together

Can your child show you how to change the shape of clay by squashing it, twist a pipe cleaner, and explain that some materials bend while others snap?

Where this sits on the map

Stuck here? Check the skills it builds on first. Confident? Here’s what it unlocks.

Builds on

Describing Material Propertiesages 5–6Must know material properties before investigating how shapes change

Changing Shapes of Solidsthis skill · ages 6–7

Unlocks

Solids, Liquids & Gasesages 8–9Changing shapes of solids provides context for understanding solid properties

solid = must come firstdashed = helps

Curriculum alignment

Where this fits in the official school curriculum — our best automated guess, not yet checked by a person.

Show candidate curriculum codes · 3 ACARA · 1 NSW · 3 VIC

Australian Curriculum v9 candidate

AC9S2U03high confidenceYear 2 · Science understanding

recognise that materials can be changed physically without changing their material composition and explore the effect of different actions on materials including bending, twisting, stretching and breaking into smaller pieces

AC9SFU02medium confidenceFoundation · Science understanding

describe how objects move and how factors including their size, shape or material influence their movement

AC9S3U04low confidenceYear 3 · Science understanding

investigate the observable properties of solids and liquids and how adding or removing heat energy leads to a change of state

NSW syllabus codes & stages only

ST1-SCI-01low confidenceScience and Technology K-6 · Stage 1

Victorian Curriculum 2.0 codes & levels only

VC2S2U06high confidenceScience · Foundation to Level 2 · Science Understanding strand

VC2S2U10low confidenceScience · Foundation to Level 2 · Science Understanding strand

VC2S2U11low confidenceScience · Foundation to Level 2 · Science Understanding strand

These are candidate alignments generated by semantic matching — machine-suggested and unreviewed (v0.1), not official or verified mappings. For official curriculum content see australiancurriculum.edu.au, curriculum.nsw.edu.au and f10.vcaa.vic.edu.au. Don’t rely on them for registration or compliance purposes.

Nearby on the map

Choosing the Right Materialages 6–8 Changes & Separation Vocabularyages 7–9 Classifying Materialsages 7–8 Describing Material Propertiesages 5–6

All Matter & Materials skills →