Natural or Man-made?
FoundationStones and shells are natural; desks and phones are man-made. Good designs fit our needs — cup handles stop burns and shoe patterns stop slips.
- Natural objects are formed by nature itself.
- Man-made objects are designed and made by people.
- Many man-made objects are made from natural materials.
文體小知識：說明文幫你把物品分得明明白白：哪些來自大自然？哪些由人設計製造？設計怎樣幫助我們？
§Text Passage
1Around us there are all kinds of objects. Some are formed by nature itself; they are called natural objects, such as stones and shells on the beach, fruit on trees and wood from the hills. Some are designed and made by people; they are called man-made objects, such as desks, cups, schoolbags and phones.
2Natural objects are not processed by people: stones form over millions of years of wind and rain, shells grow from soft-bodied sea creatures, and apples grow from seeds. Man-made objects are the opposite: people first think of the shape and use, draw a design, choose suitable materials, and then make the object.
3Think of the man-made objects around us: wood becomes desks and chairs, cloth becomes schoolbags and clothes, and metal and plastic become phones. In fact, many man-made objects are made from natural materials and, through human design, become things that fit our needs. Most objects in daily life are man-made.
4Good design meets people's needs. A cup has a handle, so we can hold hot water without burning our hands; the rim is smooth, so drinking feels nice. Shoe soles have patterns that increase friction, so walking in the rain is not slippery. The curved umbrella handle is easy to hold, and the round scissor handles fit our fingers — all thoughtful designs.
5Learn to tell natural objects from man-made ones, then observe how the designs of man-made objects help people, and you will find designers' wisdom everywhere. Observing, sorting and thinking are good ways to learn science, and they help us appreciate every object around us.
1Summary 重點摘要
Stones and shells are natural; desks and phones are man-made. Good designs fit our needs — cup handles stop burns and shoe patterns stop slips.
2Vocabulary cards Vocabulary
Found in nature, not made by people.
Designed and made by people.
To plan how a thing looks and works.
To make things out of materials.
What things are made from, like wood, cloth and metal.
The shell of a sea creature; a natural object.
The part made for holding, like a cup handle or umbrella handle.
Made to stop slipping, like the patterns on shoe soles.
Easy and handy to use; good design makes life convenient.
3Step by step Steps
- Step 1: Know natural objectsNatural objects are formed by nature itself, not made by people. Stones and shells on the beach, wood cut from the hills, apples and bananas picked from trees, and sand and soil from the river are all natural objects. They have always belonged to nature: stones form over millions of years of wind and rain, shells are made by soft-bodied sea creatures, and fruit grows from plant seeds. Though not designed or made by people, natural objects can become the materials we make things from.
- Step 2: Know man-made objectsMan-made objects are designed and made by people. The desks, chairs, cups, schoolbags, phones, computers, clothes and toys we see every day are all man-made. People first think of the shape and use, draw a design, and then choose suitable materials to make it: wood becomes desks and chairs, cloth becomes schoolbags and clothes, and metal and plastic become phones. Man-made objects meet our many needs and make life easier. Look: which things in your schoolbag are man-made?
- Step 3: Objects are designed and made by peopleBehind every man-made object is human design and effort. Designers first ask: what do people need? Hands are cold in winter, so gloves are designed; it rains and there is no umbrella, so the umbrella was designed. Then they choose materials and shapes, make a sample, and only after testing do they mass-produce it. Even a pencil needs thought about the thickness of the barrel, whether it is comfortable to hold, and whether the lead breaks easily. Even the most ordinary objects go through the process of finding needs, designing, making and testing.
- Step 4: Good design fits needs — the cup handleGood design meets people's needs. Think about the design of a cup: the body holds the water, and the handle is for the fingers. Why a handle? Because the body of a cup of hot water is very hot; holding the handle keeps some distance, so the hand is not burned, and the grip is steady so water is not spilled. The rim is made smooth so drinking feels comfortable, and some cups have lids to keep dust out. The little handle comes from the designer carefully watching what people need — good design keeps us safe and comfortable.
- Step 5: Good design helps life — shoe patternsNow look at the soles of shoes: they are covered with lines and patterns — straight, crosswise and wavy. What are they for? A smooth surface slips easily on the ground, while bumpy patterns increase friction and grip the floor as we walk, so we do not fall in rainy days. This is the anti-slip design. Sports shoes have deeper patterns so we can stand steady while running and jumping. Similar thoughtful designs include the curved umbrella handle that is easy to hold and the round scissor handles that fit fingers. Good design helps life everywhere.
- Step 6: Be a little observer who sorts objectsOnce you can tell natural objects from man-made ones, be a little observer at home. First pick ten objects, such as a stone, a shell, a fruit, a wood block, a pencil, a cup, a schoolbag, a phone, socks and a pair of scissors, then ask yourself: was it always in nature, or was it designed and made by people? After sorting, choose one man-made object and explain how its design helps people — for example, scissors have sharp blades for cutting and two round handles for fingers to press. Observing and sorting are great ways to learn science.
5Worked example Example
Example: The teacher gives Kiki ten things — a stone, a shell, a wood block, an apple, a desk, a cup, a schoolbag, a phone, socks and an umbrella. Sort them for Kiki, then choose one man-made thing and explain how its design helps people.
- Natural things: the stone, the shell, the wood block and the apple — they come from nature, not made by people.
- Man-made things: the desk, the cup, the schoolbag, the phone, the socks and the umbrella — all designed and made by people.
- Choose the cup: the body holds water, and the handle keeps fingers away from hot water, so we are not burned and the grip is steady.
- The umbrella is well designed too: the cloth blocks rain, the handle is easy to hold, and the ribs hold the cloth open so we can go out in the rain.
- Answer: The stone, shell, wood block and apple are natural; the desk, cup, schoolbag, phone, socks and umbrella are man-made. The cup's handle keeps our hand away from hot water and holds it steady — good design fits our needs.
6Common mistakes Mistakes
7Quick check Quick check
Q1What kind of object is a stone?
Q2Where do phones come from?
Q3What is the cup handle for?
Q4What do the patterns on shoe soles do?
Q5What can wood be made into?
8Recap Recap
- Natural objects are formed by nature itself.
- Man-made objects are designed and made by people.
- Many man-made objects are made from natural materials.
- Good design fits our needs — like cup handles that stop burns.
- Shoe patterns stop slips; design makes life convenient.