Question 1

What is NCEA AS 91049 about?

Accepted Answer

You need to pick a real technological product (like a phone, shoe, or water bottle) and explain how the materials used in it actually make it work. You'll describe what materials are used, what properties they have (like being waterproof or flexible), and how they've been shaped, joined, or treated to do their job properly.

Question 2

What do students need to do for AS 91049?

Accepted Answer

1. Identify the materials used in a technological product and describe what they're made of and how they're put together 2. Explain the performance properties of these materials (strength, flexibility, waterproofing, durability, heat resistance, etc.) and why those properties matter 3. Describe how the material has been worked or manipulated (shaped, joined, finished, heated, mixed) to make it suitable for use 4. Link the material properties and how they've been treated directly to how the product actually functions and does its job 5. For Merit: explain how the composition and structure of the materials determine both what properties they have and how they can be shaped/worked, not just describe it

Question 3

What's the difference between Achieved, Merit, and Excellence for AS 91049?

Accepted Answer

Achieved: You describe what materials are in the product, what they can do (their properties), how they've been worked, and explain how this helps the product work. Merit: You explain how the material's composition and structure actually cause its properties to exist, and how this composition determines what ways you can shape or manipulate it. Excellence: You discuss how all three things—the material's composition, its structure, and how it's been manipulated—work together as an interconnected system to make the product function as intended.

Question 4

What mistakes do students typically make in AS 91049?

Accepted Answer

1. Only describing the product or listing materials without explaining how those materials' properties actually enable function 2. Treating composition, structure, and manipulation as separate ideas instead of connecting them to show cause-and-effect relationships 3. Not linking material choices back to the specific job the product needs to do—explaining 'why that material' not just 'what material'

Materials technology

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