Concrete solutions to sustainable materials

Concrete is the most used material on Earth. Made from stones, sand and water, its key ingredient, cement, performs some chemical trickery that turns grey, runny slurry into solid rock, in whatever shape we choose. From plant pots to Ancient Rome’s Colosseum , it created the modern world. Use this article and the attached resources to enhance teaching of the properties and uses of materials. Concrete provides a familiar example of a composite material, but it has a large carbon footprint. This article introduces students to the work scientists around the world are doing to make its production and use more sustainable. Comprised of synoptic questions linked to the topic of concrete, the accompanying differentiated worksheets can be used to assess students’ recall of prior learning and identify topics for targeted revision.