Design and technologies / Year 3 and 4 / Design and Technologies Knowledge and Understanding

Curriculum content descriptions

Recognise the role of people in design and technologies occupations and explore factors, including sustainability that impact on the design of products, services and environments to meet community needs (ACTDEK010)

Elaborations
  • exploring, playing with and testing materials for their appropriateness, for example materials for a new sun-shade product
  • examining the suitability of a service or everyday system and proposing improvements, for example a water saving system for a bathroom at home
  • investigating materials, components, tools and equipment, including by using digital technologies, to discover their characteristics and properties, how they can be used more sustainably and their impact in the future
  • considering the impact of environments on users, for example a school vegetable garden, a protected outdoor play area
  • exploring and testing factors that impact on design decisions, for example considering the demographics of an area or the impact of natural disasters on design of constructed environments such as the structural design of buildings in Japan to withstand earthquakes
  • critiquing designed products, services and environments to establish the factors that influence the design and use of common technologies, for example the characteristics that contribute to energy-efficient cooking such as wok cooking; the suitability and sustainable use of particular timbers
General capabilities
  • Literacy Literacy
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and creative thinking
  • Personal and social capability Personal and social capability
  • Ethical understanding Ethical understanding
Cross-curriculum priorities
ScOT terms

Designers,  Engineers,  Environmental sustainability,  Design,  Energy efficient design

Video

Introduction 'Technology' in AgriBusiness (Animation)

This is a video about how Australian farmers embrace technology. Using animation, photographs and commentary with occasional puns and jokes by a primary-school--aged boy, it sets the scene of the overall impact of technology, describes why Australian farmers have always been innovative; provides a definition of technology; ...

Video

Lunchbox Legends - the people behind your lunch (Animation)

This is a video about the various occupations involved in developing and producing the food used in a ham and salad lunch roll. The video is presented by Will, a primary-school-aged boy, who identifies and describes nine occupations in several broad groups including researchers, growers of plant food; producers of animal ...

Video

For the Juniors: Tall buildings that won't fall

What makes tall buildings strong and stable? View this clip to find out how a tall building made from concrete is made even stronger. Look at a model of the building to see how it will look when it's built. See if you can pick up some design tips to help you build your own tall structure!

Downloadable

Engineering a reef

This is an illustrated narrative describes the engineering decisions made when building an artificial reef to slow coastal erosion issues encountered on the Gold Coast. It shows the creativity, innovation and community collaboration required, focusing on the value being an engineer brings to the individual and the local ...

Downloadable

When the dam runs dry

This is an illustrated story retelling the real-life engineering decisions made to provide water to a Queensland town when its dam, the only source of water, ran dry. It shows the creativity, innovation and collaboration required to provide a solution that delivers a sustainable water supply. The downloadable PDF includes ...

Downloadable

If only animals could talk

This is an illustrated narrative describing the engineering decisions made to create wildlife corridors for safe passage for Australian fauna to protect them and the stormwater networks they had been traveling through. It shows the creativity, innovation and collaboration required, and focuses on the value being an engineer ...

Downloadable

Fighting floodwaters

This is an illustrated story retelling the real-life engineering decisions made to mitigate flood damage to a Queensland town that experiences frequent, dangerous flooding. It focuses on the value of being an engineer and how It benefits local communities. The downloadable PDF includes classroom activities.

Downloadable

Moving a town

This is an illustrated retelling of the engineering decisions made to relocate a town from low to high ground following a dangerous flooding event. Based on a real-life event, the story shows the creativity, innovation and collaboration required to manage the process and focuses on the value engineers brings to the local ...