Design and Technologies / Year 1 and 2 / Knowledge and understanding / Technologies context: Engineering principles and systems; Materials and technologies specialisations

Curriculum content descriptions

explore how technologies including materials affect movement in products (AC9TDE2K02)

Elaborations
  • investigating First Nations Australians’ instructive toys and how such toys are designed and made to produce movement, for example propeller toys made from pandanus across northern Australia
  • selecting materials to show how material properties are appropriate for particular designed solutions, for example materials that enable sliding, floating or flying
  • exploring how to manipulate materials using a range of tools, equipment and techniques to create movement, for example when constructing a toy boat that floats or a kite that flies
  • exploring a system such as a marionette or Indonesian wayang kulit shadow puppet to see that by combining materials with forces movement can be created
  • testing materials to see how they affect movement and speed, for example the movement of a wheeled toy on different surfaces such as timber, carpet, rubber and plastic
General capabilities
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Literacy Literacy
ScOT terms

Engineering,  Mechanical energy

Video

Thinking about the design process

Watch as UNSW student and Blusat member William Frohlich talks about the design process. What are some of the important things to consider before you start to make a project? Why does William say it's important to be flexible with your designs? Design your own obstacle course for your family using objects from around your ...

Video

For the Juniors: Getting your boat into shape!

A ball of plasticine sinks. Could you change its shape to make it float? Watch this clip to see some plasticine being made into different shapes. Find out which shape floats. Take a look at the shape of a motor boat. Why is it pointy at the front?

Video

Different paper plane designs

How many different paper plane designs are there? Lots! Watch as Dylan Parker, paper plane expert, demonstrates some of his favourites. Notice the way the different shapes and features of the planes cause them to move through the air in different ways. Which one do you like the most? Why not have a go at making something similar?

Video

Sam the Lamb: Does wool burn?

This short entertaining video, narrated by ‘Sam the Lamb’ and 'Professors' Madeleine and Daisy test which fabrics burn easily and which fabrics are the most flame resistant. Sam and his science team test the flammability of a range of synthetic and natural fabrics including polyester, polar fleece, cotton and wool.