Design and Technologies / Foundation / Processes and production skills / Designing and making

Curriculum content descriptions

generate, communicate and evaluate design ideas, and use materials, equipment and steps to safely make a solution for a purpose (AC9TDEFP01)

Elaborations
  • identifying a purpose for designing and making a solution, for example the sand keeps blowing out of the sandpit, the birds keep flying into the waste bin and taking food scraps or people with disability need to know where they can park at school
  • exploring ideas by drawing or modelling and choosing the most suitable idea, for example drawing or modelling designs for bee hotels to attract native bees to the school garden and choosing one to make, and changing perspectives from front view to plan view
  • evaluating what they have made using personal preferences, for example using a smiley face Likert scale
  • exploring how available materials can be used or re-used in construction play, for example using blocks and rain gutters or cardboard to make a ramp to roll a ball or toy car down
  • practising a range of technical skills safely using equipment, for example joining techniques when making a product from materials, such as a greenhouse to keep a seedling warm or a trellis for holding up tomato plants
  • assembling components of systems and checking they function as planned, for example making and testing a bowling, stacking or obstacle game with discarded food containers or packaging
General capabilities
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Literacy Literacy
ScOT terms

Design thinking,  Materials,  Design briefs,  Work health and safety

Text

Material world – ES1

In this lesson sequence, students investigate how the properties of materials determine their use in design solutions while introducing students to the material sciences and design thinking. Student investigate, plan and design a chair for their favourite teddy or doll to sit next to them while they are completing their ...

Text

Material world – Stage 1

In this lesson sequence, students investigate how properties of materials determine their use. Students identify a range of natural materials used by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples for a specific cultural purpose. There is an optional ‘maker hour’ for students to produce, implement, test and evaluate a shelter ...

Online

Education - Return to 1616 Ecological Restoration Project

This is a comprehensive education package based on of the world's most exciting ecological restoration projects that is happening right now in Western Australia! It features interactive virtual tours, 3D skulls, videos, real-action inquiry projects, research projects, native animal educational card games and activities, ...

Interactive

Chicken farming in the living world: Stage 1

Chickens are fascinating animals and provide students with an interesting subject matter to discuss the many aspects of our living world. This interactive course for students explores the question 'How do humans use plants and animals?' and comprises a series of modules and supporting videos. Students will plan, design ...

Video

Use your creative thinking skills!

Ashwini Ranjithabalan from Women in Engineering and IT at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) sees engineering as the business of solving future problems. What are some of the challenges we (and our societies) might face in the future? Get some friends together and see if you can brainstorm a list. Now choose one ...

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

Bethany Christian School – Progress report 2

This video explains the progress that Bethany Christian School has made in the Digital Technologies in Focus project. It is the second in a series of four.

Text

Bethany Christian School – Final report

This report provides details of Bethany Christian School's participation in the Digital Technologies in Focus project, including a Research question, criteria for success, data collection, resources, challenges, milestones and next steps.

Video

Wodonga South Primary School – Progress report 3

This video explains the progress that Wodonga South Primary School has made in the Digital Technologies in Focus project. It is the third in a series of four.

Video

DTiF Classroom Exploring AI in the Classroom: Activity discussion

Digital Technologies in Focus curriculum officers discuss a lesson about Artificial Intelligence with Simon Collier and a student.

Video

Expert webinar video: Martin Richards: AI, AR and VR F–10 and links to the Australian Curriculum: Digital Technologies

Martin Richards manages the Digital Technologies Hub. He discusses the relationship between artificial intelligence and the Australian Curriculum: Digital Technologies. Martin also shows some useful resources for teachers.

Video

Expert webinar video: Dr Karen Joyce: Map my school

Dr Karen Joyce from STEM education provider She Maps discusses geospatial mapping and methods for teaching underpinning concepts to primary, secondary and tertiary students. Her presentation provides opportunities to think about how we might teach digital systems, data collection and interpretation to our students in context.

Text

Faith Lutheran College – PL ecosystem

This document illustrates the network of people and resources that make up Faith Lutheran College's Professional Learning ecosystem.

Online

Robotics

Find out about robotics. Use this topic from the Digital Technologies Hub to learn more, get ideas about how to teach about it, find out what other schools are doing and use the applications and games in the classroom.

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?

Online

Game-based learning

Find out about Game-based learning. Use this topic from the Digital Technologies Hub to learn more, get ideas about how to teach about it, find out what other schools are doing and use the applications and games in the classroom.

Audio

St Mary’s Primary School – Podcast

This podcast includes information about the aims, challenges, insights and accomplishments of St Mary's Primary School's participation in the Digital Technologies in Focus project.

Video

Bethany Christian School – Podcast

This podcast includes information about the aims, challenges, insights and accomplishments of Bethany Christian School's participation in the Digital Technologies in Focus project.

Video

Expert Webinar video: Professor Stephen Heppel: The impact of environmental factors on learning

In this video Professor Stephen Heppell, discusses the aggregation of marginal gains in learning environments. He provides examples from the Learnometer project, designed to help students monitor their classroom environment for factors that may hinder learning.

Video

Green Hill Public School – Progress report 1

This video explains the progress that Green Hill Public School has made in the Digital Technologies in Focus project. It is the first in a series of three.