Design and technologies / Year 3 and 4 / Design and Technologies Processes and Production Skills

Curriculum content descriptions

Select and use materials, components, tools, equipment and techniques and use safe work practices to make designed solutions (ACTDEP016)

Elaborations
  • using appropriate technologies terms to confidently describe and share with others procedures and techniques for making, for example cutting and joining materials
  • exploring ways of joining, connecting and assembling components that ensure success, and the impact digital technologies have had on these processes
  • using tools and equipment accurately when measuring, marking and cutting; and explaining the importance of accuracy when designing and making, for example creating a template, measuring ingredients in a recipe, sowing seeds
  • selecting and using materials, components, tools, equipment and processes with consideration of the environmental impact at each stage of the production process
  • demonstrating safe, responsible and cooperative work practices when making designed solutions
General capabilities
  • Personal and social capability Personal and social capability
  • ICT capability Information and Communication Technology (ICT) capability
ScOT terms

Materials,  Fibres (Materials),  Tools,  Work health and safety

Interactive

Thermal comfort – sustainability action process (Years 3–6)

This thermal comfort learning resource will guide students through an extended school based investigation. Students will develop and implement a chosen sustainability action and then evaluate and reflect on their success and their learning.

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

Design thinking across the curriculum

This cross-curriculum resource is designed to introduce Stage 2, 3 and 4 students to the design thinking process through a series of videos and interactive activities. This resource is also downloadable as a SCORM file: the downloaded version will only work if you upload it to a webserver, such as Moodle or Canvas.

Interactive

Waste and materials – sustainability action process (Years 3–6)

This resource guides students through an extended school-based or local investigation focussed on waste and materials using the five-step sustainability action process. The resource supports the investigation of a real-world issue or problem. Students develop and implement a chosen sustainability action and then evaluate ...

Interactive

Kitchen gardens – sustainability action process (Years 3–6)

This resource guides students through an extended school-based or local investigation focussed on kitchen gardens using the five-step sustainability action process. The resource supports the investigation of a real-world issue or problem. Students develop and implement a chosen sustainability action and then evaluate and ...

Online

Discover Dairy: let's explore technologies used to produce dairy products

This is a teacher resource containing a sequence of inquiry about the role that technologies play in the production of milk in Australia. It includes six inquiry sequences to develop understandings about the tools, equipment and procedures used to produce milk. This resource also includes teacher notes, links to additional ...

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 ...

Text

Seed spinners | Questacon

In this activity, students investigate how some seeds have evolved to catch the wind for dispersal. Students make a paper model of a spinning seed and make observations of its motion, and are challenged to vary the spinner design and test the results. The activity includes a list of what is required, suggestions of what ...

Text

Parachutes | Questacon

In this activity, students investigate the motion of falling objects, with and without a parachute. They explore whether different objects fall at different speeds and predict how different materials for making parachutes will perform. They then design, make and test their own toy parachutes. The activity includes a list ...

Text

Transportation Innovation

In this activity, students participate in a design challenge to use natural materials to design and create a tool that can be used to transport an object between two places. The activity provides students with an opportunity to explore how natural materials can be changed and combined to solve problems (Year 2) and use ...

Downloadable

Construct a pull along toy - teacher resource kit

This activity kit is about engaging students in thinking about wheels and axles. Activities are guided by the design thinking process, and scaffolds students to explore different types of pull-along toys, various ways of constructing them from a range of household and readily-available materials and investigate how wheels ...

Downloadable

Construct a straw bridge - teacher resource kit

This activity kit challenges students to design and construct a 40cm-long straw bridge. Activities are guided by the design thinking process, and scaffold students to explore various bridge designs then plan, build, test and critique their designs. The guide includes lesson ideas, project instructions and activity sheets.

Downloadable

Construct a catchment - teacher resource kit

This activity kit encourages students to investigate dams and reservoirs in their local areas, and create their own model. Activities are guided by the design thinking process, and scaffold students to work in teams to investigate their local catchment, the habitats, landforms and people that would be impacted by damming ...

Downloadable

Construct a solar cooker - teacher resource kit

This activity kit encourages students to explore how sunlight can be reflected to concentrate it and raise the temperature, creating a solar oven. Activities are guided by the design thinking process, and scaffolds students to explore solar energy, explore how sunlight can be reflected to concentrate it and raise the temperature ...

Downloadable

Construct a water wheel - teacher resource kit

This activity kit encourages students to design and construct a simple water wheel model that turns by the flow of water. Activities are guided by the design thinking process, and scaffolds students to research the applications of various simple machines, and the combinations of simple machines they might use to build a ...

Downloadable

Construct a catapult - teacher resource kit

This activity kit challenges students to design and build catapults out of recycled and household items. Activities are guided by the design thinking process, and scaffold students to explore simple machines, tools, properties of materials and changing variables in experiments. The guide includes lesson ideas, project instructions, ...

Text

Physical world – design and production investigation

In this lesson sequence, students work in pairs to explore how light energy from the sun is converted to heat energy to cook food using a solar oven. They investigate types of solar oven designs while exploring materials that are the most efficient in achieving heat absorption and insulation. Students collect, analyse ...