Macquarie Fields Public School Stage 1: Year 1 The project design incorporated background knowledge from the Stage 1 Connected Outcome Groups (COGs) Powering

Macquarie Fields Public SchoolStage 1: Year 1The project design incorporated background knowledge from the Stage 1 Connected Outcome Groups (COGs) Powering On and Products & Services. Linking their understanding about ‘free’ energy and ‘needs and wants’, 1 Seahorse students decided to make a toy.

Design brief Design and make a toy that can move. The toy is to be made from available materials and use power that is free.

Syllabus links: PP S1.4; PS S1.5; DM S1.8; UT S1.9

September, 2007 Technology education K-8: Design and Practice© State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 2007.

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Macquarie Fields Public School

• The task was introduced – we needed to make a product.

• The students enthusiastically all agreed that we should make a toy.

• We brainstormed the requirements of our design.

Exploring and defining the task


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Macquarie Fields Public SchoolExploring and defining the task

• It was decided that, as we have no money in the classroom, we had to use free materials.

• The children have explored different types and sources of energy, and decided that our toy would not require energy which we have to pay for.

• The class also agreed on certain aesthetic elements required in a toy.


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Macquarie Fields Public SchoolGenerating and developing ideas

The students explored how wind makes things move – in this case paper windmills.

We also looked at a variety of toys and sorted them into groups based on the type of energy used to make them move.


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• choose one toy• decide on which materials they would use• think of ways to join the different parts• label their plans.

Generating and developing ideasAfter defining the task, the class decided on three toy designs – a car, a kite and a sail boat.While drawing the plans the students were required to:


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Macquarie Fields Public SchoolMaking our toys


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Macquarie Fields Public SchoolProducing solutionsAfter the first day of making their designs, the students identified several problems:• toy falling apart• parts not sticking• cardboard sinks when it gets wet• paper on kites getting torn.

Our solutions included:• stronger glue• plastic trays for boats• fabric for kites• using string or blu-tac to join parts together.


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I made a boat. It has a sail.

Original plan


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Macquarie Fields Public SchoolI made a kite but it kind of

broke. I will fix my kite by

putting more sticky tape on.


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On Monday the whole class made a toy. Next time I

will make it stronger.


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Macquarie Fields Public SchoolStudents’ reflections

My boat floats in the water and it doesn’t sink.

Next time I will use super

glue.Next time I will make only one!

Next time I will play with it.

My toy is good.

I made a kite. It keeps falling

down. Next time I will make it more strong.

My kite is blue and it doesn’t fall

apart.

My car needs super glue and

paint.


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Teacher reflection The idea of the task was to encourage students’ deep understanding of the world around them and how humans interact with it. The main aims were to allow students to:

• self regulate their learning by contributing to a class design brief and then choosing their own design• make decisions in planning, drawing and making their designs, choosing the construction and joining

materials• identify limitations and problems, and try to find solutions to these• think about alternate sources of energy, other than electricity (power points and batteries)• chose whether they wanted to work together or alone, while still maintaining positive interaction within

the classroom.

These skills, attitudes and values are important, not only because they match the syllabus outcomes, but also to give students the confidence to be productive in their interactions with each other and the environment.


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By giving them almost complete control, I believe that the students in 1 Seahorse achieved a better understanding of the process involved in designing and making a product. The end product may not have met the design brief, but the process gave students the opportunity for ‘hands-on’ learning.

They understand that ‘trial and error' help in the process, and that it’s more helpful to be working within a team than on your own. Most of the students are also beginning to understand that there are different sources of energy and that using them may be better for the environment (and our piggy banks).

Next time, I would allow more time for the designs. I would also challenge the students more when their plans and designs don’t meet the criteria. The logistics of having twenty cardboard, string and sticky tape constructions in the room for two weeks needs to also be better thought out.


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Documents

Macquarie Fields Public School Stage 1: Year 1 The project design incorporated background knowledge from the Stage 1 Connected Outcome Groups (COGs) Powering