Design Technologies in the Junior School

This term, our Junior School students have engaged in lots of exciting activities during their Design Technologies lessons. Students have developed a wide range of process and production skills all within different contexts.

Pre-Primary

Our Pre-Primary students have been very busy exploring the forces push and pull. Students have enjoyed participating in a range of experiments which have allowed them to investigate objects that float, objects that sink and how gravity works. As part of their final project, students designed and created their own toy using recycled materials.

Year 1

The students in Year 1 have had a wonderful time exploring, observing and selecting materials to use for construction, based on their material characteristics and behaviours. Students explored a variety of terms to describe materials such as: opaque, absorbent, strong and weak. To conclude the term, students designed and created their own spinning tops, before evaluating their designs.

Year 2

Year 2 students enjoyed learning about the forces of push and pull and used Keynote to showcase their learning throughout the term. Students used a wide range of materials to design and create a catapult, fit for launching a marshmallow across the classroom. Students then evaluated the success of their design and suggested possible changes.

Year 3

Students in Year 3 have been exploring different occupations, particularly those in the Design and Technologies sector. Students developed a list of questions, before setting out to solve problems that people working in these occupations face every day. Students are currently working on producing a podcast to showcase their learning.

Year 4

The Year 4 students have thoroughly enjoyed working through the design Thinking Process this term. Students read a range of texts which posed real word problems. After practicing their design thinking skills, students identified a range of problems which have come about as the result of the Covid-19 Pandemic. Students then developed a range of solutions to these problems including work-out videos, VR headsets and online ordering systems.

Year 5

Students in Year 5 have been exploring the ways in which people in design and technology occupations aim to increase the efficiency of production systems in relation to food and fibre products. Students had the opportunity to make and consume oat milk and headed out into the College grounds to identify examples of good soil. Students concluded the term by developing their own solutions to a range of food production related issues.

Year 6

Our Year 6 students have learnt a lot about food safety and preparation this term. Students accessed a wide range of online resources to learn more about how food can be prepared safely. Students then worked in teams to develop and design their own healthy drinks, by creating their own success criteria. To conclude the term, students headed down to the Home Economics room to create their smoothies for real!