STAGE 1 Science and STEM
EMPATHISING Lesson 9
Students will be applying knowledge of the design process.
STAGE 1 Science and STEM
EMPATHISING Lesson 9
Students will be applying knowledge of the design process.
Stage 1 Science
Syllabus: design and digital solutions are created through knowledge and understanding
ST 1-DDT-01
ST1- PQU-01
Apply one or more steps of design process to make a product
Students are learning their design is a process of creating solutions to meet user needs
Students can empathise with the user to identify a username
Overview
In this person students gather stories and ask questions about kitchen products as they empathise to explore their needs
Science and Technology Stage 1 – Unit 2
Syllabus focus areas:
Design and digital solutions are created through knowledge and understanding
Contents
Unit description
Duration: 8 weeks + 2 weeks optional consolidation
This unit teaches students to use the design process to break projects into manageable steps. Students apply the design process steps to create or improve a kitchen product that meets user needs. Students investigate materials, food and fibres used in the kitchen and determine the best use for each material in a product. They also learn how innovative products and systems such as digital kitchen appliances influence the use of food and fibre.
Syllabus outcomes
ST1-DDT-01 uses technologies and materials to design and make products to address user needs or opportunities
ST1-PQU-01 poses questions based on observations and information to investigate cause and effect
Science and Technology K–6 Syllabus © NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales, 2024.
Posing questions
The posing questions outcome in each stage of the Science and Technology K–6 Syllabus (2024) supports the Working Scientifically outcomes in Stage 4. To supplement the syllabus content and the teaching advice, the department has created an information document for posing questions available at Posing questions – additional support resource.
Related learning
The learning in this unit will relate to ideas and content in Early Stage 1 Unit 2 and will be built on in future units, Stage 1 Unit 5, Stage 1 Unit 6 and Stage 2 Unit 2, as reflected in the Science and technology K–6 sample scope and sequence.
Lesson 9 – empathising
Overview
Lesson duration: 60 minutes
In this lesson, students gather stories and ask questions about kitchen products as they empathise to explore user needs.
Prior learning:
apply one or more steps of a design process to make a product
describe how products, including digital systems, can affect people’s lives
Key vocabulary: design process, empathise, user needs, products
Beginning the lesson
Duration: 10 minutes
The table below contains a suggested learning intention and success criteria.
Syllabus
Learning intention and success criteria
ST1-DDT-01, ST1-PQU-01
Design and digital solutions are created through knowledge and understanding
A design process is used to define user needs and create solutions
Apply one or more steps of a design process to make a product
Students are learning:
that design is a process of creating solutions to meet user needs.
Students can:
empathise with the user to identify a user need.
Explain the learning intention and refer to it throughout the lesson, making connections to prior learning. Unpack the success criteria and ensure students understand the learning goals.
The following steps activate prior knowledge to apply one or more steps of a design process to make a product.
Display Resource 13 – design process.
Review the steps of the design process.
Draw students’ attention to the ‘empathise’ step.
Ask: What are some ways used to build empathy? (Observe, ask questions, interview, role-play.)
Record student responses on the board. Provide feedback or correction as required.
Check for understanding of applying the empathise step of the design process by posing the following examples and non-examples of ways to build empathy. Students chorally respond using ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to indicate their response.
Role-playing the scenario. (Yes.)
Deciding what is best without asking questions. (No.)
Taking photographs or videos of the user when they are using the product or space, with permission. (Yes.)
Interviewing the user. (Yes.)
Showing the user a product and asking for feedback on the design. (Yes.)
Provide feedback and correction as necessary.
Assess students' readiness to move on to the Core lesson or reteach the empathise step of the design process.
Core lesson
Duration: 40 minutes
Steps
Explain that students will gather information about users to design or change an existing design of a kitchen utensil.
Ask: To design a quality product, what are some things to consider? Prompt students using Resource 13 – design process as required. Possible responses include, define the user need, research, empathise.
Explain that designers observe users and their behaviours to empathise with their needs. They conduct interviews and/or surveys with the users to better understand the issues they may be having and how these might be solved. For example, asking users to talk about the situation and/or experience when using a product. Designers can also better understand the user experiences by role-playing the users’ actions.
Display Resource 14 – other kitchen products.
Ask: What were each of these products made for?
Storage containers: to keep food fresh and/or store leftovers safely.
Drying rack: holds dishes and/or cutlery while they dry.
Strainer: holds foods while washing or straining water from foods.
Muffin tray: keeps shape of muffins while baking.
Vegetable peeler: to peel the skin from vegetables prior to cooking.
Can opener: to open cans of food that do not have a ring pull.
Students turn and talk with a partner to discuss their own experiences of using or seeing someone use the products.
Ask: How did designers know that these products were needed? How did designers gather stories to identify user needs?
In pairs, students discuss how designers identified user needs or identified an issue and/or challenge that needed to be solved. For example, someone did not know what to do with the wet dishes as they did not dry properly when stacked.
Prompt students to consider how stories and challenges were identified. Ask: Thinking of a kitchen product you are familiar with or the examples of Resource 14 – other kitchen products, were there any issues or challenges when you used the product?
In small groups, students identify an item that they are familiar with (used or seen in their household). They share experiences of using the product or describe a time when they have seen someone using the product. Groups discuss challenges faced. For example,
Storage containers: lids were too tight making it hard to open, lids were too hard to shut, hard to store the containers when they are not in use.
Drying rack: water sits under the drying rack, sometimes forming a puddle.
Strainer: sometimes gets too heavy to hold, gets hot when pouring pasta into the strainer.
Muffin tray: gets hot and difficult to remove the muffins out of the tray, muffins sometimes overflow and difficult to remove individually.
Vegetable peeler: difficult to hold, easy to cut skin if not careful.
Can opener: hard to hold tight enough to clamp onto the side of the can, difficult to hold the weight of the can while trying to twist the handles.
Select a representative from each group to share their discussions. Connect students’ thoughts by highlighting common themes or similar issues expressed across the groups.
Select 2 students to role-play the use of one of the kitchen products, demonstrating any issues that have been discussed while using that product. For example, students pretend to open a difficult storage container, asking each other for help, finally removing the lid and spilling the contents, and then not being able to replace the lid.
Students ask questions of each student as they remain in role, to find out more information about the issues that have been outlined with the containers. For example:
What was the hardest thing about trying to open the containers?
What made it hard to open them?
Is the catch difficult to use?
What made it difficult to put the lid on again?
In pairs, students select one of the kitchen products from Resource 14 – other kitchen products and role-play using the product. Students then ask questions of each other about how the product was difficult to use.
Circulate as students are role-playing these scenarios. Support students to ask questions that provide information on how the user is feeling, what are the difficulties with using the product, and what challenges they encountered when using the product.
Use this information to check for understanding of students’ ability to empathise with the user to identify a user need. Revisit this learning if necessary.
Differentiation
The table below identifies some starting points for differentiation.
Additional scaffolding
Extending and challenging
Students cannot empathise with the user to identify a user need.
Students work with a partner to role-play using one of the kitchen products from Resource 14 – other kitchen products. Discuss how the product could be changed to make it easier to use.
Students can empathise with the user to identify a user need.
Students select one of the products from Resource 14 – other kitchen products, and brainstorm how different people may have different issues with the item. Consider if the product is being used by a young child, a grandparent, a person in a wheelchair, or a person who has never encountered that product before.
Assessment
What to look for
Can students empathise with the user to identify a user need? ST1-DDT-01
Concluding the lesson
Duration: 10 minutes
Refer to the learning intention to support students in clarifying their thinking and to make connections.
Display Resource 13 – design process.
Ask:
Which steps did you use when identifying the user and user need of your product?
Were there other steps used when discussing ways to improve your product?
What are some ways that designers can collect user stories to help them empathise with user needs?
Discuss the different steps of the design process that students used in this lesson.
Optional assessment
Explain a hypothetical situation where a child is unable to use the kitchen sink to wash their hands.
As an exit ticket, students describe one way they can gain more information about the user and empathise with their needs. Possible responses could include: ask them questions about what they are trying to do, observe them, role-play the child trying to wash their hands.
This task provides evidence of student learning aligned to the success criteria. It assesses students’ ability to empathise with the user to identify a user need.
Reflection/Register
David wrote this!
Lesson 10 – define user needs
Overview
Lesson duration: 60 minutes
In this lesson, students explore the design process and learn to define user needs through user stories.
Prior learning:
distinguish between user needs and wants and describe how they can lead to design opportunities
identify designed products and how they meet user needs
Key vocabulary: design process, empathise, define, user needs
Lesson preparation: print and cut Resource 15 – sorting cards for pairs of students.
Beginning the lesson
Duration: 10 minutes
The table below contains a suggested learning intention and success criteria.
Syllabus
Learning intention and success criteria
ST1-DDT-01
Design and digital solutions are created through knowledge and understanding
A design process is used to define user needs and create solutions
Recognise that a design process breaks large projects into manageable, logical steps
Apply one or more steps of a design process to make a product
Students are learning:
that a design process is used to define user needs and create solutions.
Students can:
recognise that the elements of a design process break projects into logical steps
identify a user need based on observations.
Explain the learning intention and refer to it throughout the lesson, making connections to prior learning. Unpack the success criteria and ensure students understand the learning goals.
The following steps activate prior knowledge to recognise that a design process breaks large projects into manageable, logical steps
Display Resource 13 – design process.
Revise the steps of the design process.
Check for understanding of the design process by posing a selection of true or false questions. Students use thumbs up or thumbs down to indicate if the statement is true or false.
A design process is used to plan and create solutions for a problem or need. (True.)
A design process helps break big projects into smaller, easier steps. (True.)
Designers do all the steps at the same time without any order. (False.)
Provide feedback and correction as necessary.
Assess students' readiness to move on to the Core lesson or reteach to recognise that a design process breaks large projects into manageable, logical steps
Core lesson
Duration: 40 minutes
Steps
Ask: Have you ever faced a problem, an issue or a challenge? What did you do to solve it?
Explain that before solving a problem, issue or challenge, it is important to understand exactly what the problem is.
Display Resource 13 – design process and highlight that the design process breaks a project into smaller, manageable steps.
Ask: Why do you think this helps? Provide feedback or correction as required.
Draw students’ attention to the ‘define’ step. Explain that this step involves defining the user needs.
Define in the design thinking process refers to the step where user needs are identified, based on our understanding of the users and their environments (NESA 2024).
Revise the term user, and as a class, record a description of user needs on the class anchor chart. A response may be: A user need is something a person needs to help them do a job more easily, safely or to solve a problem.
Read aloud the observation, ‘I noticed that when Uncle J makes oats for breakfast, the oats drip off the spoon and make a mess on the kitchen bench.’
Students turn and talk to define Uncle J’s need. (For example, Uncle J needs to serve oats without spilling them on the kitchen bench.)
Seek input from students to share their responses. Record responses and provide feedback or correction as required.
Provide pairs with Resource 15 – sorting cards and revise the definitions of user needs and wants.
Students sort the cards from Resource 15 – sorting cards into needs and wants.
Select pairs to share and justify their sorting responses.
Ask:
What do these observations tell us about Uncle J?
Would other people have the same needs and wants?
Display Resource 16 – design challenge prompts and use a think aloud to model how to define a design challenge using observations from a user, for example: ‘My neighbour told me that he wants to prepare food on his kitchen bench, but it hurts his back as he has to bend forward.
The user in this situation is my neighbour.
The observed problem is the benchtop is too low, causing my neighbour’s back to hurt as he must bend forward to prepare food.
The user need is to prepare food on the benchtop at a comfortable height without hurting his back.
The design challenge is to design a way for my neighbour to prepare his food at a comfortable height.’
Provide pairs with Resource 16 – design challenge prompts and writing materials.
For the Uncle J example, guide students to record the user, the observed problem, what the user need is and the design challenge on Resource 16 – design challenge prompts. Suggested responses include:
The user is Uncle J.
The observed problem is that when making breakfast, he spills oats off the spoon and makes a mess on the kitchen bench.
The user need is Uncle J needs a way to serve oats without spilling them on the kitchen bench.
The design challenge is ‘What tool or utensil can we design that helps Uncle J serve oats without making a mess?’
Students read aloud their responses.
If responses differ between groups, as a class select one user need and design challenge to explore further in subsequent lessons.
Record the identified user need and design challenge on A3 paper for use in Lesson 11.
Differentiation
The table below identifies some starting points for differentiation.
Additional scaffolding
Extending and challenging
Students cannot identify a user need based on observations.
Support students to identify Uncle J’s user need. Ask: What is Uncle J having a problem with? What would make this better or easier for him?
Students can identify a user need based on observations.
Challenge students to identify an alternative way to help Uncle J and meet his user need. For example, a self-cleaning bench if the oats are spilt.
Assessment
What to look for
Can students recognise that the elements of a design process break projects into logical steps? ST1-DDT-01
Can students identify a user need based on observations? ST1-DDT-01
Concluding the lesson
Duration: 10 minutes
Revisit the learning intention and success criteria to help students reflect on their learning and make meaningful connections.
Ask:
How did defining the user needs help with the design process?
What are some challenges if someone tries to do a big project all at once?
Review the steps of the design process by displaying Resource 13 – design process.
Optional assessment
Pose a selection of true or false statements. Students respond using a thumbs up or thumbs down gesture. Example statements:
The ‘define’ step is when someone designs a solution. (False.)
The ‘define’ step is important for someone to identify the problem or challenge that needs to be solved. (True.)
• When we ‘define’ a user need, we need to know what the problem or challenge is and who it affects. (True.)
This task provides evidence of student learning aligned to the success criteria. It assesses students’ ability to describe the define step in a design process.
Reflection/Register
Lesson 11 – generate ideas
Overview
Lesson duration: 60 minutes
In this lesson, students generate ideas to solve the design challenge by sketching and discussing a range of possible solutions.
Prior learning:
recognise that the design process breaks large projects into manageable, logical steps
apply one or more steps of a design process to make a product
Key vocabulary: design process, user needs, generate, ideas, solutions, product
Beginning the lesson
Duration: 10 minutes
The table below contains a suggested learning intention and success criteria.
Syllabus
Learning intention and success criteria
ST1-DDT-01, ST1-PQU-01
Design and digital solutions are created through knowledge and understanding
A design process is used to define user needs and create solutions
Apply one or more steps of a design process to make a product
Describe how products, including digital systems, can affect people’s lives
Students are learning:
that a design process is used to create a solution.
Students can:
generate ideas for the design of a kitchen product that meets a user need
describe how a kitchen product can affect people’s lives.
Explain the learning intention and refer to it throughout the lesson, making connections to prior learning. Unpack the success criteria and ensure students understand the learning goals.
The following steps activate prior knowledge that the design process breaks large projects into manageable, logical steps.
Display Resource 13 – design process and revise the empathise and the define steps.
We empathise with a user to discover what their problem is and to identify their needs.
We define by selecting the need that we believe, when solved, will have the most impact on the user.
Recall the user need defined from the previous lesson:
The user is Uncle J.
The observed problem is that when making breakfast, he spills oats off the spoon and makes a mess on the kitchen bench.
The user need we defined is that Uncle J needs a way to serve oats without spilling them on the kitchen bench.
Revise that a design process is broken into steps so that a complex problem can be manageable. This also allows the designer to move backwards and forwards through the steps of the design process as needed. For example, if more information is needed to define the problem, then the designer can return to the empathise step if required.
Check for understanding of the design process involving separate, manageable steps, by asking students to respond to the following statements using a thumbs up or thumbs down action.
There are 7 steps in this design process. (True.)
Each step has a different purpose. (True.)
The design process is one large step. (False, the design process is broken into smaller steps in order to make the process easier.)
You don’t have to complete the steps in order. (True.)
Each step breaks a big process into smaller steps. (True.)
Assess students' readiness to move on to the Core lesson or revise that the design process breaks large projects into manageable, logical steps.
Core lesson
Duration: 40 minutes
Steps
Review the design challenge from the previous lesson: What tool or utensil can we design that helps Uncle J serve oats without making a mess?
Write the design challenge on chart paper and read aloud together as a class. Display the design challenge in the classroom.
Explain that now that we have defined our challenge, the next step is to generate ideas for a solution.
Revise the generating ideas step of the design process using Resource 13 – design process and the class anchor chart. Explain that when generating ideas, we are thinking of lots of different ideas to solve the problem and there is always more than one possible solution. Remind students that when generating ideas, all ideas are accepted.
Generating ideas is the process of creating, developing and discussing abstract, concrete or visual ideas. The goal of generating ideas is to explore many different and diverse ideas (NESA 2024).
Refer to the user (Uncle J) and the user need (the user need we defined is that Uncle J needs a way to serve oats without spilling them on the kitchen bench).
Explain that Uncle J needs a solution to his problem of spilling oats as he cooks and serves them. He needs a product that helps him move the cooked oats from the pot into the bowls easily and without mess. This could be something he holds such as a scoop or a spoon, or it might be some other kind of product like a pot that has a spout or some way to pour the oats into the bowls easily.
Explain that when we generate ideas, no idea is too crazy or too strange. Sometimes ideas that seem impossible lead to other ideas that are very creative and useful.
In pairs, students decide whether they will generate ideas for a utensil like a spoon or a scoop, or for a pot that can serve cooked oats without making a mess.
To determine if students have chosen a product type and are ready to generate ideas for their product, ask students to indicate with their hand up if they have decided on a utensil. Repeat for students who will generate ideas for a pot.
Provide students with A3 paper and writing materials. Students work with their partner to discuss and sketch ideas for their new product.
Circulate as students are working. Prompt students’ thinking by asking questions such as:
Will your product be easy for Uncle J to hold?
Will your product be wide enough to scoop a large portion of oats at one time?
What will your product be made from?
Can your product be cleaned easily?
Does your product require electrical power or need to be plugged in?
Can your product be larger/smaller?
Is there a product that you know of that you could change to suit Uncle J’s needs?
Students work with their partner to circle or select their 3 favourite ideas. Reminder: collect these sketches for use in the optional assessment.
Each pair of students meets with another pair of students to share their 3 favourite ideas and explain what they like about each.
Pairs select one of their favourite ideas to share with the class.
Discuss each idea as a class, asking clarifying questions. For example:
How big or small is your product?
What is your product made from?
How does your product work?
As students are sharing their ideas, use this information to check for understanding of students’ ability to generate ideas for the design of a kitchen product that meets a user need. Revise this content if required.
Ask: How would Uncle J’s life be affected if this problem is solved? (There would be no more mess on the kitchen bench so this would not need to be cleaned, he would have more time to do other things, the kitchen would be cleaner and more hygienic, Uncle J would have more confidence cooking and may try new recipes and enjoy cooking more.)
Students discuss this question with a partner.
Check for understanding of students’ ability to describe how a kitchen product can affect people’s lives by cold calling several students to share their thoughts with the class.
Differentiation
The table below identifies some starting points for differentiation.
Additional scaffolding
Extending and challenging
Students cannot generate ideas for the design of a kitchen product that meets a user need.
Support students to generate as many ideas as possible, even ones that seem unrealistic, to design a toaster. Encourage students to think of ideas beyond slices of bread. Record ideas in workbook.
Students can generate ideas for the design of a kitchen product that meets a user need.
Students generate ideas to design a kitchen product of their choice that meets the need of someone in their home. Record ideas in workbook.
Assessment
What to look for
Can students generate ideas for the design of a kitchen product that meets a user need? ST1-DDT-01
Can students describe how a kitchen product can affect people’s lives? ST1-DDT-01
Concluding the lesson
Duration: 10 minutes
Refer to the learning intention to support students in clarifying their thinking and to make connections.
Ask:
What is one product in the kitchen that you enjoy using?
How has this product affected your life?
Has this product helped or made things more difficult in the kitchen for you and your family?
Discuss these ideas with the class. Share an example from the staffroom or the canteen for students to consider.
Optional assessment
Consider the sketches that students have created and the number and creativity of the ideas.
This task provides evidence of student learning aligned to the success criteria. It assesses students’ ability to generate ideas for the design of a kitchen product that meets a user need.
Reflection/Register
Lesson 12 – building on ideas
Overview
Lesson duration: 60 minutes
In this lesson, students return to previous steps in the design process to gather more information about their user need and refine their generated ideas.
Prior learning:
apply one or more steps of a design process to make a product
recognise that a design process breaks large projects into manageable, logical steps
Key vocabulary: design process, ideas, user needs, refine
Lesson preparation: print Resource 18 – design review template for each student.
Beginning the lesson
Duration: 10 minutes
The table below contains a suggested learning intention and success criteria.
Syllabus
Learning intention and success criteria
ST1-DDT-01, ST1-PQU-01
Design and digital solutions are created through knowledge and understanding
A design process is used to define user needs and create solutions
Apply one or more steps of a design process to make a product
Students are learning:
that a design process is used to create a solution.
Students can:
generate ideas for the design of a kitchen product that meets a user need
build on generated ideas for the design of a kitchen product.
Explain the learning intention and refer to it throughout the lesson, making connections to prior learning. Unpack the success criteria and ensure students understand the learning goals.
The following steps activate prior knowledge to apply one or more steps of a design process to make a product.
Refer to Resource 13 – design process and the class anchor chart. Revise what happens in the ‘generate ideas’ step of the process.
Ask: Why is it important to generate multiple ideas?
Check for understanding by asking a series of true or false questions. Students respond by showing a thumbs up or thumbs down gesture.
It is important to only generate one idea. (False.)
It is easy to generate many ideas and try to improve some. (True.)
Many ideas help designers narrow down to one solution. (True.)
Revise the generate ideas step of the design process if necessary.
Assess students' readiness to move on to the Core lesson or reteach how to apply one or more steps of a design process to make a product.
Core lesson
Duration: 40 minutes
Steps
Refer to Resource 13 – design process.
Revise that these steps do not need to be in the order shown. It is important that after generating ideas for a solution to our user need, we return to the steps of empathising and research so that we can find out more information. This new information will help us to improve our ideas.
Display Resource 17 – reviewing ideas and explain each design review.
In Design 1, a simple lunch container addresses user needs to store food. However, it results in food being mixed.
In Design 2, a lunch container addresses user needs to store food and separate the foods accordingly. However, it is not see-through (transparent).
In Design 3, the lunch container addresses the user needs to store food separately and has a clear lid to see what is stored. It also includes a spoon for the user to use.
Explain that each new design incorporates information that helps to improve the design.
Provide students with their initial sketches they created when generating ideas in the previous lesson. Students will complete the following activity using the idea they selected in Lesson 11.
Ask:
What happened when Uncle J cooked oats each morning and served them into bowls? (Explore the narrative of Uncle J as the design challenge is reviewed.)
What are some of the ideas that have been generated so far? (Students share some of the ideas they have generated from the previous lesson.)
What else needs to be known to help us improve our product? (Possible responses include: How big is the bench where Uncle J is working? Does Uncle J have a disability that will impact how he uses a product? Is there a product already in Uncle J’s kitchen that can be adapted to meet Uncle J’s needs? How much space is needed for this new product?)
Students talk to a partner to determine questions they have that will help them to review their designs.
Ask each pair of students to share the questions they have created that will help them to refine their designs. For example:
Does our product need to be small enough to be stored in a drawer?
Is our product easy to clean?
Does our product need power or electricity? If yes, can it be battery powered?
How will this product be stored?
Will this product meet Uncle J’s needs?
As students share their questions, encourage students to consider additional questions that extend their ideas. For example, if students pose a question such as ‘Is the product easy to hold?’, prompt students to consider additional questions such as ‘Is the product too heavy to hold in one hand?’ or ‘Can we simplify our idea to make our product lighter?’.
Explain that although we cannot ask Uncle J these questions directly, we can decide what his answers might be with our partner.
Display Resource 18 – design review template and provide each student with a copy.
Explain that, just as students saw the development of lunch container ideas through 3 separate designs, they will now explore how to refine one of their own generated ideas.
Support students through the following steps:
Students write the name of their idea at the top of the table. Students draw a sketch of their original idea in the first box, Design 1.
Students discuss with their partner what small change can be made to improve and refine their idea. This new refined idea will then be sketched in the second box, Design 2.
Students again discuss with their partner what small change can be made to improve and refine their second idea. This latest refined idea will then be sketched in the third box, Design 3. Reminder: collect these work samples to use in the optional assessment.
Circulate as students are working. Prompt students to describe Uncle J’s situation and his kitchen as clearly as they can in order to support the refining of their designs.
Check for understanding of students’ ability to generate ideas for the design of a kitchen product that meets a user need through observation of students’ discussions and sketches. Support students to achieve success of this criterion through discussion as they work.
Differentiation
The table below identifies some starting points for differentiation.
Additional scaffolding
Extending and challenging
Students cannot generate ideas for the design of a kitchen product that meets a user need.
Support students to select one of their generated ideas from their sketches and consider a small change that can be made to improve the design.
Students can generate ideas for the design of a kitchen product that meets a user need.
Students work independently to develop a different idea from the one selected.
Assessment
What to look for
Can students generate ideas for the design of a kitchen product that meets a user need? ST1-DDT-01
Can students build on generated ideas for the design of a kitchen product? ST1-DDT-01
Concluding the lesson
Duration: 10 minutes
Guide students to review the learning intentions and success criteria to clarify their understanding and identify what they have achieved.
Select students to share their designs with the class.
Ask:
Was it easier to sketch the first, second or third design? Why?
Does each design still address the user need for Uncle J to keep a clean kitchen bench?
Was there a huge change (or significant change) between your first and third design? How?
Remind students that although each sketch and design refinement may look different, all of their designs should continue to meet the user need. This is the same as when designers move through the design process – they continue to improve on their designs to meet user needs.
Optional assessment
Gather students’ work samples of Resource 18 – design review template. Consider students’ ability to review generated ideas and improve these ideas for a kitchen product.
This task provides evidence of student learning aligned to the success criteria. It assesses students’ ability to generate ideas for the design of a kitchen product that meets a user need.
Reflection/Register
Lesson 13 – select an idea
Overview
Lesson duration: 60 minutes
In this lesson, students use criteria to select the one idea from their generated ideas that best meets user needs.
Prior learning:
apply the generate ideas step of a design process to make a product
describe how products, including digital systems, can affect people’s lives
Key vocabulary: design process, user needs, generate, ideas, criteria
Beginning the lesson
Duration: 10 minutes
The table below contains a suggested learning intention and success criteria.
Syllabus
Learning intention and success criteria
ST1-DDT-01
Design and digital solutions are created through knowledge and understanding
A design process is used to define user needs and create solutions
Apply one or more steps of a design process to make a product
Students are learning:
that a design process is used to define user needs and create solutions.
Students can:
apply the generate ideas step of a design process to design a product
select one design idea for a kitchen product that meets a user need.
Explain the learning intention and refer to it throughout the lesson, making connections to prior learning. Unpack the success criteria and ensure students understand the learning goals.
The following steps activate prior knowledge to apply the generate ideas step of a design process to make a product.
Review the ‘generate ideas’ step of the design process using Resource 13 – design process or the class anchor chart.
Display 2 kitchen items such as an egg flip and tongs.
Explain that combining these 2 items would help when people are cooking bacon at the same time as frying eggs.
Provide students with A4 paper. Students generate as many ideas as possible in 5 minutes that combine these 2 kitchen items and sketch their ideas on the paper.
Check for understanding of students’ ability to apply the generate ideas step of the design process to make a product by holding up their sketches.
Scan students’ sketches to assess students' readiness to move on to the Core lesson or reteach how to generate ideas to make a product.
Core lesson
Duration: 40 minutes
Steps
Refer to Resource 13 – design process and discuss that the purpose of generating ideas is to identify possible solutions.
Explain that a solution cannot be planned or created until one is chosen. Revise that the generate ideas step allows many ideas to be considered and discussed. These many ideas now need to be discussed and refined to only one idea.
Explain that to decide on only one idea, we need to think carefully about the user need.
Ask: Who is the user we are designing for and what is their need? (Our user is Uncle J and his need is to be able to cook and serve oats without making a mess.)
Discuss what we know about Uncle J and his problem of making a mess when cooking and serving oats.
Uncle J cooks oats for breakfast.
He spills oats off his spoon as he is cooking and serving them.
Ask: What does the new product need to have or do to be successful? Responses may include that it needs to be shaped in a way that will not allow oats to spill, it needs to be easy for Uncle J to use, it needs to be a product that will help Uncle J cook the oats and also serve the oats.
Students talk to a partner to discuss what the final product might look like and how it might solve Uncle J’s problem.
Select students to share their ideas with the class.
Explain that to judge if our product design is successful, we will use ‘criteria’. Criteria are a list of statements that we can use to decide which of our designs are most likely to succeed.
Add the term criteria to the class anchor chart.
Guide students to co-construct a list of criteria. Examples of possible criteria:
The product must:
stop oats spilling as they are being cooked or served
be easy to hold in one hand
be easy to clean.
Students work with their partner to look at all their design ideas they have sketched in recent lessons. As they consider each design, students decide which ones are most likely to be successful based on the criteria that has been decided.
Each pair of students select one idea they believe best meets the criteria for success.
Provide students with fresh A4 paper. Students transfer the sketch of their chosen design to the new piece of paper.
Allow students 10 minutes to adjust or improve their final idea, using the success criteria to guide their decisions. For example, if one of the success criteria is for the product to be easy to use, students consider how they can further refine their product sketch to make their design easier to use.
Circulate as students are working. Through observation of students’ work and discussions, check for understanding of students’ ability to apply the generate ideas step of the design process to designing a product.
Ask: How does your final design help Uncle J? Responses may include that it will make it easier for him to cook oats, it will save Uncle J time as he will not have to clean up the spills after he cooks, Uncle J may become more confident in his cooking skills and also have time to do other things he enjoys.
Check for understanding of students’ ability to select one design idea for a kitchen product that meets a user need by having a number of students share their thoughts with the class.
Differentiation
The table below identifies some starting points for differentiation.
Additional scaffolding
Extending and challenging
Students cannot select one design idea for a kitchen product that meets a user need.
Select 2 of the students’ sketches to discuss. Students explain how each design works. Support students to judge each design against the criteria on the co-constructed list. Select one design and justify choice using criteria to explain.
Students can select one design idea for a kitchen product that meets a user need.
Students improve their selected design idea so that it meets each criteria on the co-constructed list.
Assessment
What to look for
Can students apply the generate ideas step of a design process to design a product? ST1-DDT-01
Can students select one design idea for a kitchen product that meets a user need? ST1-DDT-01
Concluding the lesson
Duration: 10 minutes
Refer to the learning intention to support students in clarifying their thinking and to make connections.
Select several students to share their chosen design ideas with the class.
Ask students to consider each design and if it meets most or all of the criteria created as a class.
Optional assessment
As an exit slip, students generate an idea for a product that meets the following user need and draw their idea on spare paper.
Sam needs one kitchen utensil she can use as both a spoon and a knife when she goes camping.
This task provides evidence of student learning aligned to the success criteria. It assesses students’ ability to apply the generate ideas step of a design process to designing a product.
Reflection/Register
Lesson 14 – improve the idea
Overview
Lesson duration: 60 minutes
In this lesson, students refine ideas to improve a kitchen product by seeking, providing and implementing peer feedback.
Prior learning:
generate ideas to make a product
describe how products, including digital systems, can affect people’s lives
Key vocabulary: design process, user needs, plan, feedback
Beginning the lesson
Duration: 10 minutes
The table below contains a suggested learning intention and success criteria.
Syllabus
Learning intention and success criteria
ST1-DDT-01
Design and digital solutions are created through knowledge and understanding
A design process is used to define user needs and create solutions
Apply one or more steps of a design process to make a product
Students are learning:
that a design process is used to define user needs and create solutions.
Students can:
provide feedback on how to improve a design
refine final design sketches
use labels to describe design features and materials.
Explain the learning intention and refer to it throughout the lesson, making connections to prior learning. Unpack the success criteria and ensure students understand the learning goals.
The following steps activate prior knowledge to generate ideas to make a product.
Display co-constructed criteria that was developed in Lesson 13.
Revisit that the criteria will help us decide which design is most likely to be successful.
Check for understanding of user needs and generating ideas by making a series of statements, inviting students to gesture vote using a thumbs up if the statement is true and a thumbs down if it is false. Statements may include:
The reason for generating new ideas for something that already exists is to make an even better product for people to use. (True.)
Generating ideas is only about adding as many new things as possible to the new product. (False.)
Adding to the product or changing the size is part of generating new ideas. (True.)
The criteria helps people choose the best idea. (True.)
Provide feedback and correction where necessary.
Assess students' readiness to move on to the Core lesson or reteach to how to generate ideas to make a product.
Core lesson
Duration: 40 minutes
Steps
Inform students that to improve the new kitchen product, it’s important to evaluate it using the criteria and listen to user feedback to identify further improvements.
Explain that feedback is talking about what is good about the idea but also what can make the idea even better.
Display and read Resource 19 – feedback sentence stems.
Explain to students that feedback aimed at improvement is not a negative comment. The purpose is to help make the kitchen product even better.
Model how to provide feedback for a kitchen product using Resource 19 – feedback sentence stems.
Student pairs review their chosen design idea from Lesson 13.
Group 2 pairs of students together to share and provide feedback on their chosen ideas.
Students provide feedback using one sentence stem on what works well and one sentence stem on how to make it better.
Inform students that using the feedback received, they will refine their final sketch by:
adding labels to explain parts of their sketch
writing features of their product
identifying materials the product would be made of, such as wood or metal.
Provide time for students to complete their final sketch. Reminder: collect these work samples to use in the optional assessment if desired.
Differentiation
The table below identifies some starting points for differentiation.
Additional scaffolding
Extending and challenging
Students cannot refine sketched designs and use labels to describe features and materials required.
Co-construct a word bank for students to refer to when labelling their sketches. Provide students with pictures for each word where necessary.
Students can refine sketched designs and use labels to describe features and materials required.
Students write reasons for each feature or material listed. Examples include:
long handles – easy to hold
metal – strong and will not bend.
Assessment
What to look for
Can students provide feedback on how to improve a design? ST1-DDT-01
Can students refine final design sketches? ST1-DDT-01
Can students use labels to describe design features and materials? ST1-DDT-01
Concluding the lesson
Duration: 10 minutes
Use the learning intention and success criteria to prompt discussion, helping students connect today’s learning with their prior knowledge.
Students think-pair-share with their partner about which feature of their final sketch was their most important refinement and why.
Select students to share a response.
Optional assessment
Gather students’ work samples of their final refined sketch. Consider students’ ability to respond to feedback by refining their sketch.
This task provides evidence of student learning aligned to the success criteria. It assesses students’ ability to refine sketched designs and use labels to describe features and materials required.
Reflection/Register
Lesson 15 – developing a pitch
Overview
Lesson duration: 60 minutes
In this lesson, students develop a pitch to explain their kitchen product design, focusing on how it solves a problem and meets user needs.
Prior learning:
apply one or more steps of a design process to make a product
describe how products, including digital systems, can affect people’s lives
Key vocabulary: design process, pitch, user needs, product
Beginning the lesson
Duration: 10 minutes
The table below contains a suggested learning intention and success criteria.
Syllabus
Learning intention and success criteria
ST1-DDT-01
Design and digital solutions are created through knowledge and understanding
A design process is used to define user needs and create solutions
Apply one or more steps of a design process to make a product
Students are learning:
that a design process is used to create a solution.
Students can:
create a pitch that communicates how their design meets user needs.
Explain the learning intention and refer to it throughout the lesson, making connections to prior learning. Unpack the success criteria and ensure students understand the learning goals.
The following steps activate prior knowledge to describe how products, including digital systems, can affect people’s lives.
Display Resource 20 – Which one doesn’t belong?
Explain that there may be more than one answer, or more than one reason.
Which one doesn’t belong? is a flexible thinking routine. Students may make a case for excluding one item based on a characteristic possessed by the other items. Students may focus on observable characteristics or have relevant background knowledge.
Students discuss with a partner which image does not belong and why. For example, 3 of the products are digital systems and one is not.
Cold call students to share and explain their thinking with the class. Provide feedback or correction as required.
As students discuss their ideas for which item does not belong in Resource 20 – Which one doesn’t belong? ask: How does the product affect people’s lives?
Assess students' readiness to move on to the Core lesson or reteach to describe how products, including digital systems, can affect people’s lives.
Core lesson
Duration: 40 minutes
Steps
Watch Shark Tank US – 10-year-old entrepreneur wows Sharks with her baby spoon product (7:07) from 0 to 1:40.
Ask: Why was Cassidy’s pitch a successful pitch of her product? For example, clear voice, knew her product well, shared with the judges the user need and why she made the product.
Rewatch the video if required.
Explain to students that they will be completing a short pitch for their kitchen product. The pitch should be no more than 60 seconds.
Note: while some Stage 1 students may be familiar with time, support students in understanding the expected duration by counting one to 30 as a class, as an example of half of the time allocated.
Explain that students will develop and practise their pitch.
Provide Resource 21 – pitch prompts to each student as a scaffold for their pitch and provide students with writing materials to develop their pitch.
Students practise their pitch to a peer. Peer provides feedback using the 2 stars and a wish feedback model. Students modify pitch if needed.
Differentiation
The table below identifies some starting points for differentiation.
Additional scaffolding
Extending and challenging
Students cannot create a pitch that communicates how their design meets user needs.
Support students to answer only the first 3 prompts in Resource 21 – pitch prompts, guiding students to identify Uncle J as the user and revising his user needs.
Students can create a pitch that communicates how their design meets user needs.
Challenge students to make a prototype of their utensil out of classroom materials. For example, modelling clay.
Assessment
What to look for
Can students create a pitch that communicates how their design meets user needs? ST1-DDT-01
Concluding the lesson
Duration: 10 minutes
Refer to the learning intention to support students in clarifying their thinking and to make connections.
Ask:
How do you think your pitch could help someone understand your product quickly?
If you could improve your pitch or product, what would you change?
If you were a judge listening to pitches, what would you be looking for?
Select students to share their thoughts with the class.
Optional assessment
Students compete an exit slip answering the questions: What was the most challenging part of preparing your pitch? How did you overcome it?
Reflection/Register
This task provides evidence of student learning aligned to the success criteria. It assesses students’ ability to create a pitch that communicates how their design meets user needs.
Lesson 16 – presenting a pitch
Overview
Lesson duration: 60 minutes
In this lesson, students present a pitch to explain their kitchen product design, focusing on how it solves a problem and meets user needs.
Prior learning:
apply one or more steps of a design process to make a product
Key vocabulary: design process, pitch, user needs
Beginning the lesson
Duration: 10 minutes
The table below contains a suggested learning intention and success criteria.
Syllabus
Learning intention and success criteria
ST1-DDT-01
Design and digital solutions are created through knowledge and understanding
A design process is used to define user needs and create solutions
Apply one or more steps of a design process to make a product
Students are learning:
that a design process is used to create a solution.
Students can:
communicate a design that meets the needs of a user.
Explain the learning intention and refer to it throughout the lesson, making connections to prior learning. Unpack the success criteria and ensure students understand the learning goals.
The following steps activate prior knowledge of applying one or more steps of a design process to make a product.
Ask: Can you name the steps in the design process?
Select students to identify one or more steps of the design process. Select additional students to describe the steps as they are identified.
Check for understanding of the design process by posing a series of true or false statements. Students respond using a thumbs up or thumbs down response. For example:
You must do every element of the design process. (False.)
Elements in the design process can be repeated. (True.)
A designer can make a product without asking any questions. (False.)
A designer may need to test the product many times before a final product is released. (True.)
Provide feedback and correction as necessary.
Assess students' readiness to move on to the Core lesson or reteach the steps of a design process.
Core lesson
Duration: 40 minutes
Steps
Students present their pitch from Lesson 15 to the class.
As part of their pitch, students explain:
the user of the product
the user need
the problem the product solves
the function of the product
what materials it would be made out of and why.
After each student has presented their pitch, other students and teacher are encouraged to ask further clarifying questions, providing feedback and correcting any students’ misconceptions. Clarifying questions may include:
Can you tell me what problem your product helps to fix?
Why did you choose that material?
Is your product easy to use? Why or why not?
What would you change to make your product even better?
Check for understanding of the students’ ability to communicate a design that meets the needs of a user, through observations of students’ presentations to the class.
Differentiation
The table below identifies some starting points for differentiation.
Additional scaffolding
Extending and challenging
Students cannot communicate a design that meets the needs of a user.
Support students to explain the user need of their product and prompt them to identify how their product meets these needs.
Students can communicate a design that meets the needs of a user.
Challenge students to interview or survey peers about their opinions related to the product. Students summarise the findings and identify common themes regarding the product's effectiveness.
Assessment
What to look for
Can students communicate a design that meets the needs of a user? ST1-DDT-01
Concluding the lesson
Duration: 10 minutes
Use the learning intention and success criteria to prompt discussion, helping students connect today’s learning with their prior knowledge.
Students think-pair-share the process of presenting their pitch.
Ask:
What is one thing that went well during your pitch today?
What is one thing you would like to improve on next time you use the design process?
How well does your final product meet user needs or solve the problem identified at the beginning of the unit?
What features of your product are you most proud of, and why?
Were there any unexpected challenges you faced while creating your product? How did you overcome them?
If you had more time, what improvements or changes would you make to your product?
What was the most valuable step in the design process for you, and why?
How will you apply what you learned from this design process in future projects?
What advice would you give to someone starting a similar project?
Each student shares their responses with the class.
Optional assessment
Observe and review students’ pitches to the class. Ensure students have identified how their product meets user needs.
This task provides evidence of student learning aligned to the success criteria. It assesses students’ ability to communicate a design that meets the needs of a user.
Reflection/Register r
Optional consolidation
These optional consolidation activities are designed to be taught at the conclusion of Lesson 16. They contain a selection of tasks which will support consolidation of learning across the unit.
Activity 1 – improve it
Duration: 60 minutes
The table below captures the resources and instructions required for optional Activity 1.
Resources
Activities
Resource 22 –redesigning template
Fork
Mug
Writing materials
This activity aims to consolidate learning related to:
Recognise that a design process breaks large projects into manageable, logical steps
Apply one or more steps of a design process to make a product
Activity
Review the steps in the design process. Students recall the main features and purpose of each step.
Explain to students that, in this lesson, they will work in pairs to redesign a different kitchen product.
Show students a fork and a mug. Prompt students to think about how they use these kitchen items and how they could improve them.
Explain that the user of the items is pre-school children.
Provide suggestions of improvements suitable for pre-school children. Students gesture vote with a thumbs up if they think the idea would make the kitchen product better for the user and a thumbs down if they think it would not. Ideas may include:
If the fork head was smaller. (Thumbs up, smaller fork head to fit in young children’s mouths.)
If the fork was longer. (Thumbs down, harder for young children to hold and bring food to their mouths.)
If the cup had 2 handles (Thumbs up, easier for young children to hold and balance.)
If the cup was thicker and heavier (Thumbs down, harder for young children to hold up.)
Display and read Resource 22 – redesigning template.
Provide pairs of students with a copy of Resource 22 – redesigning template and guide students in their design discussions.
Provide time for students to make selections about material, shape and size and add any notes to the Add or remove something section on the template.
Students draw and label their new design. Review and model how to label a design, if required.
Guide students to explain how they changed the design to make it better for pre-school children and to provide reasons for their decision.
Reflection/Register
Activity 2 – build it
Duration: 60 minutes
The table below captures the resources and instructions required for optional Activity 2.
Resources
Activities
Resource 22 – redesigning template
Modelling clay
Writing materials
This activity aims to consolidate learning related to:
Recognise that a design process breaks large projects into manageable, logical steps
Apply one or more steps of a design process to make a product
Activity
Students review their redesigning templates from Activity 1 – improve it.
Ask: What is the most important part of your new design?
Select students to share their response.
Explain that students will create a prototype of their design using modelling clay.
Explain that a prototype is not a final product. This means that it is showing features of the product and what the product may look like, but it does not need to work in the exact way they expect it to work.
Demonstrate how to manipulate modelling clay into wanted shapes.
Explain to students that although they drew and labelled their designs in pairs, they will individually make a prototype.
Provide time for students to make their prototype.
Students work with their partner to share and compare their prototypes.
Prompt students with scaffolds such as:
I added ... to my kitchen product because ...
Your ... is good because ...
I think you can make your ... better by ...
Guide students to fill in the Further modifications section on their Resource 22 – redesigning template.
Reflection/Register
Activity 3 – promoting cotton or timber
Duration: 60 minutes
The table below captures the resources and instructions required for optional Activity 3.
Resources
Activities
Resource 23 – poster requirements
A3 paper
Student books
Writing materials
This activity aims to consolidate learning related to:
Describe how food and fibre can be designed and produced to address user needs
Activity
Review different types of cotton or timber kitchen products explored through the unit.
Ask: Why should people use cotton or timber when producing kitchen products?
Inform students that they will select one kitchen product made from cotton or timber.
Explain that students will work in pairs to create a poster to promote the use of cotton or timber in kitchen products.
Display Resource 23 – poster requirements and review what must be included, or things that may not be required.
Review and ask: What do we need to include to make it a ‘strong promotion’?
Refer to Resource 23 – poster requirements to clarify what is needed.
Provide pairs of students with A3 paper and writing materials.
Students work collaboratively to create a poster.
Reflection/Register
Activity 4 – review and present the promotion
Duration: 60 minutes
The table below captures the resources and instructions required for optional Activity 4.
Resources
Activities
Resource 23 – poster requirements
Student posters from Activity 3
This activity aims to consolidate learning related to:
Describe how food and fibre can be designed and produced to address user needs
Activity
Review Resource 23 – poster requirements and discuss what a quality poster looks like. For example, promotes the use of cotton or timber, easy to read and understand.
Use prompt questions for students to review and self-assess their posters.
Allow students time to edit their posters and finalise them.
Group 2 pairs together. Explain that each group will have one minute to present their poster to another pair. After each presentation, groups will use Resource 23 – poster requirements to evaluate the posters and provide feedback to their peers.
Provide pairs of students with a copy of Resource 23 – poster requirements.
Provide students with time to present, evaluate and provide feedback to their peers.
Reflection/Register
Resource 1 – sample kitchen
Resource 2 – oven changes
Resource 3 – kitchen products
Resource 4 – PMI chart
P
(Positive)
M
(Minus)
I
(Interesting)
Resource 5 – dinner plate
Resource 6 – prepared food
Resource 7 – food products
Resource 8 – products made from timber
Resource 9 – cotton
Resource 10 – cotton products
Resource 11 – everyday products
Resource 12 – kitchen items
Resource 13 – design process
Resource 14 – other kitchen products
Resource 15 – sorting cards
Needs
Wants
Uncle J needs a way to stop oats dripping off the spoon.
Uncle J needs to keep the kitchen counter clean.
Uncle J needs a hygienic kitchen that is easy to clean.
Uncle J needs a cleaner and easier way to serve oats.
Uncle J likes to listen to music while cooking.
Uncle J wants the kitchen to smell nice.
Uncle J wants the kitchen to look fancy.
Uncle J likes wearing his favourite apron.
Resource 16 – design challenge prompts
The user is …
The observed problem is…
The user need is…
The design challenge is…
Resource 17 – reviewing ideas
Resource 18 – design review template
Resource 19 – feedback sentence stems
Feedback on what works well:
I like your idea because ...
This works well for the user because ...
The user would find this helpful because ...
Feedback on how to make it better:
You could make this better by ...
You could change ... to make it even better.
The user would find it better if you ...
Resource 20 – Which one doesn’t belong?
Resource 21 – pitch prompts
What is the product?
What are the user needs?
What materials would it be made out of and why?
How does the product affect the user’s life?
Resource 22 – redesigning template
Circle the kitchen product you are redesigning.
User: pre-school children
Need: make it easier for young children to use
Change the material to make it ...
Lighter
Heavier
Softer
Stronger
Change the shape to make it ...
Shorter
Taller
Wider
Narrower
Change the size to make it ...
Bigger
Smaller
Add or remove something ...
Draw and label your new design.
Further modifications:
To make my design better, I should ____________________________________________________________________
because _____________________________________________________________
Resource 23 – poster requirements
Posters must include:
A clear picture of the kitchen product.
A product that is made from cotton or timber.
At least one reason to use cotton or timber.
Simple words or labels.
Posters do not need:
Lots of words.
Too many pictures.
All the types of fibres you know.
Both cotton and timber.
Helpful sentence starters:
This kitchen product is made from ...
Cotton / timber is good because ...
This helps our environment because ...