Year 5 Design and Technologies Unit Overview

Package it better!

Teacher Information:
From Design and Technologies within The Australian Curriculum, it says students will investigate characteristics and
properties of a range of materials, systems, components, tools and equipment and evaluate the impact of their use
(ACTDEK023). Together with ACTDEP024, students will critique needs or opportunities for designing and investigate
materials, components, tools, equipment and processes to achieve intended design solutions. Ultimately students will
use design thinking and technologies to generate and produce designed solutions for authentic needs and opportunities.

In this unit students will:

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investigate characteristics and properties of a range of materials, systems, components, tools and equipment
evaluate the impact of the use of these materials, systems, components, tools and equipment
critique needs or opportunities for designing the current solutions
generate and produce designed solutions for authentic needs and opportunities

Here is a design brief example:

Context

a statement about the context of the problem with background information that may help students to
appreciate the significance of the problem

Challenge
statement

a direct challenge to some action (design and build a )

Parameters
(conditions)

a statement about particular requirements of an acceptable solution (limitations in size, cost, time, etc.)

Evaluation

a further indication (beyond the challenge statement and any conditions) of criteria against which
solutions will be judged

Students will be faced with a challenge to package a boiled egg (that has been decorated in their Art lesson), so
that it can be sent as a gift to their pen pal in Samoa. The aim of the activity is that their egg arrives to their pen
pal undamaged. They will learn about packaging resources made from everyday materials; designs of packaging; and
then design a package that will protect their egg.
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They will learn which packaging resources offer the best protection; which packaging resources are lighter than
others; which packaging resources have the least cost; and which packaging resource has the least impact on the
environment because they can be recycled (and are sustainable).
Students will be given a weight and size limit for their package but they will need to decide which packaging
resource(s) theyll use for their package. Things they might consider may include:
whether the packaging resource(s) used in their package is sustainable &/or good on the environment
whether the packaging resource(s) used in their package is cost effective
and whether the packaging resource(s) used in their package meets the size and weight limits.
They then justify why they made their package the way they did by explaining how their package system best meets
their needs.
Earlier in the semester, students have explored different materials as part of their science curriculum so the
background knowledge needed for this technology unit will mostly be covered but it will be revisited in more detail if
needed and if time allows.
The Cross curriculum priority of sustainability will be present within this unit. Through inquiry, students will
investigate which materials are sustainable and best for packaging.
The General capabilities that will be focused on and developed are:
Literacy: make meaning of texts, analyse and evaluate text, present ideas and opinions, and understand
learning area vocabulary.
ICT capabilities: Effectively gather and communicate information and ideas using ICT.

 Critical and creative thinking: clarify concepts and ideas, seek possibilities, consider alternatives and solve
problems.
To start this unit off, explain the purpose of technology (students will use design thinking and technologies to
generate and produce designed solutions for authentic needs and opportunities) then explain the units challenge.
Explain that they will need to design a package that will safely protect their boiled and decorated egg from damage,
as it gets posted to Samoa. Inform them of the restrictions of their package (set a weight and size limit).

Lesson 1 - 60 minutes
Inform students of the unit of work they will be completing over the next few weeks.
Ask the students, which material(s) do you think would best protect your egg? Give them the option of either glass,
plastic, paper, metal or wood. Through enquiry students will explore and discover properties of those materials and learn
things like: paper and cardboard are from the same family and plastic and foam are from the same family. They may also
draw on knowledge they know from their Science lessons on materials.

Students will work in groups of 4 or 5. They are given one material to research and report back on its properties. They will
use prior knowledge; YouTube video(s); and hands on experiments to form their opinions. They will research their material
and find out:
what packaging resource come from their groups assigned material (for example: bubble wrap comes from plastic)
an estimated cost for them to use it in their package
research the impacts their material has on the environment and work out if their material is recyclable.
Each group will be given a poster sized paper to record their findings on. Their investigation may include:

What packaging resource can be made from the material assigned to our group?
Is the resource light or heavy?
Is the resource easy to access?
Can the resource be recycled?
What is the cost of these packaging resources?
Will the package meet the size and weight limits?

To conclude, the class comes together to share their findings about each assigned material. Once all groups have shared
their information, the whole class records that in their Technology books.
If time allows, groups can get another material to investigate as a group before all coming together to share. Otherwise,
students can get 5 minutes to wonder around to other groups sampled material to have a feel.
Differentiation: Set groups in mixed ability groups. Choose a scribe to write required answers. Offer teacher and/or
teacher aide support where needed to scaffold specific students who need it. Modify the activity and learning goal for this
lesson, where needed. Select YouTube clips for lower ability students to research (visual).

Research / Resources (to start the students off):

Each group will need access to a blank poster; a computer with access to the internet. They may use these websites
to gather information or search Google for others (the teacher may need to remind the students about appropriate
use of websites or the internet):

Cost of packaging resources: http://www.abldistribution.com.au/t-logan_packaging_supplies.aspx?

gclid=COjomMLdgM0CFYGbvAodErMB9g
How Foam is made: http://www.madehow.com/Volume-5/Foam-Rubber.html
How glass is made: http://mocomi.com/how-is-glass-made/
How plastic is made: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3BjWvTT9Ro
How paper is made: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IP0Ch1Va44
How metal is made: http://www.ducksters.com/science/metals.php
How wood is made: http://www.woodmagic.vt.edu/Kids/products/index.htm

Lesson 2- 60 minutes
To establish prior knowledge from the previous lesson, students will report on what packaging resources can be made from
glass, plastic, paper, metal or wood. The teacher can list these packaging resources on the whiteboard. The teacher will lead
discussions about how the list of packaging resources are technologies created by someone to meet a packaging need. The
teacher then reminds the students of their challenge to design a package to post their decorated-egg to their pen pal.
Students will strengthen their knowledge of the 3 Rs (reduce, reuse and recycle) and sustainability. They list ways they can
apply the three Rs to the list of packaging resources listed on the whiteboard. They then write a brief explanation for the

role each packaging resource plays in protecting goods when been shipped. Students will do this in pairs. Each pair will be
made up of mixed abilities.
Extension activity (for early finishers): They can review materials from within the classroom and list how they can apply
the 3 Rs to the things they list from within the classroom. They can then write a brief explanation of why they think that
object was designed.
Differentiation: Students are placed into mixed alibility paired groups. Teacher and teachers aide offer scaffolding
support where needed. Modifications can be made to the technology explanations by reducing or increasing the expectations
from students responses. YouTube clips can be provided to assist any student(s) needing visual examples.

Research / Resources

The 3 Rs for kids YouTube clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjnNOCbuoCA

Lesson 3 - 60 minutes
Students begin working on their Packaging Challenge, Technology Process Booklet
Differentiation: Teachers and teacher aides will be available to scaffold students understanding of text from within the
booklets. Students who need will to, can reduce / or increase their responses to questions within the booklet.
Resources

Packaging Challenge, Technology Process Booklet.

Packaging resources
Boiled egg (for testing)

Lesson 4 60 minutes
Students complete their Packaging Challenge, Technology Process Booklet as they will be assessed on it. They perform
tests on their package then send off their actual package off to their pen pal in Samoa. Finally, students write up a
reflection report to summarize the things they have learnt
Differentiation: Teachers and teacher aides will be available to scaffold students understanding of text from within the
booklets. Students who need will to, can reduce / or increase their responses to questions within the booklet.
Resources

Packaging Challenge, Technology Process Booklet.

Packaging resources
Actual boiled and decorated egg (for their pen pal in Samoa)