Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v5 - Grade 7

Lesson Video

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Performance objectives

• Explain the stages: investigate, design, and make.
• Investigate a problem to identify a need.
• Generate and evaluate design ideas.
• Plan and construct a simple product safely.
• Communicate your design process and final product.

Lesson summary

This week, we delve into the exciting world of design! We will be focusing on putting the design process into action by investigating, designing, and making a simple product. Understanding the design process is incredibly important because it provides a structured approach to solving problems and creating innovative solutions – skills vital for success in today's world, especially in South Africa where entrepreneurial thinking can lead to job creation and economic growth. Think about the countless opportunities for South Africans to design and create solutions tailored to our specific needs and challenges, from water conservation tools to efficient energy solutions.

Lesson notes

The design process is a systematic and iterative approach to solving problems and creating new products. It's not a rigid, linear process; you may need to revisit earlier stages as you learn more or encounter challenges.

For this week we're focusing on 3 phases: Investigate, Design and Make.

A. Investigate: This is the initial phase where you identify a need or problem and gather information.

This phase includes: Identifying the Need: What problem are you trying to solve? Who will benefit from the solution? It's crucial to understand the context. For example, in many parts of South Africa, access to clean drinking water is a problem. Identifying that need allows you to think about water filtration systems, rainwater harvesting, or simple water purification methods.

Research: Gather information about the problem, existing solutions, materials, and tools.

Research can involve: Observing: Watching how people interact with existing products or services.

Surveys: Asking people about their needs and preferences.

Internet Research: Finding information about similar products, materials, and construction techniques.

Interviews: Talking to experts or potential users.

Defining Design Criteria: These are the specific requirements your product must meet. These criteria help you evaluate your design and ensure it addresses the identified need effectively.

Examples of design criteria include: Functionality: What does the product need to do?

Cost: How much will it cost to make?

Materials: What materials should be used?

Size and Weight: What are the size and weight limitations?

Safety: Is the product safe to use?

Durability: How long will the product last?

Aesthetics: How will the product look?

B. Design: In this phase, you generate and evaluate different ideas for your product.

Brainstorming: Generate as many ideas as possible, without judging them. Encourage creativity and "out-of-the-box" thinking.

Sketching: Draw your ideas, showing different views and details. Labelling your sketches is crucial.

Developing Design Options: Choose the most promising ideas and develop them further. Consider different materials, construction techniques, and features.

Evaluating Design Options: Compare your design options against the design criteria you defined in the Investigate phase. Consider the pros and cons of each option. Use a table to compare the criteria for each design. Select the best option.

Detailed Design: Create a detailed plan for your chosen design.

This includes: Materials List: A list of all the materials you will need.

Tools List: A list of all the tools you will need.

Step-by-Step Instructions: Clear and concise instructions on how to build your product.

Drawings with dimensions: Detailed drawings showing the exact size and shape of each part.

C. Make: This is where you bring your design to life.

Gather Materials and Tools: Make sure you have everything you need before you start.

Follow Instructions Carefully: Pay attention to the details and take your time.

Use Tools Safely: Always follow safety procedures when using tools. Get help from an adult if you are unsure about anything.

Test and Evaluate: Once you have finished building your product, test it to make sure it works as intended.

Make Improvements: If your product doesn't work perfectly, identify the problems and make improvements. This is an iterative process; don't be afraid to go back to the Design phase if necessary.

Example: Designing a simple cellphone stand Let's apply these steps to designing a simple cellphone stand.

A. Investigate: Need: Many people need a way to prop up their cellphones to watch videos, make video calls, or follow recipes.

Research: We can observe how people currently prop up their phones (books, mugs, etc.) and look at existing cellphone stands online to see different designs. We can consider different materials like cardboard, wood, or plastic.

Design Criteria: Functionality: Must hold a cellphone securely at a comfortable viewing angle.

Cost: Must be inexpensive to make, using readily available materials.

Materials: Use recycled cardboard.

Stability: Must be stable and not tip over easily.

Portability: Easy to transport and store.

B. Design: Brainstorming: Ideas include a folded cardboard stand, a stand with a slot, a stand with adjustable angles.

Sketching: Draw each of these ideas on paper, labelling the different parts and showing how the cellphone will be supported.

Evaluating Design Options: After considering the pros and cons of each design, we choose a simple folded cardboard stand as it requires minimal materials and tools.

Detailed Design: We create a detailed drawing with dimensions, showing where to fold and cut the cardboard.

C. Make: Gather Materials and Tools: Cardboard, ruler, pencil, scissors, glue.

Follow Instructions Carefully: Cut the cardboard according to the dimensions on your drawing. Fold the cardboard along the marked lines. Glue the parts together to create the stand.