Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v5 - Grade 7

Lesson Video

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Performance objectives

• Identify and define a problem.
• Conduct a basic investigation.
• Develop at least three design ideas.
• Select the most appropriate design.
• Construct a simple prototype.

Lesson summary

This week, we delve deeper into the design process, specifically focusing on investigating a problem, designing a solution, and making a simple product. This process is fundamental to solving everyday problems and innovating new solutions, skills highly valued in South Africa and globally. Think about inventors like Elon Musk, who was born in South Africa. He identified problems and used the design process to create companies like Tesla and SpaceX. Even on a smaller scale, understanding this process can help you create solutions to problems in your school, home, or community.

Lesson notes

The design process is a systematic, iterative approach used to solve problems and create new products. It involves several key stages, though these stages may sometimes overlap or loop back on each other as you refine your ideas. We'll focus on the first three stages this week: Investigate, Design, and Make.

Investigate: This stage involves understanding the problem you are trying to solve.

Identify the Problem: What exactly is the issue you are trying to address? Be specific. Instead of saying "The school is dirty," say "There is excessive litter in the school playground during break times." Research: Gather information about the problem. Who is affected by the problem? What are the causes of the problem? Where does the problem occur? When does the problem occur? Why is this a problem? How does the problem affect people or the environment?

Constraints:* What are the limitations you must consider (e.g., budget, available materials, time)?

Examples of Research Methods:* Surveys, interviews, observations, online research, consulting experts (teachers, community members).

Example: Let's say the problem is that learners struggle to carry their textbooks because their school bags are too heavy.

Research: Who is affected? Learners. What are the causes? Too many textbooks, poor bag design. Where? At school, on the way to and from school. When? During school days. Why? Causes back pain, discomfort, and potentially long-term health problems. How? Learners complain of pain, struggle to walk. Constraints? Limited budget, existing bag design (if modifying).

Design: This stage involves generating potential solutions to the problem.

Brainstorming: Come up with as many ideas as possible. Don't judge them at this point. Write everything down!

Sketching: Draw your ideas. Label the different parts and explain how they work.

Annotating: Add notes to your sketches to provide more details about the design. What materials will you use? How will it be constructed? What are the advantages of this design?

Selection Criteria: Determine the criteria you will use to choose the best design. Common criteria include cost, functionality, ease of construction, availability of materials, and aesthetics.

Evaluating Designs: Compare your designs against your selection criteria. Which design best meets your needs?

Example (Continuing from above): Possible solutions to the heavy school bag problem: Design 1:* A lightweight trolley bag with wheels and a handle. Sketch it, labeling the wheels, handle, frame, and bag compartments.

Annotate: "Made from lightweight aluminum and durable nylon fabric. Wheels allow for easy transport. Handle can be adjusted for different heights." Design 2:* A strengthened backpack with padded straps and a waist belt to distribute weight. Sketch it, labeling the straps, belt, and back padding.

Annotate: "Made from reinforced canvas. Padded straps and waist belt distribute weight evenly across the back and shoulders." Design 3:* A locker system at school where learners can store some of their textbooks. Draw a locker with dimensions.

Annotate: "Made of steel, secure locking mechanism, labeled with learner's name." Selection Criteria: Cost, weight distribution, convenience, security.

Evaluation: Trolley bag (convenient, but expensive), Strengthened backpack (good weight distribution, but still requires carrying), Locker system (secure, convenient, but requires school infrastructure).

Make: This stage involves building a prototype of your chosen design.

Gather Materials: Collect the necessary materials and tools.

Construction: Build the prototype according to your design. Follow safety precautions when using tools.

Testing: Test your prototype to see if it works as intended.

Evaluation: Assess the prototype's performance. Does it meet the requirements of the design brief? What are its strengths and weaknesses?

Modifications: Make any necessary changes to improve the design. This is an iterative process – you may need to go back to the design stage and refine your ideas.

Example (Continuing from above): Let's say you chose to make a strengthened backpack prototype.

Materials:* Canvas fabric, straps, padding, buckles, thread, sewing machine (or needle and thread).

Construction:* Cut the fabric according to the design. Sew the straps, padding, and buckles to the bag.

Testing:* Load the backpack with textbooks and have a learner wear it. Observe their comfort level.

Evaluation:* Is the weight distributed evenly? Are the straps comfortable? Is the bag durable enough to withstand daily use?

Modifications:* If the straps are uncomfortable, add more padding. If the bag seems weak, reinforce the seams. Guided Practice (With Solutions)

Question 1: A group of learners notices that there is a lot of food waste in the school cafeteria after lunch. Identify the problem and describe two ways you could investigate this problem.

Solution: The problem is excessive food waste in the school cafeteria after lunch.