Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v5 - Grade 7
Design process: investigate, design and make a simple product – Week 10 focus
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Design process: investigate, design and make a simple product – Week 10 focus
Download the Lessonotes Mobile South Africa app for faster lesson access on Android and iPhone.
Subject: Technology
Class: Grade 7
Term: 3rd Term
Week: 10
Theme: General lesson support
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This week, we delve deeper into the design process by putting our theoretical knowledge into practice. We will be focusing on the practical application of the design process – specifically investigating a problem, designing a solution, and making a simple product. This is crucial because technology is about solving problems and improving lives. Understanding and applying the design process allows you to identify needs in your community, create innovative solutions, and contribute to the development of South Africa.
The design process is a systematic approach to solving problems and creating new products or improving existing ones. It is an iterative process, meaning that you might need to revisit earlier stages as you learn more.
The core stages are: Investigate: This is the first step and involves understanding the problem you are trying to solve. This includes researching the problem, identifying the target user, and defining the constraints (limitations).
Problem Identification: What is the specific problem you are trying to solve? Be precise. A broad problem like "pollution" is too vague. Instead, focus on something like "litter around the schoolyard" or "lack of access to clean drinking water in a specific village." Target User: Who will benefit from your solution? Understanding their needs and limitations is critical. For example, a design for elderly people would need to consider their physical abilities.
Constraints: What limitations will affect your design? These can include available materials, cost, time, skills, and environmental impact.
Design: This stage involves generating ideas, selecting the best idea, and developing a detailed plan for your product.
Idea Generation: Brainstorming is a useful technique. Generate as many ideas as possible, without judging them at first. Quantity is important here.
Idea Selection: Evaluate your ideas based on feasibility, cost, effectiveness, and environmental impact. Choose the idea that best addresses the problem within the given constraints.
Detailed Planning: Create a sketch or drawing of your product, labeling the different parts and specifying the materials you will use. A detailed plan reduces errors during the making stage. A bill of materials, listing all parts and their estimated costs, is also helpful.
Make: This is where you build your product according to your design plan.
Material Selection: Choose appropriate materials based on their properties (strength, durability, cost, availability). Consider using recycled materials whenever possible to reduce environmental impact.
Construction: Follow your design plan carefully. Use appropriate tools and techniques to cut, shape, and assemble the materials. Always prioritize safety and wear appropriate protective gear.
Testing: Test your product to see if it works as intended. Identify any problems or weaknesses in the design.
Evaluate: This involves assessing your product against the original design criteria. Did it solve the problem? How well did it work? What could be improved? This stage often leads to further design modifications and improvements.
Communicate: Share your design and the process you followed. This could be through a written report (design brief), an oral presentation, or a demonstration of your product.