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Food and fibre production: an Aboriginal perspective

This resource investigates historical Australian Aboriginal agricultural production. Chapters include: Aboriginal agriculture- Firestick farming, Cultivation and cropping and aquaculture, Farming and living to the calendar, and the environmental impacts of firestick farming. Suggested answers document also available. The ...

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Balancing Sculptures

This activity invites students to explore balance and stability by designing and building whimsical kinetic sculptures that tilt, slide, and suspend everyday objects and ordinary materials into surprising arrangements. Students explore stability, centres of gravity, balanced forces and symmetry through this hands-on, tactile ...

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Engineering solutions for platypus protection

Students learn about the important role engineering plays in conservation. They explore how engineers, industrial designers and ecologists collaborate to mitigate the impact of human activity on different species.

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Physical world – design and production investigation

In this investigative task, students explore how light energy sources are used for shadow theatre design and how forces are used to create movement in shadow puppets for entertainment and storytelling. Students investigate how forces and light energy create changes by students making, testing and presenting a model shadow ...

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Physical world – design and production investigation

In this lesson sequence, students work in pairs to explore how light energy from the sun is converted to heat energy to cook food using a solar oven. They investigate types of solar oven designs while exploring materials that are the most efficient in achieving heat absorption and insulation. Students collect, analyse ...

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Physical world – design and production investigation

In this investigative task, students explore how rolling objects are affected by changes in forces including stopping, starting, rolling faster and slower and in different directions. They explore the effects of force on objects by designing a marble push course. Using a straw to exhale (push) air, students manoeuvre a ...

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Material world – Stage 2

In this lesson sequence, students investigate how different properties of materials affect their suitability for products. They will develop their knowledge and understanding of the properties and performance of a variety of materials through observation and manipulation. They have the opportunity to design and make an ...

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Material world – Stage 1

In this lesson sequence, students investigate how properties of materials determine their use. Students identify a range of natural materials used by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples for a specific cultural purpose. There is an optional ‘maker hour’ for students to produce, implement, test and evaluate a shelter ...

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Material world – ES1

In this lesson sequence, students investigate how the properties of materials determine their use in design solutions while introducing students to the material sciences and design thinking. Student investigate, plan and design a chair for their favourite teddy or doll to sit next to them while they are completing their ...

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Physical world – design and production investigation

This investigative task focuses on energy transformations between kinetic (movement), electric and light energies. Students design, test and evaluate a system that uses energy transformations to meet an identified need. They work in pairs to design and construct a wind turbine tower that demonstrates how different types ...

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Engineers are problem solvers

In this lesson, students find examples of engineering all around them and identify the importance of engineering in our daily lives. They explore the engineering design cycle through a simple hands-on challenge.

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Biomimicry glider

In this lesson students explore the dynamics of flight by examining animal adaptations and apply their learning to think like an aeronautical engineer and design their own glider

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Future transport – air taxis

In this lesson, students learn about advanced air mobility, and explore the infrastructure requirements to adapt cities and towns for eVTOLs.

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Water communicators

In this activity, students discuss what it would be like to have no water and how they can save water to prevent this happening. They take a tour of the different locations around the school where water is used and take photographs of students demonstrating ways to save water at that location. They use the photographs to ...

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Travel Times

Life would be very different today if we did not have modern transport. In this activity, students calculate the time it would take for humans to travel long distances through different modes of transport. They then analyse the impact of these technological developments.

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Balancing Mobiles

In this teaching activity, students will apply mathematical, science, and engineering concepts to experiment with balancing levers. They classify types of levers to design and build a simplified mobile and explore suspended and standing mobiles by sculptor Alexander Calder.

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Contemporary fire management

In this resource, students learn about ways that groups are combining traditional indigenous knowledge of fire management with satellite imagery, fuel load mapping, and aerial incendiary technology. Students will investigate the interaction between traditional knowledge of fire management and new technologies. Using case ...

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Paper Circuits

This activity invites students to use copper tape and surface-mount LEDs to make creative circuits on a flat surface, like a piece of paper. Students can make light-up greeting cards or create three-dimensional pop-up paper sculpture that have working lights in them. The activity includes a list of tools and materials required, ...

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Work sample Years 5 and 6 Design and Technologies: Design project: Kitchen garden

This work sample demonstrates evidence of student learning in relation to aspects of the achievement standards for Years 5 and 6 Design and Technologies. The primary purpose for the work sample is to demonstrate the standard, so the focus is on what is evident in the sample not how it was created. The sample is an authentic ...

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Sandcastle ratios

In this lesson students think like geotechnical engineers, exploring the properties of sand and the ways in which those properties can be used in building and construction.