Design, Creativity and Technology Assessment Map - Sample at 3.75
Australian bird mobile
Context
Students were asked to design, make and evaluate an Australian Bird Mobile. They were required to:
- develop responses to design brief questions, and evaluation criteria
- research bird information, materials and balance/centre of gravity
- develop design sketches and a design option (template)
- plan for production
- make the product safely according to their plan, recording progress in a journal
- evaluate their finished product and their production process.
The elements of the Investigating and designing Level 4 standard addressed by the task are:
(Students) contribute to the development of design briefs that include some limitations and specifications.
(Students) use a range of methods to research and collect data in response to design briefs.
(Students) generate and communicate alternative design ideas in response to a design brief and use words, labelled sketches and models ...
(Students) ... produce step-by-step plans ... for making products ...
(Students) describe how their intended product will function or be used, and what it will look like in the context of the requirements of the design brief.
The elements of the Producing Level 4 standard addressed by the task are:
(Students) use a range of measuring, marking, joining ... techniques to alter materials and finishing/presentation methods ...
(Students) ... operate tools and equipment competently, showing consideration of safety ...
(Students) ... record their progress.
The elements of the Analysing and evaluating Level 4 standard addressed by the task are:
(Students) ... use evaluation criteria, identified from design briefs, to justify their design choices.
(Students) modify their designs ... after considered evaluation of feedback from peers and teachers, and their own reflection.
Stimulus
Students were given the following information about the design task in their design task worksheet
Make a Moving Bird
Design task or brief
A gift shop is looking for new ideas for things to sell. The owner asks you to design and make a mobile based on an Australian bird. It needs to include rotary movement and be brightly coloured.
Requirements of the project (constraints or limits)
- Your bird must be Australian.
- Your finished project needs to spin easily and be well balanced.
- The shape needs to fit into the size of the plywood rectangles you will be given (150 mm x 400 mm).
What you have to decide (considerations)
- Type of bird for your design.
- The colours you will use.
- The shape and features of the bird.
After discussion about the design task, students were asked to respond to questions based on the design brief and considerations.
Student worksheet - Make a moving bird (Doc - 63KB)
Sample 1
Design Sketches – Students developed an A3 sized template of their chosen bird, based on a body guideline provided by the teacher. Students were required to define the beak and tail shape, and alter the body and head shape, if needed. The individual paper template was coloured to reflect the bird’s colouring and markings, and then cut out (in preparation for marking onto plywood).
View image description
Investigating and designing – 3.75
- Creates a paper template that effectively reflects the bird’s shape and colouring including design features on the head, wing and beak.
- Creates a unique and challenging bird design to adapt to the mobile template form, without having developed alternative designs.
Research into birds – Students researched and recorded information about their chosen bird.
View larger image (JPG - 91KB)
View text version
Investigating and designing – 3.75
- Selects and records relevant information about the selected bird.
- Records information clearly and uses headings to sort the research.
- Presents information in words and a line drawing.
- Prepares a poster using collected information that is well organised and presented.
Research into the balancing point and the centre of gravity – A discussion was held with the class about the centre of gravity or balancing point of an object, and how it relates to every day activities (especially sporting activities) and their bird mobile design. Students were then asked to choose a photocopy of a gymnastics figure, attach it onto light card, cut it out and find its centre of gravity, or balancing point, using the flat end of a pencil (approximate, but effective; for some shapes, this might be outside the outlines of the figure). Students then placed a large pin through this point and observed how the figure spun and recorded this on a worksheet. The students were asked to place a blob of Blutac on one end of the figure and observe how this changed the spinning motion. Students then found the new centre of gravity. After repeating this procedure, students were asked questions about what they observed, and how the centre of gravity shifted. Students recorded their answers in their folio and traced around their figure, labelling the different balancing points.
Student worksheet – Centre of gravity rotation activity (Doc - 39KB)
View larger image (JPG - 58KB)
View text version
Annotation
Investigating and designing – 3.75
- Clearly labels the diagram of the figure.
- Records observations which show an understanding of how the centre of gravity moves when weights are added (towards the weights). However, does not link the balancing point activity and its importance to the bird mobile design and construction.
Sample 4
Making the mobile
Students completed a production plan by ordering in sequence a list of steps provided by the teacher.
Student worksheet - Bird mobile production plan (Doc - 51KB)
Students made the product following their production plan. The teacher demonstrated the different processes students need to know as required. The main stages inculded:
- tracing around the bird shape template onto the plywood
- cutting out the bird shape from the plywood
- filing and sanding
- adding the tail weight (extra pieces of plywood on both sides of the tail)
- painting the bird using a specific feathering technique
- finding the balancing point and drilling the perch hole
- gluing in the perch (dowel)
- measuring, cutting and sanding the ends of the hanger
- stringing the bird to the hanger.
Students completed a journal to record their work on their bird mobile. The teacher observed and recorded how students worked with tools and equipment, including care and accuracy, persistence, safety and speed.
View image description
Annotation
Producing – 3.75
- Uses a saw, file, drill and sandpaper to make the bird and perch.
- Cuts, files and sands, paints, balances and drills, attaches strings and hanger with good level of care, safety and accuracy.
- Uses the feathering painting technique to add texture to the bird’s shape, and effectively represents the bird marking and colouring.
- Accurately strings the mobile to spin reasonably well (rotates several times with only slight bumping).
Sample 5
Describing the process
Worksheet – The students were asked to record all the things they did to make their bird mobile.
Student worksheet - How I made my bird (Doc - 21KB)
View text version
Annotation
Investigating and designing – 3.75
- Compiles a list of steps to make the bird mobile, however this is done retrospectively rather than prior to making the bird.
Producing – 3.75
- Records all stages of making the bird mobile with some detail, mostly using correct terminology.
- Identifies briefly improvements that could be made.
Sample 6
Evaluating the finished mobile
Students formed small groups to test and discuss their finished birds, then used evaluation criteria and teacher-set questions to evaluate the mobile and their production process.
View text version
Annotation
Analysing and evaluating – 3.75
- Uses teacher set questions, to some extent to evaluate the finished bird in terms of function and appearance.
- Explains modifications/changes in painting of colours and gives reasons for these.
- Identifies problems with performance (wobbles) and explains improvements which could be made to the way the mobile was filed, but has not carried out any modifications.
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