Resource: Design and build lego cars
Year level: Year 1-2
Subject: Design and Technology
Strand: Design and Technologies Process and Production Skills
Substrand: Investigate (2.5), Generation (2.6), Producing (2.7), Evaluating (2.8) and Collaborating and managing (2.9)
Cross Curriculum Priorities and General Capabilities
Literacy (LIT)
Numeracy (NUM)
Critical and Creative Thinking (CCT)
Link to other learning areas: Maths and Science
Analysis:
In the Lego car lesson the students are required to design and create a car that would be used for a specific purpose, e.g. for speed, for rocky mountains etc. The students engage in a learning experience that is hands on and both intrinsically and extrinsically motivating. Giving the students the freedom to choose what they want in their car design will allow them to critically analyse what it is they need in order to produce an effective product. To provide the student with the opportunity to extend on their problem solving, creativity, innovation and understanding will ensure that they are achieving the requirements of the curriculum. Students are given the chance to evaluate and identify problems so that they can make adjustments and alterations to improve their design. Allowing the students time to critique their product will expand their thinking and understanding of how technology is always improving.
This lesson is authentic and credible to educating students on the importance on technology in today’s society.
I really like the idea of this lesson, as it would engage the children, especially the boys, with mixing familiar materials with the design concept.
It would really fit with ACARA’s Physics content descriptor for year 2.
If children didn’t have the skills to design and build a lego car themselves, they could build a variety from ready prepared kits and evaluate what their uses could be for and why.
Thank you for your positive feedback. 🙂
This is an excellent idea for a lesson. It incorporates a range of different learning areas and best of all, it is interactive and hands on. I feel that many students would be excited to learn if a teacher said they could play with Lego for the lesson. As long as this lesson was well scaffolded, I feel that some deep learning and experimentation could occur.