Author: pdevares

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Designing a musical instrument

Theme: Rainforests

Overall task: Students create a rainforest soundscape as a group. Students must include their handmade instruments in their soundscape.

This is the design stage of the program. Students design an instrument and sketch their instrument with a step by step method of the creation process.

Year: 4

Learning area:  Design and Technologies processes and production skills

Focus: Generating, developing and evaluating ideas

Content Descriptor: 4.6 Generate, develop, evaluate, communicate and document design ideas and design decisions using both manual and digital technologies

Materials needed: Materials depend on the instrument of each student.

Focus questions: What sounds are heard in a rainforest? What instruments can make these sounds

LESSON SEQUENCE

ACTIVITY ONE

Students work in groups to collaborate an idea for their rainforest soundscape. They brainstorm their ideas on a share piece of paper. As a group students decide which instruments they will need in order to create the sounds need for their soundscape.

Group Brainstorm

ACTIVITY TWO 

Students begin designing their instrument. Students look at how to structure it and what materials are needed to create their instrument.

Rainstick Design

ACTIVITY THREE

Once student have constructed their design on their instrument they need to write out a plan that describes the steps needed to create their instrument. Including the materials need.

Instructions to creating a rainstick

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Newspaper Creations

Newspaper Creations

 This activity allows students to be creative and use recyclable materials to create a sculpture of an object of their choice.

Student gain knowledge and understanding in the technology context of: Materials and technologies specialisations.

 General Capabilities link – Critical and Creative thinking

  • Students imagine, generate, develop, and produce ideas by thinking critically and creatively about their sculpture.

Year: Primary 1-7 and higher

Website: http://www.teachingideas.co.uk/dt/newspape.htm

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Sciencekids: Windows Movie Maker

Movie Making Activity

This activity allows students to learn the basics of movie making and provides enjoyment to students about creating their own movies.

Students can collaboratively work in groups to create a project using the movie maker program. By doing so students use the three Design and Technologies processes and production skills:

  • Critiquing, exploring and investigating
  • Generating, developing and evaluating ideas
  • Planning, producing and evaluating designed solutions

General Capabilities link – Critical and Creative thinking

  • Students imagine, generate, develop, and produce ideas by thinking critically and creatively.
  • Students consider sustainability, changes to the economy, environmental and social needs and concerns.
  • Students analyse, reflect and refined concepts and problems
  •  Students critically and creatively think about how technologies impact on the lives of other both in present and past.

This program can be used to create projects in four technologies contexts

  • Materials and technologies specialisations (F-7)
  • Food and fibre production (F-7)
  • Engineering principles and systems (F-7)
  • Food technologies (6-7)

Website: http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/lessonplans/technology/moviemaking.html

(Website provides step by step instructions on how to create a movie and how to make copies of the movies onto discs)