Technology News
We welcome students to Design Technology and Food Studies for 2020.
In this Newsletter we are giving a brief overview of each year level of Design Technology and Food Studies. The March Newsletter will focus on Year 7 students and their work.
Design Technology
Year 7 Design Technology
Year 7 students are working on a Straw Bridge Challenge where they work collaboratively to see which team can build the bridge that will hold the most weight. The constraints that they must work within relate to the amount of materials available and the distance to span.
Year 8 Design Technology rotate through 3 projects for the year;
– Laser cut acrylic sign
– Wooden automata
– Architectural design, make a cardboard model of a beach house focusing on sustainability
For each project, students work through the Design Process to develop their designs:
- Investigating
- Generating designs
- Producing
- Evaluating
Year 8 Elective – Make it with Timber
This semester long elective focuses on the practical processes and tools used when working with timber. There is a small amount of designing and evaluating of the project by the student, but the focus is mainly on woodworking techniques. The project that the students are currently working on is a chopping board or serving platter make from recycled timber that has been laminated together. Many students will choose to decorate the surface of their board using the laser cutter.
Year 8 Elective – Robot Challenges
This Semester the students focus on problem solving using the EV3 Lego Mindstorms kits. These kits are programmable and the students work in small groups to build and program the base EV3 Robot, the Riley Rover.
Challenges include programming the Rover to complete a series of “courses” on a large floor mat, Sumo Robot Challenge and the ultimate, Robot Knock Out challenge. Throughout the course students learn to work in teams to design, program, test and evaluate their creations.
The kits are stored in the library STEM area and students in the course get access to their kits at lunchtimes throughout the week.
Year 9 Elective – Electronics and Programming
Year 9 Elective – Metal Products
The first project is a steel sculpture that will be welded together. Students are currently cutting and shaping the steel rod to match the plan they have in their design folio. They are enjoying the physical nature of this project, having to manipulate the steel with their hands and hammers.
Year 9 Elective – Timber Furniture
Students work on one project of their own design for the semester; a piece of furniture made of plywood and pine. Two constrains that the students must work within are the restriction on the amount of material and that the design must have a curved line/edge. Students are encouraged to use joining techniques other than nails and screws.
Year 10 Elective – Product Design – Wood
Students have researched historical design movements to have an understanding of the elements that define the different styles. They have modified an existing cabinet design to make it their own and are starting production of this cabinet, utilizing a wide variety of joining techniques.
Students are reminded to please come to class with a HB pencil, a pen and laptops charged.
Food Studies
Our focus is to produce quick and healthy meals and snacks with a focus on health, skills and sustainability.
Year 7 – Students are familiarising themselves with the kitchen and have made a Toasted Muesli. In theory basic food models are assisting students to make healthy food choices.
Year 7 Students with their Toasted Muesli
Year 8 – Students are building on their knowledge of “The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating” to encourage healthy eating. We have paired the theory with the production of healthy meals; Hamburgers, Tacos and French Toast.
Year 8 Electives:
Edible Gifts– Students are extending their production skills with a focus on making foods that can be packaged as gifts. Valentine chocolates and Herby Pastry Swirls have all been made and beautifully presented for a gift.
Master Chef – Students have made basic recipes such as Baked Eggs, Pancakes and Scones and then designed and created their own product the following session.
The Scone Invention Test CAT was completed with some creative and tasty ideas.
Student reflections:
“In Master Chef we were able to be creative and invent our own scone. I made a Ham and Cheese Pizza Puff Scone. It was awesome!” Jana 8A
“I made a good fluffy dough and rolled it out well.” Nina
Year 8 Master Chef inventions
Year 9 Elective – Multi cultural Munching – After starting our journey with Australian cuisine; Anzacs and Pineapple Upside Down Muffins, we are now exploring South East Asian Cuisine. We have cooked Curry Puffs, Sang Choy Bow and Singapore Noodles. Students are designing their own “Fried Rice”.
Student reflections:
“I made spicy little lettuce cups (Sang Choy Bow). They tasted really hot because my partner put extra sweet chilli sauce in the mix. I think chopping all the vegetables and then putting them in the frying pan followed by the sauces made a wonderful dish! It tasted good besides the hot spices.” Paris 9I
Year 10 – The Baker’s Toolkit – Students have worked through the design process to design and create their own unique biscuit. These skills are being consolidated to assist with the up and coming Showstopper Cake CAT.
Year 10 Baker's Toolkit - Biscuit Design
VCE Food Studies Unit 1 – Students have focused on the origin of food from early agricultural food systems and have made contemporary meals using the ancient ingredients. Students have made a Superfood Breakfast Cereal, Corn and Chicken Patties with a Bok Choy Salad.
VCE Food Studies Unit 3 – Year 12 students are examining the physical and chemical properties of food. Through their practical work, they have been investigating how they can maximise these properties to create food that looks and tastes amazing. This is demonstrated in their beautifully produced ‘Plaited Sweet Bread’ and ‘Mini Lemon Meringue Tartlets.
VCE Unit 3 Plaited Sweet Bread and Mini Lemon Meringue Tartlets
We remind Year 7 & 8 students that the Food Studies Booklets are needed every lesson. Display Folders, paper and pens are needed for every lesson year 9 - 12.
Containers are needed for Production sessions.