SILO 5.4 (DRAFT)

Year 5, Term 4: Ideation

Focus: Pitching an idea Scope and sequence: Prototypes

Learning intention: Students use the design cycle to develop prototypes for inventions

using appropriate technical terms and graphical representation techniques.
NSW Syllabus
Australian Curriculum (version 9.0)
"A student plans and uses materials, tools and equipment to develop solutions for a need or opportunity." (ST3-2DP-T)
"Students learn to generate, iterate and communicate design ideas, decisions and processes using technical terms and graphical representation techniques, including using digital tools." (AC9TDE6P02)


Introduction to the topic

Revision: The design cycle

Design thinking

This video (3:57) explains five steps in design thinking, namely:

  1. Empathise
  2. Define
  3. Ideate
  4. Prototype
  5. Test

The circular economy

The circular economy is based on the idea of designing systems to keep resources in use for as long as possible and minimise waste and pollution. The following video (3:43) by CNBC explains how the circular economy is being adopted in various industries and businesses.


Engineering

Watch this video (6:12) and then decide which of the stages in this cycle overlap or extend one another.


Invention

'Necessity is the mother of invention'. Aesop’s Fable, The crow and the pitcher from the mid 6th century BCE.



Pitching ideas

Prepare for a 'Shark tank' style activity at the end of this unit.

The following video (1:12) is a quick example of a Shark Tank pitch involving two brothers and a new idea about ice cream cones.


 

Rubric creation activity

Students will brainstorm ideas for a rubric. These ideas will then be merged into a rubric for the shark tank sessions later in the unit.


Four levels of innovation

Albion et al. (2022, pp. 172-173) defined four levels of innovation as follows:

Level 1: Refinement

Existing product refinement – improvement of a product.

Level 2: Reinvention

Reinvention of existing product – adding new features to a product.

Level 3: Evolution

Evolutionary product – significant change to an existing product, usually irreversible.

Level 4: Revolution

Revolutionary product – creating something new.

 

Well-known sayings for discussion


Discuss the idea that scarcity creates demand when you have the right product


Steve Jobs (1955-2011), the late co-founder, chairman and CEO of Apple is credited with saying, "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication".

What does this mean and what is sophistication?


A well-known saying often attributed to Bert Lance (1931-2013) is, "If it's not broken, don't fix it".

What does this mean and what are the implications for creativity and ideation?


A well-known saying often attributed to Voltaire (1694-1778) is, "Perfect is the enemy of the good".

What does this mean and what are the implications for productivity?


The saying 'form follows function' has been around since ancient Roman times. 

What does this mean and how does it relate to design?

Design challenge

Click here for a design challenge worksheet which you could use for the following 'Shark tank' activity.

Shark tank 1

The five students in group 1 will present. Peer evaluation will be captured using verbal feedback and scored according to the rubric.


Shark tank 2

The five students in group 2 will present.  Peer evaluation will be captured using verbal feedback and scored according to the rubric.


Shark tank 3

The five students in group 3 will present.  Peer evaluation will be captured using verbal feedback and scored according to the rubric.


Shark tank 4

The five students in group 4 will present.  Peer evaluation will be captured using verbal feedback and scored according to the rubric.


Shark tank 5

The five students in group 5 will present.  Peer evaluation will be captured using verbal feedback and scored according to the rubric.



 

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