Materials - Design & Technology

Subject Overview 

In Materials Design and Technologies, students will engage in the processes of creating, designing, and problem-solving using wood and metal. Students will develop lifelong skills and an enthusiasm for design, engineering, and the trades. Throughout the course, students will work with a variety of design briefs in different contexts, including projects that develop practical skills transferable to the workplace and broader community. 

Students create designed solutions based on an evaluation of needs or opportunities. They begin to understand where materials are sourced and, therefore, learn about the cost and impact on society and the environment. They develop criteria for success, including sustainability considerations, and use these to judge the suitability of their ideas, designed solutions, and processes. They create and adapt design ideas, make considered decisions, and communicate with different audiences using appropriate technical terms and a range of technologies and graphical representation techniques. 

Students build confidence and independence through skill-building exercises that allow them to select and use tools and machinery correctly and safely to develop working solutions and projects. They learn about safety procedures to minimise their risk in the workshop, manage the project correctly, and transfer theoretical knowledge to practical activities 

Students will safely and efficiently construct products while developing an understanding of safe workshop practices. They will make informed decisions regarding safety precautions and wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) when required. Students will further develop their skills in using a range of techniques, equipment, and tools, including some that are more complex in nature. Students will evaluate the success of their work using predetermined criteria that has been developed and negotiated within the class. 

Assessment Tasks 

Students will be assessed on the development and presentation of their design folio, as well as the quality and workmanship of their individual projects. 

Learning Activities 

Safety in the Workshop 

• Safe use of tools and equipment  

• PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)  

• Appropriate conduct and safe behavior within the workshop environment  

Design and Construction 

Students are required to research, design and create two toolboxes. They will produce detailed workshop drawings that reflect their chosen design and carefully plan the steps required for fabrication. Students will then research materials measure, mark out, and fabricate their toolboxes while applying appropriate workshop techniques and safe working practices throughout the process.