NZC – Technology Phase 2 (Years 4–6)

During Year 4

During Year 5

During Year 6

During Year 4

During Year 5

During Year 6

Design  

• Purposeful design considers the impact on people, places, and the environment. 
• New technologies continue to develop (e.g. smart machines). 
• A design brief can be used to test ideas and get feedback from others before making the final product. 
• Transformed global transport — Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806–1859), design engineer of bridges, tunnels, railways, and ships in the 19th century. His work helped connect people and places in new ways. 

Materials and ingredients 

• Materials and ingredients are used for different purposes depending on their performance properties.  
• Movable type printing press — Johannes Gutenberg (c.1400–1468) revolutionised communication by making books easier to produce, spreading literacy and knowledge in 1440. 

Systems thinking 

• Simple systems (e.g. a toaster) are made of interacting parts that work predictably and consistently to produce an output. 

Design  

• People produce products for a range of reasons (e.g. to help solve problems, to bring original design ideas to life, to have fun). 
• A design brief can begin with lots of ideas (divergent thinking) and then testing and improving them (refinement). 

Materials and ingredients 

• Materials and ingredients should be chosen carefully for their use, considering their properties and the impacts on people and the environment. 

Systems thinking 

• A simple system has features (e.g. dial on a toaster) that affect how the whole system works. 
• Structural systems use parts like beams and columns to stay strong and hold weight. 
• Flash freezing — Clarence Birdseye (1886–1956) invented a method to freeze food quickly, keeping it fresh longer and reducing waste in 1924. 

Design  

• Designs can be evaluated by how a product looks (aesthetics), how it works (function), and whether it is fit-for-purpose. 
• New technology can have both positive and negative impacts. 
• A design brief can be used to evaluate what worked well and what could be done better next time. 
• Timelines and flowcharts can be used to map out possible design and making processes. 
• Principles of design — Dieter Rams (1932–). His usability principles ‘less but better’ philosophy shaped industrial design and inspired generations of designers. 

Materials and ingredients 

• Materials and ingredients exist within an ecosystem (e.g. how they are sourced, transported, and disposed of). 

Systems thinking 

• Some components do a job without showing how they work inside (black box, e.g. a light switch or remote control). 
• Mechanical and electronic systems use parts like gears and levers to move energy and materials more easily. 

Digital technologies 

• Common digital devices have basic physical parts that have specific functions and roles (e.g. screen, keyboard, mouse). 
• Digital media texts and tools are created by organisations and people for different purposes. 
• Not all information online is accurate, fair, or trustworthy, and knowing this can lead to informed design choices. 

Computational thinking 

• Digital systems work well when they follow clear, logical steps. 
• Challenging computational thinking problems can be solved using instructions (algorithms) that include ordered steps (sequence), decisions (selection), and repeated actions (loops). 
• Computational thinking is supported when you hide complex details (abstraction) to maintain focus on what matters. 
• Tablet — Jonathan Ive (1967–), as Apple’s Chief Designer, led the design of the iPad in 2010, a touchscreen device that lets people learn, watch videos, play games, and read books. 

Design 

• Using sketches or models to test a design idea  
• Collecting feedback on a design idea and using that feedback to improve the design 

Materials, ingredients, and making 

• Making a product using materials or ingredients that draws on feedback from others (refer to indicative examples) 

Systems 

• Identifying the key parts of a simple system (e.g. door handle) and explaining how they work together 
• Drawing a basic diagram of a system showing the inputs, transformations, and outputs 

Design 

• Writing broad design criteria (attributes) to guide and refine a design idea 
• Drawing or building models to identify possible problems, suggest changes, and predict how well something will work 

Materials, ingredients, and making 

• Comparing different materials or ingredients to see how strong, reusable, or recyclable they are 
• Testing to compare different materials or ingredients and trialling methods, tools, and techniques to see what works best 
• Making a product using materials or ingredients that connects clearly to an identified problem (refer to indicative examples) 

Systems 

• Identifying the component features of a simple system 
• Drawing a diagram to show the components of a system and how they link 
• Predicting how the component features impact the way a system works 
• Designing and testing a simple structural system (e.g. a tower or a bridge to hold a weight) 

Design 

• Developing a design brief to explain what is being made, who it is for, when and where it is to be used, and why it meets user needs 
• Using a timeline or flowchart to plan actions and steps and test ideas 
• Considering the wider implications of using new technologies (e.g. social, environmental, ethical) 

Materials, ingredients, and making 

• Identifying suitable materials that can be reused or recycled, considering the wider ecosystem  
• Making a product using materials or ingredients (refer to indicative examples)  
• Evaluating a product against its identified aesthetics and function and judging whether it is fit-for-purpose 

Systems 

• Making a product with moving parts using levers, gears, or motors 
• Building a solid frame structure that stays strong and holds weight  
• Constructing a simple electronic system (refer to indicative examples) 

Digital technologies 

• Picking the right digital tools for a task, using them to make an outcome (e.g. simple presentation, animation, game), and explaining why those tools were a good fit 
• Considering who created a digital media text or tool, why it was made, and whether the information can be trusted 
• Searching online effectively and checking if the information is trustworthy 

Computational thinking 

• Developing algorithms that use sequence, selection, and loops to solve computational thinking problems 
• Testing and improving algorithms to make them clearer and more efficient (debugging and refining) 
• Using abstraction (e.g. ignoring unnecessary details to focus on the main idea) to simplify a computational thinking problem