Technology Education Design Briefs for the Elementary Grades

 

Build A Roller Coaster
Physics Upper Primary
http://www.learner.org/exhibits/parkphysics/coaster.html

The Next Group Under The Headings Shown, Come From The Kirkwood Site
http://www.cs.bsu.edu/homepages/kirkwood/resources/briefs.htm

The Design Briefs were created by undergraduate students taking ITDPT 364, Technology Education for the Elementary Grades. They tested each design brief by teaching the problem-solving activity to a group of their peers. The students then re-wrote the design briefs. A few other briefs are by technology education graduate students, and by experienced teachers pursuing a degree or certification for teaching MIMH students. Most of these design briefs have been tested with children. All are categorized according to the Technology Education Curriculum for the State of Indiana.
Page last updated April 20, 2000.

Communication
"Communication technology: Using knowledge, tools, and skills to communicate." Sanders, M. (1991). Communication Technology Today and Tomorrow. Mission Hills, California: Glencoe / McGraw-Hill.

Construction
"Construction technology is the study of the efficient practice of using production and management processes to transform materials and assemble components into buildings, and heavy industrial and civil structures that are built on site" Wescott and Henak, eds. (1994). Construction in technology education. (43rd Yearbook of the CTTE). New York: Glencoe-Macmillan / McGraw-Hill.

Transportation
"Our unity as a nation is sustained by free communication of thought and by easy transportation of people and goods . . . Together, the uniting forces of our communication and transportation systems are dynamic elements in the very name we bear--United States. Without them, we would be a mere alliance of many separate parts." Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Manufacturing
"Manufacturing involves the transformation of raw materials into industrial and consumer goods." Seymour and Shackelford, Eds. (1993). Manufacturing in technology education (44th Yearbook of the CTTE). Peoria, Illinois: Glencoe-Macmillan / McGraw-Hill.

Jennifer Elwin - Pembroke
http://www.linkideas.com
Design Briefs ideas and sample units of work :

PostCards Assignment: http://www.linkideas.com/cds/postc/postc.htm
Robugs Assignment: http://www.linkideas.com/cds/robugs/robug.htm ; Pictures
Robugs - Full Assignment: http://www.linkideas.com/cds/cd2_ex/robugs.htm
Other Projects: http://www.linkideas.com/cds/projects.htm


Mythical Stories / Board Games
http://data.tsof.edu.au/resourcelinks/links/area/mat.htm
 Writing a mythical story and creating a board game using Board Game Construction Kit, Claris
 Works Drawing, Kid Pix. A unit of work using learning technologies.

Bridges
http://data.tsof.edu.au/resourcelinks/links/area/soc.htm
  Refining and extending students' understanding of bridges through a number of class group
  learning activities. Using a variety of factual texts, CD Roms and Internet sites: researching the
  history of bridges, the bridge types, the characteristics of each type, the materials used and specific
  examples.

Exploring and Creating Picture Books
http://data.tsof.edu.au/resourcelinks/links/area/tec.htm
  These students evaluated children's picture books, then created their own using HyperStudio. This
  involved interviewing junior primary students and working collaboratively in groups and pairs.

A Healthy Community
http://data.tsof.edu.au/resourcelinks/links/area/mat.htm
  This teaching unit takes children through a process of researching environmental issues, finding
  solutions and presenting their work using a variety of technologies.

Indonesian Adventure Game
http://data.tsof.edu.au/resourcelinks/links/area/eng.htm
  Non Linear Digital Project - Unit of Work.
  This unit looks at students creating electronic interactive stories for their peers.The main focus was
  looking at how images and sound communicate a message.

Digital Storytelling
http://data.tsof.edu.au/resourcelinks/links/area/eng.htm
  Design Brief for task given to partners to create a digital story for children aged 9 and under.

Treasure Island
  Linear Digital Project
http://data.tsof.edu.au/resourcelinks/links/area/eng.htm
  Task:With a partner design a map for where the treasure will be buried. Give details/directions for
  finding the treasure and a description of the island. Write a letter to your friend about what has
  happened.

Water Catchment
http://data.tsof.edu.au/resourcelinks/links/area/soc.htm
  Non Linear Digital Project
  Unit of work trialing a distributed learning environment.

Olympic and Commonwealth Games
http://data.tsof.edu.au/resourcelinks/links/area/mat.htm
  Linear Digital Project
  Make two tickets which are aesthetically pleasing and easily handled by all people which
  fits the criteria outlined in the context.

House of the Year
http://data.tsof.edu.au/resourcelinks/links/area/sci.htm
  Non Linear Digital Project
  Task:The South Australia Government has asked teams to submit a design in the S. A. House of
  the Year Competition. 

Tangara Consortiuum Learning Technologies Continuum
http://www.tsof.edu.au/LT.SA

 
 
 

Index

Wayne
Updated Nov. - Dec. 2004
Feb.  - May  2005