Designing Simple Shelters

Overview

This 60-minute lesson focuses on Year 2 students learning to create simple design plans for shelters. It aligns with the NSW Curriculum for Technologies, specifically Design and Technologies outcomes for Years 1 and 2. Students will explore the elements of basic shelter design, create their own designs using drawings and annotations, and reflect on the suitability of their shelters for users’ needs.

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Learning Objectives

WALT: We Are Learning To create a simple design plan for a shelter.

Students will:

• Understand the purpose and function of shelters.
• Identify basic design features needed to meet user needs.
• Create a simple design plan for a shelter using drawings and labels.
• Share and discuss their design ideas with peers.

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NSW Curriculum Links

• Technologies - Design and Technologies:

• ACTDEP007: Explore needs or opportunities for designing products, services and environments

• ACTDEP008: Generate, develop and communicate design ideas through discussion and drawings

• ACTDEP009: Use materials, components, tools and equipment to safely make designed solutions

• Achievement Standard (Years 1 and 2 Design and Technologies): By the end of Year 2, students create, communicate and choose design ideas, following steps and using materials and equipment to safely make a designed solution.

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Success Criteria

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

• Explain what a shelter is and what it protects us from.
• Draw a simple shelter design with at least three labelled features.
• Use their design plan to explain how their shelter will be built and why it suits the user’s needs.
• Listen to feedback and suggest one way to improve their design.

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Resources

• Large paper or A3 drawing sheets
• Pencils, coloured pencils or crayons
• Rulers
• Examples of simple shelters (pictures or physical models, e.g., tents, huts)
• Design planning worksheet with sections for drawing and labelling
• Whiteboard and markers

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Lesson Breakdown

Time	Activity	Description	Differentiation & Support
5 min	Introduction & Engage	Discuss what shelters are and why people need them. Show images of simple shelters. Ask: What do these shelters protect us from?	Use visuals and simple language. Encourage all students to contribute ideas.
15 min	Explore & Discuss Design Features	Brainstorm features a good shelter needs (e.g., roof, walls, door, stability). List on the board. Model how to plan a design using drawings and labels.	Provide sentence starters for describing features. Use peer support for EAL/D or speech delays.
25 min	Create Design Plan	Students draw their own shelter design and label at least 3 features on their worksheet. Teacher and aides circulate to support students needing help.	Allow use of stencils or templates for students with fine motor challenges. Encourage creative approaches for advanced learners (e.g., adding multiple viewpoints or material choices).
10 min	Share & Reflect	Students pair up to explain their design plans to a partner using success criteria prompts. Select a few to share designs with the whole class. Teacher facilitates positive feedback.	Provide sentence frames for sharing and feedback. For advanced learners, prompt reflection on how their shelter meets specific needs or improves on existing designs.
5 min	Conclusion & Review	Recap what was learned using WALT and success criteria. Reinforce how designing plans helps us make better shelters. Preview that next lesson will involve building a simple prototype.	Summarise concepts with visuals. Use thumbs up/down or exit ticket to check understanding.

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Differentiation Strategies

• For Diverse Learners:

• Use clear, simple instructions supported by images and demonstrations.

• Provide additional assistance through small group or one-on-one support.

• Allow alternative ways to express design ideas (e.g., oral description, physical model instead of drawing).

• Use manipulatives or digital drawing tools for students who struggle with pencil control.

• For Advanced Learners:

• Challenge to include annotations describing materials and why they were chosen.

• Encourage consideration of environmental factors (e.g., weather, location).

• Support creation of multi-view drawings (front, side, top) or a possible construction step sequence.

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Assessment Opportunities

• Formative assessment through observation of participation during brainstorming and planning.
• Review completed design plans to check for labelled features and understanding of shelter purpose.
• Listening to students’ explanations during peer sharing to assess use of appropriate vocabulary and reasoning about design choices.

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Extension Activity (for homework or extra time)

Students can build a small prototype shelter at home or in class using recyclable materials (e.g., cardboard, sticks, fabric). They document their building process with photos or drawings and describe how their model meets the needs outlined in their design plan. This encourages application of planning to making, aligning with the NSW Technologies curriculum’s emphasis on designed solutions.

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This lesson plan balances creativity and structure for young learners, while embedding curriculum requirements and encouraging higher-order thinking through reflection and peer feedback. It sets the foundation for hands-on construction activities in subsequent lessons.