Sustainable Design Intro

Unit: Sustainable Design Explorations

Lesson 1 of 3

Lesson Title: Introduction to Design Thinking Year Levels: 4, 5, and 6 Duration: 50 minutes Class Size: 30 students

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Learning Area

Technologies: Design and Technologies

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Curriculum Alignment (Australian Curriculum v9)

• AC9TDE6P01 — Investigate needs or opportunities for designing, and the materials, components, tools, equipment and processes needed to create designed solutions
• AC9TDE6P05 — Develop project plans that include consideration of resources to individually and collaboratively make designed solutions
• AC9TDE6K03 — Explain how and why food and fibre are produced in managed environments (to link sustainability context)
• General Capabilities: Critical and Creative Thinking, Literacy (visual and digital texts), ICT Capability, Ethical Understanding, and Personal and Social Capability

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WALT

• Understand the design thinking process.
• Explore why design thinking is important in developing sustainable products and services.

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Success Criteria

• Explain the main steps in the design thinking process: Empathise, Define, Ideate, Prototype, Test.
• Describe how design thinking can lead to sustainable solutions.
• Use graphic organisers and visual aids to support understanding.

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Resources Needed

• Projection system or interactive whiteboard
• Visual graphic of the Design Thinking process (large poster and slide)
• Graphic organisers (handouts) for note-taking on design thinking steps
• Tablet or laptops (optional) for students to research sustainable designers (extension)
• Audio narration/video clip of a sustainable design example (to support dyslexia-friendly learning)
• Paper and colouring materials
• Sticky notes for group brainstorming
• Timer

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Lesson Outline

1. Introduction (5 minutes)

• Greet students and introduce the unit "Sustainable Design Explorations".
• Share the WALT and Success Criteria.
• Briefly discuss "What is design?" and "Why do designers think about the environment?" to activate prior knowledge.

2. Presentation: What is Design Thinking? (10 minutes)

• Show a simple visual infographic of the 5 steps in design thinking: Empathise, Define, Ideate, Prototype, Test.
• Explain each step with age-appropriate language and examples:
• Empathise: Understand people’s needs (e.g., think about how people use water).
• Define: What problem are we solving?
• Ideate: Think of many ideas even if some seem silly.
• Prototype: Make a small model or drawing of the idea.
• Test: See how it works and how to improve it.
• Play a short audio or video story showing a designer using this process to create something sustainable (example: designing a reusable water bottle).

3. Guided Activity: Graphic Organiser - Design Thinking Steps (15 minutes)

• Distribute a graphic organiser with five sections, one per design thinking step, with guiding questions and space for notes/drawings.
• In pairs or small groups, students discuss and fill out the organiser based on the examples given.
• Teacher circulates, provides support, clarifies concepts, and offers verbal/auditory prompts for students who need it.

4. Interactive Group Brainstorming: Design for Sustainability (10 minutes)

• Pose the question: “How can design thinking help us make products or services that help the planet?”
• Students write ideas on sticky notes (individually or in pairs) focused on sustainability (e.g., less waste, saving energy, using natural materials).
• Gather sticky notes on a board and group by themes with students’ help. Discuss briefly.

5. Extension Task for Advanced Learners (Optional, ongoing or homework)

• Research a famous designer or company known for sustainable design (examples: Vivienne Westwood's sustainable fashion, or Tesla’s electric cars).
• Prepare a short report or digital presentation about their sustainable design methods.

6. Wrap-up and Reflection (5 minutes)

• Recap the design thinking steps and their importance in creating sustainable products.
• Ask students to share one new thing they learned.
• Identify how the use of visuals, audio, and graphic organisers helped their learning.
• Remind students of the next lesson’s focus (deep dive into empathy and problem definition).

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Differentiation Strategies

• Provide graphic organisers with visual cues and simple language to assist all learners.
• Use paired or small group work to offer peer support.
• Use a multisensory approach: spoken instructions, visuals, and hands-on activities.
• Extra support for students with dyslexia by providing audio materials and allowing oral responses.
• For students needing extra challenge, offer the research extension or encourage them to create digital sketches of their prototypes using tablets.

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Assessment

• Formative assessment through observation of group discussion and graphic organiser completion.
• Oral questioning about the steps of design thinking and its sustainability purpose.
• Reflection during wrap-up to confirm understanding.

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Integration of Digital Technology

• Use interactive whiteboard/slide for visuals and video clips.
• Tablets/laptops for optional research extension.
• Encourage drawing or notes on digital devices for tech-savvy students, if available.

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Notes for Teacher

• Maintain a clear, calm pace to keep engagement.
• Use frequent positive reinforcement.
• Encourage curiosity and open-mindedness in idea generation.
• Employ clear, direct instructions and check comprehension regularly.

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