Unit Overview

Overview

This first lesson introduces the unit “Creating an Esky with Impact” by helping students identify a design need, develop a clear design brief, and begin building design criteria that will guide their esky concept and later construction. Students also explore how material and system choices affect sustainability and how safe tool use will be embedded throughout making.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• analyse an opportunity/need for designing a portable cooler and consider user requirements
• develop a short design brief for an esky that prioritises sustainability and practicality
• propose initial design criteria to evaluate design ideas and justify choices
• identify key materials, tools, and processes needed for construction and safety

Success criteria

Students can:

• write a design brief that includes the purpose, intended users, constraints (size/cost), and sustainability considerations
• list and explain at least 3 design criteria for evaluating an esky (including sustainability)
• describe at least 2 sustainability impacts to consider when selecting materials (e.g., recycled content, reusability, end-of-life)
• follow class safety expectations and describe safe tool behaviours at a beginner level

Curriculum links

• Design and Technologies: analyse needs or opportunities, develop design briefs, and investigate/select materials, systems, components, tools and equipment - Design and Technologies: develop design criteria independently including sustainability to evaluate design ideas, processes and solutions - Design and Technologies: analyse and make judgements about how characteristics and properties of materials, systems, components, tools and equipment can be combined - Design and Technologies (preview for later lessons): select, justify, test and use suitable technologies and apply safety procedures to safely make designed solutions ## Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Welcome and purpose. Teacher explains that this unit will culminate in a constructed esky and that “impact” means sustainability decisions throughout the design process. Students note the unit goal and write one question they have about making an esky with less environmental impact.

2. 5–15 min · Need/opportunity exploration (gallery prompts). Teacher presents 3 scenario prompts on the board: (a) school excursion cooler, (b) community event food storage, (c) family camping trip—then shows a simple esky sketch and photos of common materials (cardboard prototype, recycled plastic samples, timber offcuts). Students rotate in groups, discussing which prompt best fits the class and recording user needs (e.g., insulation, durability, weight, cost, cleaning, transport).

3. 15–25 min · Direct teach: what makes a strong design brief? Teacher models a design brief structure: purpose + intended users + constraints + sustainability priority + success measures (what “good” looks like). Students complete a partially filled design brief template for “Our Esky with Impact” in pairs (teacher circulates to check for clarity and feasibility).

4. 25–35 min · Investigate materials and properties (mini decision task). Teacher sets up stations with short cards describing candidate materials/systems (examples: recycled plastic sheets, timber for frame, insulation options like rigid foam, reusable fasteners/hinges, sealants). Students complete a “properties-to-purpose” table: for each material, they predict why it could work (e.g., strength, insulating performance, ease of joining, sustainability/end-of-life).

5. 35–47 min · Build design criteria (sustainability included). Teacher introduces design criteria as measurable/evaluable statements, then shows how criteria connect to future testing (e.g., “maintains temperature for X time” or “requires minimal packaging waste”). Students independently draft 4–5 design criteria: at least 1 criterion must be explicitly sustainability-focused, and at least 2 must relate to function (insulation/durability/handling).

6. 47–55 min · Safety orientation and tool handling expectations (pre-making). Teacher runs a short “Safety by Design” briefing: wearing PPE, safe workspace, correct tool handling (no tool use until supervised), and correct storage/cleanup routines. Students complete a quick safety pledge checklist and practise identifying safe vs unsafe tool behaviours using scenario cards.

7. 55–60 min · Exit ticket (check understanding). Teacher asks students to submit: (1) their best design criterion, and (2) one sustainability factor they will consider when selecting materials and components. Students hand in responses; teacher scans for gaps to address next lesson.

Resources

• Design brief template (printable or shared digital doc)
• “Properties-to-purpose” station cards (materials and system options)
• Design criteria scaffold sheet (sentence starters for measurable criteria)
• Safety scenario cards (safe/unsafe tool behaviours)
• Sample sketches/photos of eskys and insulation concepts
• PPE items for demonstration (e.g., safety glasses, gloves sample where relevant)
• Whiteboard/markers, timer
• Exit ticket slips

Assessment

• Formative: teacher observation during gallery prompt discussions (user needs captured, collaboration)
• Formative: review of design brief drafts for inclusion of constraints and sustainability focus
• Formative: design criteria quality check using a quick rubric during circulation
• Exit ticket: identifies sustainability understanding and whether criteria are evaluable

Differentiation

• Support: provide sentence starters for the design brief (purpose, users, constraints, sustainability priority) and for criteria (“Our esky will be able to…”, “It must…”, “To be successful it will…”).
• Support: offer a simplified “choose-your-material” decision table with examples of how to link properties to function.
• Extension: challenge students to add a second sustainability criterion that considers end-of-life (repairability, recyclability, reusability) and justify it with one property-based reason.
• EAL/SEN: allow oral responses recorded by a partner during station tasks; provide word banks for terms such as “insulation”, “durable”, “recycled”, “end-of-life”, “criteria”.