Crafting Session 2

Unit: Crafting a Sustainable Future

Lesson 7 of 10

Duration: 40 minutes

Year Level: 7-8

Class Size: 25 students

Subject: Other (Crafting/Technology focus)

Lesson Overview

In this session, students continue working on their sustainable crafting projects. The focus is on refining their crafting techniques and incorporating peer and teacher feedback. Emphasis is placed on problem-solving, adaptability, and resilience in design and creation processes. This nurtures their creativity while fostering skills needed for sustainable crafting practices aligned with the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh.

Curriculum Alignment

New Zealand Curriculum Refresh (Te Mātaiaho)
This lesson aligns primarily with the Technology learning area under years 7-8 (Phase 3), focusing on the key competency of managing self and thinking, and the critical focus of "seeing ourselves in the wider world and advocating with and for others." It supports students to think creatively, innovate, and critically reflect on their crafting processes as active contributors to sustainability.

Key Competencies Addressed:

Managing Self: Setting personal goals, managing projects, demonstrating resilience and adaptability in crafting.
Thinking: Problem-solving and creative thinking through design refinement and decision-making.
Relating to Others: Giving and receiving constructive feedback in collaboration.

Technology Learning Area - Phase 3 (Year 7-8)

Learning Objectives

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

Apply feedback to refine crafting techniques and designs.
Identify and solve problems encountered during crafting using creative and critical thinking strategies.
Demonstrate adaptability by modifying their craft projects based on reflection and new ideas.
Reflect on challenges and successes to build resilience in the creative process.

Lesson Structure

Time	Activity	Description	Curriculum Link / Competencies
5 mins	Warm-up & Recap	Brief class discussion to revisit last session’s crafting progress and feedback received. Set goals for refining skills today.	Managing Self: setting goals; Thinking: reflection
25 mins	Crafting Project Work & Refinement	Students continue their crafting projects, focusing on applying feedback and refining techniques. Teacher circulates, offering guided problem-solving support and encouraging adaptability in design.	Thinking: creative problem solving, innovation; Managing Self: resilience, adaptation
7 mins	Group Reflection & Feedback Sharing	Students share one challenge they solved and one change they made based on feedback, either in pairs or small groups. Teacher models positive constructive feedback techniques.	Relating to Others: collaboration, feedback; Thinking: metacognition
3 mins	Lesson Wrap-up & Next Steps	Summarise learning, highlight perseverance, and set expectations for next session focusing on finalising projects.	Managing Self: resilience; Thinking: setting future goals

Detailed Lesson Activities

Warm-up & Recap (5 mins)

Teacher opens with a brief reminder of the unit’s sustainability focus and the crafting project’s purpose.
Invite several students to share their current project status and one piece of feedback they found helpful.
Clarify today’s task: refining and improving work using this feedback, solving problems creatively.

Teacher prompt example:
“What technical skill or design part are you focusing on improving today? What challenges might you face and how could you adapt your approach?”

Crafting Project Work & Refinement (25 mins)

Students continue crafting individually or in pairs with access to craft materials focusing on sustainable practices (e.g., recycled materials, eco-friendly tools).
Teacher provides targeted feedback and problem-solving prompts:
- “What adjustments could make your craft stronger or more sustainable?”
- “If something isn’t working, what else could you try?”
Emphasise resilience: experiments with multiple solutions encouraged, mistakes framed as learning.
Students document their changes or reflections briefly in a crafting journal or log sheet.

Group Reflection & Feedback Sharing (7 mins)

Arrange students into small groups or pairs.
Each student shares:
- A challenge they encountered and how they solved it.
- One significant design change they made based on feedback.
Teacher leads discussion on how resilience and adaptability are part of creative crafting and links to wider sustainability thinking.

Lesson Wrap-up & Next Steps (3 mins)

Teacher summarises key learning: refining skills, problem-solving, resilience.
Encourage students to keep experimenting and adapting.
Outline next lesson’s focus on completing and presenting their final sustainable crafting projects.

Resources Required

Craft materials supporting sustainability (recycled fabric, paper, natural fibres, etc.)
Crafting tools (scissors, glue, sewing kits, eco-paints)
Feedback forms or journals for reflections
Whiteboard or chart for class notes and cues

Assessment

Formative assessment through:

Observation of student engagement and application of feedback.
Student reflections on problem solving and design adaptations during group sharing.
Teacher notes on progression with refining skills and resilience in process.

This informal assessment aligns with Technology learning area expectations to show development in managing self and thinking competencies through practical application.

Teacher Notes

Scaffold problem-solving by offering examples of iterative design improvements.
Use questioning strategies to encourage students to verbalise thought processes.
Create a positive atmosphere valuing trial and error.
Ensure all students can access materials and provide differentiated support as needed.

Links to New Zealand Curriculum Refresh

Technology Learning Area – Years 7-8 (Phase 3): Emphasising design, practical skills, resilience, and sustainability literacy.
Key Competencies: Managing self (project management, resilience), thinking (problem solving, creativity), relating to others (giving and receiving feedback).
Critical Focus: Students see themselves as contributors to sustainable future practices by crafting meaningfully in response to community and environmental contexts .

This plan ensures a hands-on, reflective learning experience where students develop core competencies and sustainable crafting skills in a supportive environment inspired by the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh.

Teaching Instructions