Unit #1

Lesson 1: Introduction to Innovative Technology

Duration: 60 minutes
Year Level: Year 11 (NCEA Level 1)
Subject: Technology – Generic Technology (aligned to Technology Learning Area)
Unit Title: Innovative Tech Solutions
Lesson Title: Introduction to Innovative Technology
Curriculum Level: Level 6 (as per the NZ Curriculum Learning Areas)

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WALT (We Are Learning To)

• Understand the concept of innovation in technology.
• Identify the societal and economic impacts of technological innovations.
• Begin to think critically about what constitutes an "innovative" solution.

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Success Criteria

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

• Articulate what innovation means in a technological context.
• Identify at least two examples of technological innovations developed in Aotearoa New Zealand.
• Explain the potential social or economic impacts of one innovation.

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Resources Needed

• Printed profile cards of famous New Zealand tech innovations (see differentiation notes for formats)
• Sticky notes or mini whiteboards
• Printed handout or dyslexia-friendly version (OpenDyslexic font) of key definitions
• Access to a shared online mind-mapping tool or A3 paper
• Timer or online countdown clock
• Māori and Pasifika perspectives resource sheet (whakataukī and community-driven innovation prompts)
• Device/projector to share visuals
• Teacher slides (with Māori contexts embedded)

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Lesson Structure (60 minutes total)

1. Karakia and Whanaungatanga Check-In (5 minutes)

• Begin with an opening karakia and connect with the class through quick check-ins (e.g., "What’s one piece of tech you couldn’t live without?").

Purpose: Builds inclusive tikanga-based practice and sets a calm start.

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2. Hook: ‘What Counts as Innovation?’ (10 minutes)

• Present three visuals:
  • Māori kite (manu tukutuku) with embedded communications
  • Rocket Lab's Electron rocket
  • A biodegradable plastic alternative made from kūmara fibres
• Ask: “Which of these are innovations? Why?” (Students write answers on sticky notes.)
• Group debrief and place responses on the board or digital Jamboard under three columns: ‘Definitely Innovation’, ‘Not Sure’, ‘Not Innovation’

Teacher Note: Prompt for deeper thinking – "Why do you define that as innovative?"

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3. Mini-Teaching: What Is Innovation? (10 minutes)

• Brief teacher-led explanation using slides:
  • Definition: Innovation = Applying new or improved ideas to create effective solutions.
  • Types: Incremental vs Disruptive Innovations
  • Link to NZ context: Digital curriculum and NCEA Technology Big Ideas
  • Include whakataukī: Kaua e rangiruatia te hāpai o te hoe; e kore tō tātou waka e ū ki uta.
    ("Do not paddle out of unison, our canoe will never reach the shore.")
  • Emphasise collaborative creation & community solutions: innovation is not just invention.

Show quick 90-second video of a NZ student creating a low-cost wind turbine

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4. Group Task: Kiwi Innovations in Focus (20 minutes)

• In mixed-ability groups (5 students), students are given a NZ-based technology profile card:
  • Rocket Lab
  • Whare Hauora sensor networks
  • The Ākina Foundation's social enterprise apps
  • Soul Machines' AI avatars
  • Biolumic’s light treatment for crops
• Task: Explore and discuss:
  • What problem does this solve?
  • Who benefits from it?
  • Is it socially and economically impactful?
  • What makes it “innovative”?

Output: Create a brief mind map (digital or on A3 paper) to present one minute per group to the class.

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5. Quickfire Presentations (10 minutes)

• Each group shares one innovative idea and answers the question:
  • “Would this innovation be valuable 50 years ago? Why or why not?”

Class offers positive feedback using sentence starters:

• “What I liked was…”
• “That made me think about…”

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6. Reflection and Close (5 minutes)

• Students individually respond in learning journals or book:

  • One thing I learned about innovation today is…
  • One NZ innovation I’d like to research more is…

• End with a closing karakia or whakataukī:

  • Mā te huruhuru ka rere te manu (Adorn the bird with feathers so it may fly – a metaphor for providing knowledge and skills so potential can be reached)

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Differentiation Strategies

For Diverse Learners:

• Māori and Pasifika innovations included to reflect cultural models of innovation
• Dyslexia-friendly fonts and colour-graded definitions available
• Group roles adapted: speaker, note-taker, timekeeper, researcher; allow verbal responses

For English Language Learners (ELLs):

• Picture cues and glossary of terms provided
• Pairing with fluent English speaker for collaborative activities

For Neurodiverse Learners:

• Clear step-by-step instructions visually displayed
• Option for drawing instead of writing group reflections

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Extension Activities (for Advanced Learners)

• Compare Indigenous technology innovations from Aotearoa with those from another culture (e.g., Incan, Nordic)
• Investigate and present a short prototype for an “improvement” to one of the innovations discussed
• Begin an “Innovation Idea Book” tracking inventiveness over the course of the unit

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Homework / Optional Extra

• Interview a whānau or community member:
  “What technology do you remember changing the way you lived?”
  Record the response in any format (audio, written, sketch) to share in the next class.

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Links to NZ Curriculum and NCEA Materials

Aligned to Technology Learning Area – Level 6:

• Progress outcome: "Understand that technology is intervention by design and that technological outcomes are developed through various processes."
• Big Idea: "Innovation is critical to generating technological outcomes that meet changing societal and environmental needs."

Key Competencies Developed:

• Thinking (critical and creative thinking about the purpose and value of tech)
• Using language, symbols, and texts (analysing and explaining innovation)
• Participating and contributing (collaborative group work)
• Managing self (carrying out tasks in time-bound group setting)
• Relating to others (listening and engaging with peer insights)

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Watch this space! In the next lesson, we’ll learn how designers frame a problem before they innovate…