Curriculum

Design & Technology: Design & Construct Machines

LevelYear 7-8
Learning AreaTechnologies
DurationSemester
SemesterSemester 1
Additional CostsNone

Who is this course for?

Ready to tinker, build, invent and create? This course is for students who want to begin their journey as a maker, designer or engineer!

You’ll design and construct mechanical and digital products while exploring how engineering, creativity and problem-solving can turn an idea into reality. Along the way, you’ll develop practical skills in CAD, mechanisms, electronics and technical sketching, while experimenting, testing and improving your designs.

This course will give you the fundamentals and confidence you need for future Design and Technology subjects, while opening up a world of ideas, possibilities and understanding in engineering and product design.

What will I learn?

You’ll build your skills through a series of hands-on design and construction challenges, exploring different ways to turn ideas into things that work!

  • CAD – Design a Key Tag
    Get started with Computer-Aided Design by creating your own custom key tag.
  • Mechanisms – Build a Simple Machine
    Investigate how things move and work by designing and constructing a simple machine.
  • Electronics – Build a Circuit
    Explore the world of electronics by creating and testing a basic circuit using Tinkercad.
  • Technical Sketching – Think, Plan & Sketch
    Develop your design skills through workbook activities, sketches and planning drawings.
  • Major Challenge – Rube Goldberg Machine!
    Put all your skills to the test! Design, build and test a chain-reaction machine where one action triggers the next to complete a task.

Design it. Build it. Test it. Tweak it. Make it work!

By the end of the course, you’ll have explored how designers and engineers turn ideas into things that actually work!

How will I be assessed?

Assessment will be based on the Australian Curriculum achievement standard for Design & Technologies.

Students will be assessed through:

  • Weekly skills tasks
  • A folio documenting the design process for a major product
  • Construction of a major product

Last updated: 24 September 2026