Continue New Zealand’s strong history of innovation with ‘Lifehack!’ Students will apply design thinking principles to tackle a relevant, contemporary problem using everyday materials.
Recommended for Year 3 to 8
Curriculum Links
“Understand that different forms of functional modelling are used to inform decision making in the development of technological possibilities and that prototypes can be used to evaluate the fitness of technological outcomes for further development”
Digital Technologies Curriculum, achievement outcomes level 3
Topics
Design
- What is design?
- How do we go about inventing new things?
- What should we consider when inventing new things?
History
- ·What are some famous kiwi inventions from the past?
- What is meant by the term ‘Kiwi Ingenuity’?
- Who are some famous kiwi innovators around today?
Overview
In this workshop you’re going to use your creativity and skill to help people during the COVID-19 pandemic!
We want you to create a product that will help people be safe and follow health recommendations.
Before you start, watch this video about Design thinking by MOTAT
Get Designing!
YOU WILL NEED
- Device to view a video
- Tinkering materials such as paper, cardboard, tape, popsicle sticks, pipe cleaners, or anything small parts lying around the house. Get creative!
PROCESS
1. Brainstorm: What have health organisations and the New Zealand government recommended people do to stay healthy during COVID-19? Make a list on a piece of paper.
2. Identify one of the recommendations to focus on.
3. Create a mindmap of potential inventions that could help people better follow that recommendation. Check out this example
4. Create a prototype of one or more of your inventions using your tinkering supplies.
- This prototype should be designed to demonstrate your idea and does not have to be perfect.
- Take as long as you need to create your prototype so that it can show people what you are thinking.
Report Back
YOU WILL NEED
Technology to record a video
Once prototypes have been made, create a one-minute video that ‘pitches’ your idea. Your videos should cover what you made, what problem your innovation solves, and the various features of your innovation. One tool that you could use to create your video is Screencast-O-Matic.
Here is an example of a product pitch on the US show ‘Sharktank’
Share your ideas with your classmates on your community page.
Further Research
Feeling like looking further into innovation? Check out these links!
Young Innovator Awards https://www.yia.co.nz/
List of Kiwi Innovators https://media.newzealand.com/en/story-ideas/great-kiwi-inventions
Post Workshop Activities
Ask students to pick an everyday object and investigate how it can be improved to solve any problems with the object. Get the students to make prototypes of the new design and get feedback from other users on the positives and negatives of the new design.
Investigate some Kiwi innovations or innovators. How have they changed inventions? What further need have they met?
Curriculum Links
“Understand that different forms of functional modelling are used to inform decision making in the development of technological possibilities and that prototypes can be used to evaluate the fitness of technological outcomes for further development”
Digital Technologies Curriculum, achievement outcomes level 3
This lesson plan is also available in Google Slides 
This lesson plan is available as a printable PDF 
