Bulli High School
Stage 4: Year 7: Technology (Mandatory)
Overview of design project
This unit introduces the students to Textile technologies. Students will learn about fibres, fabrics, the sewing
machine and how to apply decoration to textile items. They will be encouraged to research and work
independently to design and create a form of decoration that they will apply to a textile item, or they may
choose to make a textile item which they will decorate.
Syllabus links
Teaching and learning sequence
September, 2007
Technology education K-8: Design in practice
© State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 2007.
1
Bulli High School
Exploring and defining the task
To help the students explore
and define the task the students
are immersed in the topic.
This is done by:
•
being surrounded by sewing
equipment and examples of
decorated fabrics exhibited all
around the room.
•
viewing complete and
incomplete samples as well as
correct and incorrect
techniques to further enhance
the students’ understanding.
Click to play and pause movie clip. Hit any key to stop movie.
September, 2007
Technology education K-8: Design in practice
© State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 2007.
2
Bulli High School
Generating and developing ideas
The students learnt to use the sewing machine by
following instructions in their booklets to make a
small bag of their own design.
Concept 1: Using the sewing machine
They:
•
began by sewing on paper to gain
control of the machine
•
made a pattern and cut out their
fabric
•
zigzagged or overlocked the edges
•
attached the Velcro
•
sewed up the bag.
All instructions were available in their
booklet to allow them to work at their
own pace.
Click to play and pause movie clip. Hit any key to stop movie.
September, 2007
Technology education K-8: Design in practice
© State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 2007.
3
Bulli High School
Generating and developing ideas
Concept 2: Fabric decoration experiment
The students experimented with ways of
decorating fabric. They had to complete at
least three experiments, but most students
did more than three as they wanted to gain
experience and ‘have a go’ at the different
methods available:
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•
•
•
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Tie dyeing
Screen printing
Transfer printing
Machine embroidery
Appliqué.
Demonstrations on each were given and
the students referred to their books for
further instructions.
Click to play and pause movie clip. Hit any key to stop movie.
September, 2007
Technology education K-8: Design in practice
© State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 2007.
4
Bulli High School
Generating and developing ideas
Concept 3: Decoration experiment documentation
For each method of fabric
decoration the students
documented the process and
their finding.
The evaluation questions asked
them if it was a method they
would like to incorporate into
their project and why.
Click to play and pause movie clip. Hit any key to stop movie.
September, 2007
Technology education K-8: Design in practice
© State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 2007.
5
Bulli High School
Generating and developing ideas
Concept 4: Self registration
It is important that the students have ownership of their project.
This self registration helps them to see what they have done and
what they still have to do.
As you can see students were diligent to complete the self
registration to get them on their way. By the time they were up to
making their project they knew what they were doing and
neglected the self registration.
It view of this it served its purpose of helping the students take
charge of their project when they were still finding their way.
September, 2007
Technology education K-8: Design in practice
© State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 2007.
6
Bulli High School
Producing solutions
The students worked very busily on their
own projects. No matter how well
prepared they were most asked for
clarification as to whether they were doing
the right thing. This was good as it saved
a few disasters of screen prints not being
masked properly, transfer prints back to
front, etc.
On the other hand we had 20–24 students
all doing different things at the one time.
We are very luck to have computers, two
computerised sewing machines as well as
big sinks for washing up in the textiles
room.
As a teacher it was very hectic. But as the
projects came to fruition hectic turned into
satisfaction. Reading the students’
evaluations made it all really worthwhile.
Using the students words, it was “fully
sick”.
September, 2007
Click to play and pause movie clip. Hit any key to stop movie.
Technology education K-8: Design in practice
© State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 2007.
7
Bulli High School
Student 1 work samples
Student 1 decorated a t-shirt with a transfer print.
Click to play and pause movie clip. Hit any key to stop movie.
September, 2007
Technology education K-8: Design in practice
© State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 2007.
8
Bulli High School
Student 2 work samples
Student 2 made a beanie and decorated it with a
logo from his favourite footy team using the
Generations CAD program and stitched it using
the computerised embroidery machine.
Click to play and pause movie clip. Hit any key to stop movie.
September, 2007
Technology education K-8: Design in practice
© State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 2007.
9
Bulli High School
Student 3 work samples
Student 3 made a Christmas stocking and
decorated it with appliqué, machine
embroidery and decorative overlocking.
Click to play and pause movie clip. Hit any key to stop movie.
September, 2007
Technology education K-8: Design in practice
© State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 2007.
10
Bulli High School
Student reflection
What did you produce as a result of the design process?
The students’ responses to this question simply stated their finished project, and these included:
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Decorated t-shirts and tops
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Pyjamas
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Christmas stocking
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Beanie
One very “pleased with themself” student answered “A fully sick shirt”.
In what ways did your design solution achieve the success criteria?
To this question the students’ most popular answer was they liked the finished article, followed very
close behind by they could wear it and they do. Other responses related to the project being good or
liking sewing.
What aspects of your documentation process did you find most useful and why?
The responses to this question were as varied as their projects, although a common theme to the
answer related to the practical experimentation they did. Two of the response referred to the planning
part in their booklet.
How would you approach this task differently next time?
To this most students responded by answering that they wouldn’t change a thing. Some of the other answers
included that they would put in more work next time or improve their sewing.
What skills did you gain or do you need to further develop?
Students responded by listing the methods of decoration they learnt and their sewing skills.
Not many thought they needed to develop much more, although a few suggested working faster or being able to
sew better.
September, 2007
Technology education K-8: Design in practice
© State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 2007.
11
Bulli High School
Teacher reflection
In this unit I wanted the students to learn:
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how to find solutions to problems
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how to experiment
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how to document learning from experiments
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to make appropriate decision based on what they had learnt
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complete a quality project
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to take ownership of the project.
Why does it matter?
This is the basic design process and the process behind successful learning. The students who
took ownership of their projects enjoyed the learning process and could see their learning turn into
something real for them as well as meeting the requirements for school.
What do you think students learnt?
The students learnt to:
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use the sewing machine
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make simple patterns
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decorate fabric
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appreciate the usefulness of experimenting
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document experimentation
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evaluate work in relation to their project
September, 2007
Technology education K-8: Design in practice
© State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 2007.
12
Bulli High School
Teacher reflection
What strategies did you find particularly helpful?
Several strategies were particularly helpful, such as:
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constant display of solutions
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experiment documentation
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having such a large range of options from which the students could choose so that they could really
make something that was useful to them.
What would you do differently?
I underestimated the time needed for students to learn how to use the sewing machine and the interest the
students would have in the sewing process. It was difficult to do a simple project, everyone wanted to
make the biggest and best small bag.
A number of students were confused about the difference between a pattern or template for the making of
the small bag and wanted to decorate a small bag.
I have made some changes to the booklet to include further opportunities for the students to understand
each of the tasks as being part of the process of completing their project instead of just something the
teacher says to do. For example,
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for students to rewrite the brief in their own words
better documentation of each experiment
a more structured marking schedule to give students recognition and appropriate marks for all
aspects of their project instead of just the finished product.
September, 2007
Technology education K-8: Design in practice
© State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 2007.
13
Bulli High School
Teacher reflection
What skills did you gain or do you need to further develop?
As a unit we still need to:

Look at making students understand the concept of a template that in the textiles area is referred to
as a pattern and somehow take away the confusion between a pattern and decoration.
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Develop a few more resources for the room, for example textiles other than clothes and household
items. This would enhance the breadth of understanding in the homework assignment.
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Download the Generations CAD program onto a few more computers. This was once an activity for
stage 5 and 6, but the immersion in fabric decoration in Year 7 has really enthused the students and
staff are able to incorporate it into this program.

Develop a resource for the homework assignment that students can access, maybe a resource for
the web site. The assignment I think is good but it needs lots of explanation and if the students are
absent on the day it is given out, the whole lesson needs to be given individually.
September, 2007
Technology education K-8: Design in practice
© State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 2007.
14