Toy Designers Foundation Year Lesson Sequence

Lesson

Teaching Sequence

Less
on 1

Introduction:
Introduce the unit to the student and engage in a whole-class
discussion about what they will be learning about over the duration
of five lessons. Inform them that they will take on the role of
becoming toy designers (captivates interest) and that they will be
investigating technologies as part of toys.
Draw a mind-map with students onto a large white piece of paper
ask the students to brainstorm for five minutes about toys they
have played with at school, home or other environments where the
toys were used through pushing and pulling. Then gather student
responses throughout and include onto the mind-map.
Body of lesson: Students in pairs: Have the students draw in pairs
(but on their own sheet of paper) a toy, in which they have just
discussed with the class. They might like to pair up according to
choice of toy. Ask students to draw their individual picture to show
where humans use push and pull to navigate use of the toy.
(Example: boys may draw picture of trainsets, trucks, electronic toys
like electronic dinosaurs and girls might draw electronic dolls,
animals like robot-pet). Give students the opportunity to colour and
label using their own language. Have students seated on the carpet,
and place some classroom toys in front of them. Ask a student to
come forward and demonstrate how to use the toy in front of the
class. After each demonstration engage in a discussion with the
learners and discuss how and where the push and pull element is
evident during use. Use another piece of large white paper on the
board, write the name of the toy, and have students share and
describe how the push and pull is being used as part of the
technology write responses under each heading.
Conclusion: Have each pair share their diagrams/pictures with
class and ask them to explain how their toy is used with a push and

Resources

Large white piece of papers

Classroom toys
Whiteboard
Markers
Pieces of paper/scrap paper to draw
on
Colour pencils/pencils
Smart Board to view video
Laptop to access video and internet
Video link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=Giiz81_uzK8

Differentiation/Teacher Role and Preparation

Teacher Preparation of the lesson:

Ensure each student has access
to all materials and resources
needed.
Have video loaded and ready to
go to save waiting time to view.
Ensure mind-map paper is ready
to go on the board.
Place paper/scrap paper, colour
pencils and pencils, erasers and
rulers onto group tables before
lesson.
Ensure each area in the classroom
is free of obstruction and students
can move around easily.
Teacher Role of the lesson:
Ensure students are engaged in
their learning when seated on the
carpet area.
Assist learners with their
diagrams and pictures and
provide ideas or suggestions.
Ensure each student remains on
task in all areas of the lesson.
Differentiation:
Assist students with literacy
development and discuss
language, grammar and spelling
use during mind-map: ask
students to attempt to spell words
with you and sound-out letters or
use phonetics strategies where
necessary.

pull element.
Finalise lesson with a video: What is Technology? (Montez, 2014)
Place each picture on the classroom display board for referral to if
needed and to showcase student work.

Less
on 2

Introduction: Have five aboriginal mammandurs ready to go to begin the

lesson with: Introduce lesson to students and inform them that they will be
examining Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture through their leaning
about technologies. Introduce students to an aboriginal mammandur (an
aboriginal toy used in aboriginal culture). Hand out five mammandurs and
place students in groups to examine the toy on the carpet area. First,
explain the toy and its relevance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
culture: In Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Culture, throughout
their history children and adults would construct a toy called an
Aboriginal mammandur. In some instances, the toy is still used by
Aboriginal children in their play. The mammandur uses push and
pull elements, just like the toys you use in your play at home or
school. Ask students if they can guess how the toy might be used and
discuss student responses. Now use the mammandur and demonstrate how
to use the toy to the class. In their groups, have students now use the
mammandur and work together. Each student in each group should take
turns and use the toy to determine how and where the push and pull
element is being used.
Body of lesson: Students go back to their desks. Place a mammandur on
each group tables for students to observe and refer to if needed. In their
technology scrapbooks, students will go to a new page for this activity.
Write Aboriginal Mammandur on the board. Hand out strips of pieces of
paper that are labelled Aboriginal Mammandur, and have students glue the
heading into their books (saves time from students writing the heading into
books at their age level) Students will now individually draw a picture of the
mammandur in their books. As the students begin their drawing, the
teacher will draw own picture on the board. Allow 10 minutes for students
to draw their mammandur. Now as class, label the teachers mammandur
on the board with the students. Label the picture and each part of the toy.

Five aboriginal mammandurs

Smart board or white board
Markers
Strips of paper with heading titled
Aboriginal Mammandur for students
to glue into books
Glue sticks/Scissors if needed
Students Technology Scrapbooks
Pencils/Colour pencils
Thinking about Technology
Aboriginal Culture booklets
Class iPads to access videos and
internet
Video link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=nGQB9_EEy5o

Assist students with their

drawings and guide them or draw
on their pictures if they require
help.
When pairing students allocate
pairs, so that lower-level learners
can work alongside peers who are
at a higher-level.
Teacher Preparation of the lesson:
Gather all resources needed for
lesson and prepare accordingly.
Place pencils, glue sticks, scissors,
erasers and colour pencils on
group tables.
Ensure markers are nearby for
use.
Have the heading strips of paper
printed and ready to hand out.
Ensure iPads have video links up
and ready to view on iPads for
student viewing.
Ensure student booklets are ready
to go for student use.
Gather student scrapbooks and
have ready to go on students
desks.
Have smart board or white board
ready for use.
Teacher Role of the lesson:
Ensure all students are engaged
with each activity within the
lesson.
Assist students throughout each
task and scaffold appropriately to
allow learners to complete a task.
Provide explicit instruction where
applicable, so students are aware

After the class has labelled the teachers picture, they can now label their
individual picture. On the smart board, write a few questions that the
students will answer in their scrapbooks. They can work in pairs at their
group tables to answer them.
How does the Mammandur use push and pull?
Can you describe what the mammandur is made of?
Are there toys we play with today, that are similar to the
mammandur?
Use the class iPads in groups at students desks: Students will view a video
about Aboriginal toys. After viewing the video, students will complete a mini
booklet named Thinking about technology Aboriginal Culture. The
booklet includes a page with each toy in the three videos. After watching
each video, students will critically reflect and think about how the toys use
similar or different components to toys used today in modern play. (The left
pages will include a picture of the toy and the name of the toy then on the
right pages students will respond to a statement on the lines provided) The
statement is: How is this toy the same or different to the toys you
use today? Explain. The teacher will need to be explicit here and ensure
understand the statement and how they are to reflect. Work with groups to
respond appropriately. Teacher collects booklets at the end of the lesson.

Less
on 3

Conclusion: Move to the carpet area and engage in a final class discussion
with students. Ask the students to share what they have learnt in the lesson
and further elaborate on these responses. Ask students to raise their hand,
if they believe they would like to use and play with an Aboriginal
mammandur in the future. Discuss one final time with students, how the
mammandur uses the principles of push and pull as part of the toy
technology.
Introduction: Introduce the lesson and explain to the students the lesson
focus will be about looking at a range of different materials they will be
familiar with and how they solve problems with movement, and how
technologies impact the on-going use of every-day objects.
Watch video to elaborate on design and what to consider when going about
designing a project. Explain to the class, they will work in groups to
examine these materials and each group will have one type of material to
examine. Place strips of paper into a box, with a material written on each.
Split students into their group, and have one member from each group pull

of what they are doing.

Assist learners in thinking and
critically reflecting about push
and pull as part of aboriginal
culture.
Differentiation:
Group students and pair students
appropriately: according to level
of ability, therefore teacher can
work alongside specific students
whom require additional support.
Ensure students have access to
dictionaries, thesauruses and goto-spelling lists and Thrass charts
during all writing activities to
assist with spelling.
Teacher will work with lower-level
learners during the iPad/booklet
task to help learners complete the
task and to respond to the
statement.
When students are using
mammandurs, place students in a
variety of groups based on level
of ability, so students can work
with each other to use the toy
successfully.
-

Laptop to access video and internet

Smart board to view video
Strips of paper with material written
on them
Box to place strips into
Materials for use: balls, wheels, slides,
springs, ropes, chains, other etc.
Students Technology Scrapbooks
Pencils, colour pencils and erasers

Teacher Preparation of the lesson:

Gather all resources needed for
lesson and prepare accordingly.
Have video loaded and ready to
view before lesson to save wait
time for viewing.
Have strips of paper ready to go
in the box.
Have the materials in each box

a piece of paper from the box. The material taken from the box will be the
one their group focuses on.
Materials to be written on the strips of paper: wheels, balls, slides, springs,
rope and chains etc. Materials will be age appropriate and safe for students
to use and appropriate in size.
Body of lesson: In their groups, each group will be given a box of their
allocated material that they will focus on. Spread groups across the
classroom, inside and outside if necessary to provide freedom of space to
use materials e.g. student examining balls should do so outside the
classroom if needed. Students will then play and experiment with the
material in their groups. Allow sufficient time for this to occur. After
examining the materials in their groups, students will need to be seated in
their groups. Place different groups at different group desks. On a new page
in their technology scrapbook, students will write a heading naming their
material used in their group. Students will then brainstorm with their group
about how their chosen material might solve a problem in relation to
movement. Discuss: How does your chosen material help movement
occur in any object? Can you think of ways the material helps a toy
move? Do you know of a toy that uses this material and can you
explain how?
Each student in the group will be given one of the three questions just
mentioned, to answer in their scrapbook.
Student 1 How does your chosen material help movement occur
in any object?
Student 2 Can you think of ways the material helps a toy move?
Student 3 Do you know of a toy that uses this material and can
you explain how?
Students draw a picture of their material and then write a response to their
given question underneath their picture.
Rotations: Students will complete group rotations (groups will be based on
student level of ability). Each station (or activity) will be set out across the
classroom.
ROTATION STATIONS
Station one: Read a story about technologies and student discuss what the
story was about.
Station two: Watch video on the class iPads about technologies and draw a

Whiteboard markers
Whiteboard
Video link:
http://splash.abc.net.au/home#!/medi
a/2128865/

Rotation resources:
Story about technology:
Class iPads, paper and pencils
Materials previously used, paper and
pencils
Classroom computers/headphones

iPad video link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=gKVKsm_rIYk

ready to go for student access.

Move classroom furniture if
needed to open up play space.
Have student scrapbooks ready
on student desk to grab and use.
Write the three questions on the
board prior to lesson for referral
to.
Have pencils, erasers and colour
pencils placed on group desks.
Organise rotation stations before
beginning to ensure each activity
is ready for students: load games
on the computers prior to use for
station 4 activity, set up book at
reading corner for station 1
activity, set up a table for station
2 and have class iPads and paper
and pencils on the desk, and
place one item of each material
on a desk for station 3 activity
with paper and pencils at a desk.
Have carpet area whiteboard
ready for use during final phase of
the lesson.

Teacher Role of the lesson:

Ensure all students are engaged
with each activity within the
lesson.
Assist students throughout each
task and scaffold appropriately to
allow learners to complete a task.
Assist learners with use of playing
and examining each of the
materials.
Provide explicit instruction and
explanations when students

picture about something they can remember from the video. Label pictures
or write a sentence if necessary.
Station three: Students think about a toy they could create using the
materials. Draw a picture of a toy they could create individually, using the
materials examined previously in the lesson. (Balls, slides, springs, wheels,
rope and chains and other local available material etc.).
Station four: Play an online game about technologies and how they are
relevant to our society.
Conclusion: Engage in whole-class discussion with students about the
lesson. Ask students to share what they have learnt, and teacher writes
their responses on the board. Then finalise the lesson by asking the
students to find any toys at home that requires push and pull elements, as
this will lead into the next lesson the following day.

answer questions about the

materials.
Provide support and scaffolding
during rotations and ensure each
learner is able to undertake the
tasks sufficiently.
Scaffold learners to think and
reflect about the tasks they are
completing and how it is relevant.
Differentiation:
For the first group work task
(where students examine the
materials) place students in
groups accordingly to level of
ability. Higher-level students
together, average-level students
together and lower-level learners
together to ensure teacher can
appropriately guide each group.
Rotation groups are to be based
on level of ability. Higher-level
students together, average-level
students together and lower-level
learners together to ensure
teacher can appropriately guide
each group.
Provide students with other
applicable resources to assist
them throughout the lesson:
dictionaries, thesauruses, Thrass
charts and go-to spelling lists,
technology word bank list created
by teacher etc.
Scribe for lower-level learners
during writing tasks where
necessary or have students tell
teacher what they want to write,
teacher writes response on board

and then student copies their

response from board helps
student also further develop their
handwriting skills.

Less
on 4

Introduction: Introduce lesson by recapping the last lesson: Ask

students what the lesson focused on and to describe what one thing
they have learnt. Then discuss if students remembered to analyse
toys within their home environment. Ask students to find a partner
on the carpet, and let them share ideas and discuss the toys they
think have push and pull movement.
Body of lesson: In the school computer lab: Students use a
computer individually and access Paint in the computer system.
Students paint a picture of a toy at home in which they believe uses
push and pull. Save paint picture, name each one and print them
out. In the classroom: Have students seated on the carpet area for
discussion of their paint pictures. Have each student stand up and
share their thoughts about their pictures and discuss the toy in
which they decided to paint. Ask students to explain and
demonstrate how the toy uses push and pull and explain how we as
humans successfully use the toy. Students can explain how they use
the toy at home.
Then move students to the next task, write on the smart board: A
world with NO toys! Explain to students, that you would like to them
imagine their world with none of their toys such as, trains, trucks,
dolls and robo-pets. (links to lesson one) Students will write one or
two sentences to explain how they feel about living in a world with
no toys with elements of technology. Ask them to consider how
much their play would be changed, improved or disadvantaged.
Teacher provides examples to scaffold students in thinking about
the statement. Example: It would be very boring and play
wouldnt be the same if I didnt have my Robo-pet. I like
controlling it and making it do things. Students can brainstorm

School computers in computer lab

Smart board
Laptop to access smart board
Students Technology Scrapbook
Pencils, erasers and colour pencils

Teacher Preparation of the lesson:

Ensure computer lab is booked before
use.
Ensure all students have their correct
computer login details
Ensure printer is working and ready
for use to print out paint images.
Ensure laptop and smart board and
ready for use
Have student scrapbooks ready on
desks
Place pencils, erasers and colour
pencils at group desks.
Have dictionaries, thesauruses. Go-tospelling lists and Thrass charts ready
to go for student assistance with
spelling where necessary.
Teacher Role of the lesson:
For student whom did not remember
to examine toys at home, allow
students to find a classroom toy to
examine again. Also consider students
who are disadvantaged, cultural
backgrounds or socio-economic
background as this may not have
been possible for students to do.
Ensure students are not marginalised.
Ensure students remain on tasks in all
areas of the lesson.
Scaffold and support students where
needed.
Differentiation:

Assist learners with paint pictures and

draw their image on the paint

thoughts at their group tables or with a partner, but are to write a

sentence each individually. Students write the same heading from
the smart board with their sentence underneath. Students complete
this task in their technology scrapbooks. Students can draw a
picture of what they think a world without these toys might look like.
After this: students can also begin drawing or designing the
toy they will create for their assessment piece. (just rough
drafts)
Explicit instruction: For our assessment, you will be designing your
own toy that has push and pull elements. You can use Paint to begin
constructing your ideas and then you can share with your partner.
Conclusion: Students share their sentences with the class on the
carpet area. Discuss and ask questions about what they have
written.
Less
on 5

Introduction: Introduce lesson and explain to the class we will be

completing two activities in groups. Rotate groups half way through lesson,
so each group can partake in both activities.
Body:
Group 1 A competition using toys to see which ones travel the most
distance using push and pull and record results.
Do this activity on the floor area with a range of toys for student
use. Line up students and toys to determine which toys travel the
furthest distance when being timed.
Record result on whiteboard or Smartboard.

Group 2- Draw a toy that could to solve a problem in a given situation and
explain your reasons. Have Teacher Aide on this activity to help with
understanding the task.
Students complete this activity at their group desks.
Each student is given a scenario and they will need to brainstorm
an idea or designed solution to create a toy to address the problem:

Design a toy that could help kids learn to balance.

Design a toy that could help kids learn to ride a bike.

program for them and allow them to

finish the rest when they feel they are
able to complete it.

Timer
Toys
Smartboard or whiteboard
Paper
Pens
Colours
Crayons

For the written task, scribe the

sentence for lower-level they would
like to write on the board and have
them copy. Or scribe their sentence in
their books and have trace over the
words.

Teacher Preparation of the lesson:

Type and print out scenario
sheets.
Place paper and colour pens on
desks
Organise toys for activity 1 ready
to go.
Have timer ready to use if
necessary.

Teacher Role of the lesson:

Ensure students are engaged in
the task
Provide assistance to solution
ideas and provide suggestions for
groups where needed.
Scaffold students to think about
how they might go about handling
their given scenarios and the
steps it would take to find a


Design a toy that could help kids learn to swim.

Design a toy that could help kids learn to skip.

Conclusion: Have groups reflect on their learning and share their ideas
with the class and their findings from the first activity.

solution.
Elicit discussion about their ideas
and how it would benefit them as
children.
Differentiation:
-

Less
on 6

Asse
ssme
nt

Toy Designers
Introduction: Explain to students this lesson will be their assessment task.
They are now fulfilling their role as a toy designer. Refresh their memory
and explain and refer to the first lesson where it was mentioned their
technology unit will require them to design a toy. Students will in pairs,
design a toy that incorporates elements of push and pull. On the carpet
area, have students brainstorm ideas with the person seated near them.
Then students will write a sequence of steps to design their toy and the
solutions applicable with their partner collaboratively.
Body of lesson: It is important students understand their toy needs to
have push and pull elements in it.
Teacher notifies students of working pairs for assessment.
On the carpet have a large area of materials for students to choose from.
One by one, have each student go up and select four items to use to create
their toy. Once each student has chosen their materials, they can now
return to their desk to start designing their toy.
Conclusion: Students will share their designed toy with the class. Then
evaluate and assess their design decisions and products and draw these on
another piece of paper.

Large range of various materials for

toy construction
Paper and pencils for diagram ideas if
needed
Sticky tapes
Glue
Arts and crafts materials
Pens, colour pencils, paper
Glitter (if necessary)
Paint

Teacher aide will be of support for

group two task to scaffold and
support the task.
- Adjust scenario/situation for
learners where necessary.
- Fast finishers can attempt to
design a toy for a new
situation/scenario.
Teacher Preparation of the lesson:
Prepare various materials for
construction on the carpet.
Prepare the various construction
art materials and stationery.
Teacher Role of the lesson:
Scaffold and assist learners in
creating their toys.
Differentiation:
Assist lower-levels learners in
creating their toys and help them
brainstorm ideas.
Allocate materials to students
appropriately.