How does the design brief link with the cross-curriculum priority of

sustainability?
The design brief links to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal

12: Responsible consumption and production (United Nations, n.d.). Students will be

required to create designs that use mainly recycled materials which reinforces the

idea of using products and materials in a sustainable way. Reusing materials saves

extra environmental resources being used to create new products. For example,

rather than using precious resources to create the plastic that is used in pencil

caddies, recycled materials, such as tins or magazines can be used instead.

Reusing materials for different purposes also stops the materials from ending up in

landfill.

In the leadup to the design brief, students will be exploring the properties of

different materials and their uses. During these lessons, students will learn about the

properties of materials that make them a hazard in landfill and the ways that different

materials can be recycled or reused. This will encourage students to think about the

ways that they can recycle items and choose products that will help to ensure that

the world’s resources aren’t compromised for future generations (Australian

Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA], n.d.).

The detailed lesson plan links to sustainability as students have to reflect on

and justify at least three ways that they have considered the environment and its

sustainability within their designs. Students need to choose recycled materials that

suit the needs of the pencil caddy design and save resources for future generations

to access. Students will need to have a sound idea about the decisions they’ve made

regarding sustainable choices as they will need to present them to their Year One

buddies at the end of the project.