A student building a cardboard vehicle prototype next to a 3D model on a tablet

Technology · Years 7–8 · NZ Curriculum

Design and innovation

What Technology intermediate students in Aotearoa New Zealand learn under design and innovation, and where it shows up across Kōkiri Learn's inquiry worlds.

Technology · 11 inquiry worlds cover this strand

New Zealand Curriculum, Phase 3

The teaching sequence

Year 7 sequence

Human-focused designs balancing function, look and sustainability
Culture and design
Designing, testing and improving with feedback
Sketches and 3D drawings

Year 8 sequence

Balancing purpose, function, aesthetics and sustainability
Iterating through peer feedback
Design life cycle and environmental impact
Technical drawing

Where this shows up

Kōkiri Learn inquiry worlds that cover this strand

The whole class works on one world at a time — these are where this strand's focus actually comes up.

5 weeks
Transforming Ideas into Form
Year 8 sequence · Working to a brief with a stakeholder; iterating through feedback toward a resolved outcome
5 weeks
Games of Chance: Probability Lab
Year 7 sequence · Designing, testing and improving a game with feedback from users
5 weeks
Measure Up: Designing Spaces
Year 8 sequence · Developing a design brief with specifications, modelling a solution at scale and evaluating it against the needs of stakeholders
5 weeks
Te Pūnaha Hauropi: Investigating Ecosystem Change
Year 8 sequence · Iterating a bait-station entrance design through testing and peer feedback, balancing function and impact on non-target species
4 weeks
Te Hoahoa Otinga: Designing Solutions
Year 7 sequence · Human-focused design: co-constructing a brief with a stakeholder, divergent then convergent thinking, annotated sketches and models, testing and improving with feedback
5 weeks
Kai Lab: Food Technology
Year 7 sequence · Culture and design: reviewing food procedures for efficiency, sustainability and cultural appropriateness
5 weeks
Build It Strong: Structures and Mechanisms
Year 7 sequence · Annotated sketches and scaled 3D drawings; measurable specifications for judging fit-for-purpose; improving designs with feedback
5 weeks
Code a Game: Algorithms and Debugging
Year 7 sequence · Co-constructing a brief with stakeholders (the junior class and teacher); applying usability and accessibility principles; improving the outcome with feedback
5 weeks
Designing for Our Community
Year 8 sequence · Working iteratively with stakeholders to test assumptions; balancing purpose, function, aesthetics and sustainability; planned obsolescence and life cycle impacts; technical drawings with dimensions
5 weeks
Smart Circuits: Electronics and Control
Year 8 sequence · Iterating through user and peer feedback; balancing purpose, function and sustainability including battery use and e-waste
5 weeks
Grow It: Aquaponics and Sustainable Systems
Year 8 sequence · Design life cycle and environmental impact: materials, energy, maintenance and end of life