Year 7 and 8 Technology
In Year 7 and 8 Technology, which is mandatory, students develop a knowledge and understanding of the four technology contexts through the design and production of solutions to meet identified needs or opportunities:
- Agriculture and Food Technologies
- Digital Technologies
- Engineered Systems
- Material Technologies
Agriculture and Food Technologies
In Agriculture and Food Technologies students learn about the processes of food and fibre production and investigate the innovative and sustainable supply of agriculturally produced raw materials. Students are provided with opportunities to develop knowledge and understanding about food selection and preparation, food safety and how to make informed choices when experimenting with and preparing nutritious food.
Digital Technologies
The Digital Technologies context encourages students to develop an empowered attitude towards digital technologies, use abstractions to represent and deconstruct real-world problems, and implement and evaluate digital solutions. Students have the opportunity to become innovative creators of digital technologies in addition to effective users of digital systems and critical consumers of the information they convey. Students are provided with opportunities to develop fluency in a general-purpose programming language and use these skills to solve information problems and to automate repetitive tasks.
Engineered Systems
The Engineered Systems context focuses on how force, motion and energy can be used in systems, machines and structures. Students are provided with opportunities to experiment and develop prototypes to test their solutions. They are led to understand how forces and the properties of materials affect the behaviour and performance of engineered systems, machines and structures. Knowledge of these principles and systems enables the design and production of sustainable, engineered solutions.
Material Technologies
The Material Technologies context focuses on the application of specialist skills and techniques to a broad range of traditional, contemporary and advancing materials. Students develop knowledge and understanding of the characteristics and properties of a range of materials through research, experimentation and practical investigation. These are applied when they produce products to satisfy identified needs and opportunities.