The boys at DPHS attend Design and Technology from Grade Three until Grade Seven. They are taught to work through the Design Process: Investigating, Designing, Making, Evaluating and Communicating in order to solve a problem. As they engage in this process they acquire technological knowledge and understanding in three key areas: Structure; Processing and Systems and Control. Underpinning this is my aim to “Go Green” whereby I facilitate the understanding of the interrelationships between technology, society and the environment.

GRADE THREE
TERM ONE AND TWO
We begin by investigating Flight. In doing so we discover that the concept of flight has existed since 500BC when the Chinese invented kites. However, man only managed to take to the skies at the turn of the century, and in the last 100 years have been into space. This demonstrates what I call the “technological snowball” that has occurred in the last century – and I take this opportunity to discuss the responsibility that should accompany technology. The atomic bomb was an amazing feat of technology at the time but certainly proved detrimental to society and the environment. We then work with an existing design, or template to make a sled kite using materials as similar as possible to the earliest design, like paper and wood. The boys then fly these and then evaluate them. Based on their evaluations we then modify the original design in order to improve it, by making the string longer, the kite bigger and by using modern materials like plastic and nylon. These modified kites are usually a huge success and a source of great pride to the boys. Many container ships are now using enormous kites to pull them across the oceans which reduces their carbon footprint and saves them money. We then make a Delta Wing glider out of polystyrene complete with elevons and a rudder. We complete this area of study by constructing a tabletop airport out of waste materials in order to help the boys understand how flight is managed in our modern world and to help them to appreciate the importance of recycling.

TERM THREE AND FOUR
We investigate transportation and examine the basic components of a vehicle which are: a power source; wheels; axles and a chassis. The boys then assemble their wheels, axles and chassis. They are required to bring an empty 2L bottle which we sand and spraypaint. This is attached to the body of the car. We then pump the bottle full of air and then pull a pin out of the back which releases the air and the car is propelled forward. There is a large scope for problem-solving as they need to adjust their wheel alignment and understand the basic principles of friction. We then use a compressor to pump the bottles full of air and then race our vehicles up and down the corridor. In order to further develop their understanding of fixed axles and alternative power sources we then make a “gunda-gunda” which used kinetic energy stored in elastic bands. The boys have great fun designing 4x4 courses to test these vehicles on.

GRADE FOUR
TERM ONE AND TWO
The topic for this section of work is Food Technology. The boys investigate where our food comes from and discover all manner of horrifying facts like the effects of growth hormones; the impact of monoculture on the environment; the cruelty of battery farming and the carbon footprint of imported and unseasonal fruit and vegetables. We then grow a seasonal selection of organic vegetables and herbs in pots on the windowsill. We have a Wizzard Worm composter which provides us with organic growth accelerator as well as compost. Once the seedlings are big enough we make seedling pots out of newspaper and plant them out into our organic vegetable garden. We continue to feed, compost, weed and water these until they are ready for harvest. The boys find it amazing that organic vegetables grow in very strange shapes and sizes! We take the harvest to a local church that feeds the destitute every Thursday. The boys also learn about the process of fermentation by making organic gingerbeer (which explodes all over the laboratory- much to their delight!) We make banana bread and carrot cake and bake them in a conventional oven and a solar cooker. For our final lesson we use the process of churning to make ice cream.

TERM THREE AND FOUR
This area of study investigates Indigenous Technology. We look at the history of bead and wire work in South Africa’s indigenous cultures. The boys make their own beads out of polymer clay and bake them in the oven. We then make suncatchers using these beads and they learn to use pliers to crimp. We investigate different gauges of wire and their properties, and we look at the uses of different findings. We look at how to use wire structurally and the tools required. The boys then use the techniques they have learned to make handles and spiders out of scoobi wire. These are attached to recycled glass bottles to make lanterns. The boys then develop their own bead and wire design which they make and evaluate.

GRADE FIVE
TERM ONE AND TWO
The boys learn about basic mechanics and specifically gearing using Dacta Lego Mechanical kits. They build gear chains and investigate the relationship between speed and power. They look at slave and driver gears and learn how to work out gear ratios. They look at the different input and output directions and then learn how to change the direction from horizontal to vertical using bevel gears. Some of the assessment projects include building a turnstile, a handmixer and a merry-go-round. This knowledge and understanding is extended by introducing them to worm gears; rack and pinion gears and cams. We conclude this section of work by investigating the inner workings of a four-stroke petrol engine.

TERM THREE AND FOUR
We investigate natural and man-made shell and frame structures. The boys then place this knowledge in context of housing. They do a comprehensive computer investigation which looks at the materials and shapes used for building both traditionally and in a modern context. They then each get a Junior Tradesman kit which allows them to build a basic house in miniature. Once they are finished they paint their houses in traditional Ndebele designs. As an extension project they are allowed to develop a different structural design which they then build and evaluate.

GRADE SIX
TERM ONE AND TWO
This is one of the most popular areas of study in Design and Technology : Digital Photography. We investigate the history of cameras, from pinhole photography and the use of film right up to our modern digital cameras, and in doing so understand the importance of light in photography. We then investigate the physical camera – where to insert the memory card and batteries; the different settings; zoom buttons and reviewing. This is followed by a basic photography course focusing on composition and perspective. Once the boys have taken some photographs they are loaded into a shared folder where they can be accessed from every computer in the Design and Technology laboratory. They then go about the digital darkroom process whereby they learn how to lasso objects and insert different backgrounds and import images from the internet to add to their photographs. The possibilities are endless in this area of study and we are hoping to further develop the curriculum to include video editing and animation.

TERM THREE AND FOUR
The boys learn about hydraulics and pneumatics. Initially they use syringes and tubing to investigate the basic principles and then they use the Dacta Lego Pneumatics kits to investigate using switches and reversing the flow. They build a sliding door and jaws of life to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding. We then use recycled soft drink bottles to build a bottle rocket onto which we attach fins and a nose cone. This is launched off a launch pad which is plugged into a compressor. We initially launch them with air and then we half fill the cylinder with water in order to demonstrate the importance of inertia in this model. The boys love spraypainting their rockets, and when they launch them on the rugby field they get absolutely soaked!

GRADE SEVEN
TERM ONE AND TWO
The boys revise their knowledge and understanding of electricity, and then we look at electronics. We investigate the thousands of places that electronics are used in modern life. The boys are then given a lesson on safety and basic soldering skills. They solder components into a circuit board, learning what the function of each component is as they progress. We build a sonic alarm which they get to take home and attach to their bedroom door or window; or they attach it to their desk at school – much to their class teachers’ delight! They then work on making a mini electronic organ which is much more complicated. As extension projects I allow them to solder together kits which will make an amplifier which they can connect to their organ, or a cordless microphone.

TERM THREE AND FOUR
Currently the boys investigate Structure in-depth. They investigate different types of bridges and how the stresses are distributed away from the weakest points. In groups they then are given wood, glue, string and nails and have to design and build a bridge that will span a meter gap. Their bridges are tested to destruction – we hang weights off the bridge until it breaks. Some of the bridges that they have built have been so strong that we have had to call in Junior Primary boys to stand on them! The boys also play Bridgebuilder on the computers which is a game designed by engineers that gives you a budget and options of different types of materials from which to construct your bridge. The computer then tests the bridge and if it withstands the weight requirements they are allowed to progress to the next level.
Having looked extensively at the National Curriculum requirements for Grade Eight I feel that the boys would be better prepared by doing more technical drawing, so from 2008 we will be installing Autocad onto the computers in the laboratory.