A Holistic Approach for Teaching Design Technology in an Elementary Classroom

With my experience working as a Design Technology educator for students in Grades 1-6 and the knowledge that I have attained through my Master’s degree in Teaching, I have been able to incorporate innovative design projects for young learners using a holistic approach. Design projects at the elementary level are focused on critical thinking, creativity, and building a strong foundation in STEM concepts. I would like to share a few of these projects that my students have worked on with great enthusiasm.

Google provides a variety of tools such as Google Slides, Google Documents, and Google Drawings for young learners to explore design technology. Students performed simple design projects in different areas of the elementary curriculum. Then, they took their projects to the next level by creating simple brochures and postcards using Google tools. These tools not only helped to bring out the creativity of the students, but also helped them in developing their digital literacy skills. 

One such project the students enjoyed was designing a “Robotic Hand.” It was an excellent, hands-on STEM project that introduced them to robotics and basic engineering at the elementary level. The students used everyday materials like paper, string, and straws to design their robotic hands. They learned about the working mechanism of the robotic hand. For example: the straws are like bones, the strings are like tendons of the hand and so on. Apart from designing the robotic hand, the students had to create a bi-fold brochure using Google Slides that included the materials required and step by step instructions used to make the robotic hand. To make the activity more interactive, they had to complete a Q and A session that was connected with the working mechanism of the robotic hand they made. 

'Exploration of Cell Organelles with Google Drawings' was another interesting design activity. Students created a 'Venn diagram' on Google Drawings by comparing the structures of a plant and animal cell and identifying shared and unique cell organelles between them. Abstract biological concepts were easily understood by students with the help of the diagram. This design activity helped build a basic foundation for students on how to use different shapes, text boxes, and other formatting features in Google Drawings. Merging science and technology through digital diagrams can help elementary students for STEM learning in the future as well.'Radial Symmetry Paper Relief Sculptures' was another vibrant design project. 

'Radial symmetry' is seen in art, design, and nature. This activity helped students to create beautiful paper designs that radiate from a central point by making use of three basic folds used in origami: the kite fold, hat fold, and samurai fold. The students not only understood the transformation of two-dimensional materials into three dimensional structures, but also learned about the geometric properties of radial symmetry and appreciated the diversity in creating different designs.

Last but not least, the students learned to bring their designs to life with 3D printing. This was a three-dimensional beginner friendly design project to teach at the elementary level. The student designed a 'Personalized Keychain with Tinkercad'. Tinkercad is a free web app that helps students learn the basics of 3D modeling and basic fundamentals of design. To design a personalized keychain, the students were taught how to drag and drop basic geometric shapes (ex: boxes and cylinders) onto the workplane, form the keychain base, use the text tool to add personalized text (ex: your name) to the keychain design, use the hole feature to converts shapes into holes (ex: ring hole for attaching the keychain), and use the 'Group' tool to combine several shapes into a single keychain design. Finally, the keychain design was imported into a 3D slicer software and printed out. This is a fantastic example of interpreting digital designs into physical objects using a 3D printer.

By integrating these projects into your design technology curriculum, you’re not only teaching technical skills to your students, but also providing an opportunity for them to connect classroom learning with real-world applications where technology and innovation go hand in hand. I hope my article can inspire elementary educators around the world and help their students gain more wisdom by striking their imagination through beginner friendly design projects!

Jayashree Krishnan is a design technology educator based in Dallas, TX, where she has been teaching elementary students over the past couple of years. She has received a Master of Arts in Teaching from the Dallas Baptist University, and has published several educational articles in magazines published in the US and Canada.