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Draft curriculum content
This page is based on the draft Year 10 content for Technology, which is currently open for feedback. Schools are not required to implement changes until the consultation process is confirmed.
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In Year 10, your child focuses on innovation, ethical decision-making, and sustainability, preparing for complex projects that involve a range of technologies to support their future career. They specialise in at least 2 technology strands and combine digital and physical tools to plan, design, test, build models and refine solutions. Teachers select resources that help students take ownership of the design process and develop purposeful, influential, and future-ready outcomes.
Spatial and product design#
With your child, you could:
- discuss New Zealand's unique design heritage and buildings that draw on cultural concepts and the environment, for example, Te Uru Taumatua in Tūhoe, The Beehive, Te Papa
- discuss consumer needs that can be applied to technology to solve a problem, for example, prosthetic limbs, or visiting a playground and discussing inclusive equipment
- talk about ethical and sustainable choices, for example, using recycled materials, designing for diverse needs, or creating products that help others
- choose a product at home, and critically discuss its life:
- Where did the materials come from?
- Why were they chosen?
- How was it made?
- What do you think will happen when it’s no longer used?
What the teacher will focus on#
Teachers support students to develop detailed plans, models, and functional products. Students learn to evaluate design decisions, justify choices, and improve outcomes using repeated testing.
For example, by the end of Year 10, your child may be able to:
- design and develop an authentic outcome that is made with spatial (buildings, spaces, environments) and product design, materials (hard-resistant, soft textiles, processing), foods, biotechnology, systems (mechatronics), or digital (computation, digital technologies, or computer science)
- select and use the appropriate tools to develop fit-for-purpose outcomes that are functional and human-focused, meeting specific needs, taking into account social, cultural, ethical and lifestyle needs of the end user
- analyse how design choices affect usability, safety, sustainability, and the environment
- investigate how culture and environment affect the design of a product, for example, passive housing, design features as seen in a whare
- use the phases of a framework to design, iterate (improve thinking over multiple versions), prototype, test and evaluate a project or concept, using both analogue and digital tools to assist their learning and practice
- apply knowledge of Computer-Aided-Design and Manufacture (CAD/CAM) and 3D design to their ideas to convey the manufacturing intent of the design.
Materials and processing technology#
With your child, you could:
- look at wearable technologies and discuss the impact they have, including any ethical considerations, for example, fitness trackers, heart rate monitors
- look at construction techniques used in a renovation or in clothing, and discuss how they support the function and quality of the outcome
- experiment with different food techniques, considering the correct selection of ingredients, how ingredients are transformed, and asking if they meet consumer needs, such as dehydrating food to go on a tramp
- discuss how the cultures in your home or community utilise food, materials, and building techniques, for example, hāngī, weaving flax, building boats and preserving food.
What the teacher will focus on#
Teachers guide students to select, process, join and combine materials with increasing independence. Students learn about material properties, durability, and sustainability, as well as how to test and improve products for authentic, real-world use.
For example, by the end of Year 10, your child may be able to:
- create a product by critically considering its materials, ingredients, tools, and industrial standard processes that support its use, look and intended purpose
- improve material choices and processes to enhance performance, quality, safety, sustainability, and consumer satisfaction
- use scientific knowledge of food, ingredients and processes to design, develop and prototype; for example, apply understanding of preservation methods like fermentation or dehydration to create food products
- understand and be able to explain how your design choices (cultural, environmental, social, ethical) affect outcomes, gathering feedback and results from testing, and making informed decisions around materials and ingredients, fast fashion versus upcycled clothing
- plan, follow and refine the steps to make outcomes successful, what makes a project successful?
Electronics and mechatronics#
With your child, you could:
- explore advanced electronics and robotics, such as investigating a programmable drone, a robotic plant caretaker, or agricultural equipment
- consider what happens if a system malfunctions, are there failsafes, like a generator to provide electricity when the power system shuts down
- discuss how a vehicle works, transforming inputs into outputs via coordinated subsystems and hidden processes
- discuss how material choices, forces and movement all work together to enable reliability and efficiency, such as using nylon in bearings as it’s a self-lubricant
- explore how logic is used in everyday objects, like computers and phones; for example, every time a button is pushed it uses logic: “Is the button pressed? → Yes (True) = open the app”, or appliances like washing machines, microwaves, and thermostats all use logic circuits.
What the teacher will focus on#
Teachers help students understand how mechanical, electrical, and digital components interact with each other. Students practise planning, building, testing, and refining mechatronic systems to perform specific tasks safely and efficiently.
For example, by the end of Year 10, your child may be able to:
- understand complex technological systems (how they work) and consider how they can address social and environmental problems
- build and program a functioning mechatronic system that solves a real-world problem, such as a soil moisture sensor that turns a water pump when soil is dry, or an LED light sensor that turns on when motion is deleted in low light
- troubleshoot, refine, and optimise technological systems for reliability, safety, and efficiency
- use data analysis to record results and make the best decisions about their product, evaluate its performance, and construct system diagrams to help develop complex technological systems
- understand how component interactions and feedback loops shape outcomes in their projects through designing and testing complex systems.
Digital technologies#
With your child, you could:
- look at and provide feedback on the digital solutions they are creating, such as programming a data-driven app, creating an interactive map of local environmental data or native tree planting areas
- discuss ethical considerations, like data privacy, accessibility, and fairness, when using and creating digital solutions
- think about digital tools that people you know use which have accessibility features, such as text-to-speech or a screen magnifier, and why this would be helpful
- discuss responsible and safe digital use, and the role of being a digital creator, not just a digital consumer, topics may include ethical use of images, privacy and consent
- critique the accessibility and ease of use of websites, online programs, and simple apps, is it inclusive? Can you figure out how to do what you want to do?
- think about cybersafety such as using free WiFi in public spaces and sharing information online.
What the teacher will focus on#
Teachers guide students to combine digital and physical technologies, using data, programming, and design tools to create solutions. Students learn to test, refine, and evaluate digital projects, considering ethical, environmental, cultural and social impacts.
For example, by the end of Year 10, your child may be able to:
- understand and configure operating and cloud systems and platforms, while considering security and reducing risk, and apply this knowledge when selecting the most relevant form of delivery
- develop a functional, purposeful digital solution, such as an app, 3D model, or interactive system, and test it for usability, reliability, inclusivity, and accessibility
- analyse the impact of digital design choices on users, communities, and the environment, how does it serve people? What is its longevity?
- design projects for end users by taking into account accessibility for diverse learners and those who require assistive technology
- understand cloud-based systems, including accounts, backups of data and permissions, while being able to justify their choices
- understand and follow legal and ethical guidelines to create responsible, trustworthy, and safe digital outcomes for local contexts
- work collaboratively to plan and manage a digital project, using co-constructed guidelines like version histories and file-naming conventions.
