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Product Design, SDG 12, & Lifestyles in Harmony with Nature

 

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Curriculum Level: K-5

By Patti Donohue from Johnson Street Global Studies

OVERVIEW OF LESSON: After reviewing innovative designs, students will engage in the design process, reflecting on how the design process differs from fine art. They will learn about sustainable design and manufacturing, and about the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and SDG12: Responsible Consumption and Production in particular.

Using sustainability as their primary criteria, students will form groups of three (where possible) to design a product or products based on their interests and that attempts to solve a global problem. They will build a 3-dimensional model of their product. Sustainability may include alternative energy sources, recycled/up-cycled materials, or technology as part of their plan. No plastic will be allowed in their end product. Finally, they will write about the sustainable aspects of their design and make a presentation to the class.

SUGGESTED GRADE LEVELS: Grades 3-5

SUBJECT: Visual Art

CORRESPONDING NATIONAL AND/OR STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA STANDARDS:

NC Visual Arts Standards

3.V.2.1: Create art through a process that includes generating ideas, planning solutions, and producing original art.

4.V.2.1: Identify different successful solutions to artistic problems.

4.CX.2.3: Understand individual roles, while applying collaborative skills in creating art.

4.CX.2.4: Understand individual roles, while applying collaborative skills in creating art.

5.CX.2.1: Analyze the relationship between arts and daily life in product design, print, and digital media.

5.CX.2.3: Understand the balance of individual roles and collaborative skills to create art.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:

  • How can designers create products using sustainable materials and production methods?
  • How can technology increase energy efficiency in the way we make products?
  • What are some problems around the world that designers can work together to solve?

LESSON OBJECTIVES:

  1. Students will be able to collaborate as designers to solve a sustainability problem as indicated in the SDGs.
  2. Students will be able to create a 3-D model of a product that solves a problem from the SDGs.
  3. Students will be able to understand how technology affects design.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOR THE EDUCATOR or RESOURCES TO EXPLORE FURTHER: 

SPECIFIC STUDENT STRATEGIES & ACTIVITIES: 

Time- 5-6 classes (35 minutes each class, classes meet once per week).

Day 1

Introduce lesson and briefly go over the variety of design fields with website images, showing the following short videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=TaMThO4fJzo

http://kidsthinkdesign.org/products/index.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=3xdnVvLXtdM

Ask students for their initial thoughts on what they would like to design (brainstorming).

Day 2 

Introduce SDGs, go over SDG 12 targets 12.2, 12.5, 12.8. Revisit kidsthinkdesign.org website in more detail and continue brainstorming. Group students with similar interests where possible.

http://kidsthinkdesign.org/products/index.html

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?app=desktop&list=PLbLm7JxAJLIA-styxAarUbG77BBk4itbw

Give student groups one sheet of lined paper for notes and one paper for sketches. Each paper has names of all group members. At the top of the papers students write, “We will solve this problem with our design”. Have groups take notes/ make sketches/ discuss ideas. The teacher meets with groups as they get started on ideas.

Day 3 

Show video for deeper understanding of SDG’s, World’s Largest Lesson Animation: Part 1 | The World’s Largest Lesson (globalgoals.org).

Introduce materials for building 3D models.

Have groups show teacher ideas from brainstorming.

Day 4 

Show Part 2 of the World’s Largest Lesson video, https://worldslargestlesson.globalgoals.org/resource/animation-part-2-with-thanks-to-sir-ken-robinson-and-emma-watson/

Begin work on models. Teacher meets with groups to check for understanding/ collaboration.

Day 5 

Show one or more of the three Earthshot prize videos for real world examples of companies solving sustainability issues. Work on models. Work on written description of project. Teacher meets with groups to check for understanding and group effort.

https://www.pbs.org/video/build-waste-free-world-lozvyy/

https://www.pbs.org/video/fix-our-climate-lyruhi/

https://www.pbs.org/video/revive-our-oceans-dwk1bm/

Day 6

Finalize projects. Review class/ peer critique process. Have groups volunteer to present projects for critique.

ASSESSMENTS:

Teacher observation

Class/peer critique: Did groups produce what they planned, does their model/ product solve the problem they wanted it to?

LEARNING EXTENSION:

Show projects to families (display in lobby) the night of the school holiday music program.

MATERIALS:

Art supplies- card stock, scrapbook paper (decorative printed paper), Art Straws (long paper straws), wire, glue, duct tape in bright colors, tissue paper in multiple colors, construction paper, drawing materials- markers, crayons, colored pencils.

REFERENCES:

Academic standards. NC DPI. (2023, January 5). Retrieved January 8, 2023, from https://www.dpi.nc.gov/

Cooperhewitt. (2022, June 30). Teeter-Totter Wall | Designing Peace Exhibition Video. YouTube. Retrieved January 8, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaMThO4fJzo

Dezeen Magazine. Dezeen. (n.d.). Retrieved January 8, 2023, from https://www.dezeen.com/

Fashion fixer – welcome to the United Nations. (n.d.). Retrieved January 9, 2023, from https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/UN_Climate-Action-Superheroes_FASHION-FIXER-1.pdf

Hewitt, C. (2023, January 1). Mud Frontier: Architecture at the Borderlands Trailer. Vimeo. Retrieved January 8, 2023, from https://vimeo.com/585858659

Jennifer Hahn |9 November 2022 Leave a comment. (2022, November 9). Bad design is “at the heart of our destruction” says UK Government’s top climate adviser. Dezeen. Retrieved January 8, 2023, from https://www.dezeen.com/2022/11/09/climate-change-lord-deben-design-for-plane/

Kids think design: Product design. kids think design | product design. (n.d.). Retrieved January 8, 2023, from http://kidsthinkdesign.org/products/index.html

Public Broadcasting Service. (2022, December 5). The earthshot prize. PBS. Retrieved January 8, 2023, from https://www.pbs.org/video/build-waste-free-world-lozvyy/

Public Broadcasting Service. (2022, December 5). The earthshot prize. PBS. Retrieved January 8, 2023, from https://www.pbs.org/video/fix-our-climate-lyruhi/

Public Broadcasting Service. (2022, December 5). The earthshot prize. PBS. Retrieved January 8, 2023, from https://www.pbs.org/video/revive-our-oceans-dwk1bm/

United Nations. (n.d.). Student Resources – United Nations Sustainable Development. United Nations. Retrieved January 8, 2023, from https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/student-resources/

World’s largest lesson animation: Part 1. The World’s Largest Lesson. (2022, September 8). Retrieved January 8, 2023, from https://worldslargestlesson.globalgoals.org/resource/malala-introducing-the-the-worlds-largest-lesson/

World’s largest lesson animation: Part 2. The World’s Largest Lesson. (2022, April 21). Retrieved January 8, 2023, from https://worldslargestlesson.globalgoals.org/resource/animation-part-2-with-thanks-to-sir-ken-robinson-and-emma-watson/

The world’s largest lesson. The World’s Largest Lesson. (2022, August 4). Retrieved January 8, 2023, from https://worldslargestlesson.globalgoals.org/

YouTube. (2016, May 29). Innovative Water Carrier in Africa. YouTube. Retrieved January 8, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xdnVvLXtdM

YouTube. (2022, November 10). Journey to the loop for good 2022 – 2160p. YouTube. Retrieved January 8, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vod0OoREl2Q

YouTube. (n.d.). Understanding the global goals. YouTube. Retrieved January 8, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbLm7JxAJLIA-styxAarUbG77BBk4itbw

World View, a public service program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, equips K-12 and community college educators with global knowledge, best practices and resources to prepare students to engage in our interconnected and diverse world.

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