Teaching Sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

15 minutes – Part A: Connecting the Dots
15 minutes – Part B: SCAMPER
20 minutes – Part C: Product Design
10 minutes – Reflection

Part A: Connecting the Dots

Step 1.

Begin by inviting students to share whether they own or have ever used Connector Pens. Hand out a few Connector Pens to each student and ask them to share their experiences. Ask for volunteers to suggest which parts of the Connector Pen are different from other markers. Through your discussion, guide your students to the conclusion that the lid of the pen is unique and can lock together with other Connector Pens. The pen itself is also the perfect size to lock into the lid.

Step 2.

Explain that to better understand the way this product has been designed they will be thinking about Connector Pens from the point of view of three different people who buy them.

As a class discuss and work together to complete the below product analysis questions:

Consumer type	Question	Suggested answer
School student	Why do you think a school student might choose to buy this product?	Entertainment: they are fun to build things with, so are a toy and marker pen in one.
School student	Which unique part of the Connector Pen do you think might appeal the most to school students?	The lid that connects to other pens, the colours the markers come in, the carry boxes.
Parents	Why do you think parents might buy Connector Pens for their children?	Convenience: they are easy to store and put away, they click together which might make them harder to lose.
Parents	Which unique part of the Connector Pen might appeal to parents?	The connectable lid which might make the lids more appealing to put on, which will stop the pens drying out. Also clicking the pens together might make them harder to lose.
Teacher	Why might a teacher choose to buy connector pens for their class?	Creativity: the great colours and the connectable lids allow students to build things from their imaginations.

Step 3.

Hold a class discussion around student responses to these questions. Through your discussion lead your students to the idea that Connector Pens might be useful to a range of people for different reasons because they have one simple design modification; the connectable lid.

Part B: SCAMPER

Step 1.

Explain to students that the design of a product does not have to be completely new. In fact many things that we use that are useful are modifications of existing products that allow them to be used in new ways, just like the Connector Pen.

Explain to your students that they will now be redesigning an everyday item of their choosing using a brainstorming technique called SCAMPER. Share the following image and explain to students that they will be working through these steps as a class:

Alternatively, explain to students how you might use the SCAMPER model for reimagining a pair of sneakers. Draw a pair of sneakers on the board, or project an image found online. Pose the following question:

How might we reimagine a pair of sneakers using the SCAMPER method?

Explain to students that the teacher will guide them through this process and show them what it might look like. Encourage students to feed into the process as much as possible by inviting them to consider the question: "What would you do?"

SCAMPER Steps:

S – Substitute – Substitute means replacing one part of a product with another product or material. Take your shoes: what material or parts of the product could you swap for something else? What about swapping the rubber and leather with an organic material that breaks down. When you grow out of your sneakers you could put them in a compost heap and add them to your garden. What would you do?
C – Combine – This is where you can think about how you could mix your product with another product. In the case of the shoe, could you combine your shoe with a bag by adding pockets to your shoes? With your new shoe bag you can carry small items like pens and canteen money with you all the time. What would you do?
A – Adapt – This is where you think some of the ways your product is similar to other products and whether you could use any of these other features in your product. For example, feet are similar to hands so could we create some hand shoes? These could be great for climbing trees, and could keep your hands safe from splinters and cuts. What would you do?
M – Modify – This is where you think about how your product could be changed or modified. You could modify the size of your shoes or create even more adjustable shoes that have laces down the sides all the way to the front of the shoe, so you can loosen the laces and make them bigger as you grow. What would you do?
P – Put to another use – You could create a comfortable shoe with an outer sole that you can unclip so it can be used inside as a slipper. What would you do?
E – Eliminate – This is where you remove parts of your product and think about how you can simplify your product. You could get rid of as much material as possible to make a super breathable shoe for hot Australian summers. What would you do?
R – Reverse – This is where you turn your product inside out or upside down. You could create an upside down shoe that has a sole on top instead of the bottom. This new shoe could be used by for babies who learning to crawl. What would you do?

Finally, work as a class to draw some of your ideas on the board. Can you combine all your ideas into one design? What would this look like?

Explain that the idea of a SCAMPER is to add as many options as they can. Don't worry about whether your idea will work or not, just have fun and great creative! Invite the class to ask questions about any words they are unsure of and look for suitable synonyms.

Differentiation – Depending on age or ability you may use the following clip to introduce students to the concept of SCAMPER:

Application Of SCAMPER (https://youtu.be/ru9-74qLXAo)

Part C: Product Design

Step 1.

Explain to students that they will now be selecting an everyday item and redesigning this item using the SCAMPER model.

Depending on age and ability, students can work in pairs or small groups, or as a class.

The first step in this process is to select an everyday item. Suggest some of the following items to students:

Spoon
Cup
Bottle
Chair
Toothbrush
Car
Bike

Once they have selected their item, students need to work through the stages of the SCAMPER brainstorm model to consider how they could redesign this item. Students can record their ideas on the Student Worksheet.

You could also invite students to think about how their design could help our environment or where natural, recyclable or biodegradable materials could be used.

Step 2.

Once complete, engage students in a class discussion around their ideas.

The following questions can be used to guide your discussion:

What is the advantage of this product over the original? Why is your design better than the original item you chose?
Who would purchase this product? Would you buy this product? Why or why not?

Students can now draw a design for this new product on the Student Worksheet. Students can colour their design with the class set of Connector Pens. If students have worked as a class throughout the brainstorm process, you could invite them to select an idea from the class SCAMPER to create their final designs.

Step 3.

Invite students to present their designs to the class, asking students to provide feedback to other groups (where applicable). Remind students to be KIND, SPECIFIC and HELPFUL when providing feedback:

Reflection

Depending on age and ability, engage students in a class discussion around the following questions or invite them to work independently to answer these questions (also available on the Student Worksheet):

What did you enjoy most about this lesson?
What was most challenging for you in this lesson?
What would you do differently next time?

Differentiated Learning

Extension – Once students have gained feedback on their designs invite them to redesign their work.

Students can also create models of prototypes of their designs with products such as modelling clay. Alternatively students can create a digital model of their design using free software such as Sketchup (https://www.sketchup.com/).

Teacher Reflection

Take this opportunity to reflect on your own teaching:

What did you learn about your teaching today?
What worked well?
What didn't work so well?
What would you share?
Where to next?
How are you going to get there?

Creative Sustainability - Rethinking Everyday Products

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