“Iris and Dog Star”, School Journal, level 3, May 2019
01 May 2019
This article is based on the diary of Iris Marshall, a ten-year-old girl who sailed on the yacht Dog Star with her parents and a family friend from New Zealand to Nouméa. Iris writes about some of the equipment on the yacht to ensure that they have a safe journey.
You can find the story and teacher support material here:
Other useful resources
- Design and Technology – Here is an article and videos on some of the latest technology in yacht design.
- Exploring technology with junior students and is food a technological outcome? – These resources describe some teaching snapshots to assist students to understand what a technological outcome is and is not.
Discussion questions
- Identify the technological outcomes (products and systems) within the boat described by Iris.
- Explore the yacht and its parts – they are also technological outcomes.
- Explain how these technological outcomes are different to the natural objects that Iris has identified in her diary.
- Technological outcomes are defined as fully realised products and systems, created by people for an identified purpose through technological practice. Guide students to see how technological outcomes can be distinguished from other outcomes of human activity such as art works, language, knowledge, social structures, and organisational systems.
- Choose one of the technological outcomes above and describe relationships between the physical (what it looks like) and functional attributes (what it does).
Indicators of progression for discussion starters
| Component | Indicator | Level |
| Characteristics of technological outcomes |
| 2 |