Activity Introduction

Quick summary: In this lesson, students will build on the permaculture designs they created in previous lessons to develop a pitch in order that communicates their design ideas to an audience. They begin by working in groups to clarify the key points and features of their design and write a pitch script around these points. Students then present their pitch to an audience before reflecting on the success of their design ideas. This lesson also includes suggestions for celebrating student achievements in creating permaculture design ideas. This lesson forms the final part in a unit of 6 lessons that can be delivered in sequence to take your students through a complete permaculture project design process. If you are not able to teach this unit completely, you can use a selection of the six lessons that best suits your needs. However, to complete this lesson, students will need to have at least completed lesson 5 in this unit.

These lessons have been created in partnership with Faber-Castell, who has long understood the importance of creativity to all people, especially to young people. It is also continuously searching for environmentally friendly processes and high-quality materials to enhance children’s creative experience throughout every development phase. For more information about Faber-Castell, click here.

Learning intentions:

  • Students will understand how the principles and ethics of permaculture can be used to address the needs of their school community.
  • Students will understand how the principles and ethics of permaculture can be used in their own designed solutions.
  • Students will understand how to develop plans and materials to support their design idea.

21st century skills:

Australian Curriculum Mapping

Content descriptions: 

Year 7 & 8 Design and Technologies

  • Analyse how food and fibre are produced when designing managed environments and how these can become more sustainable (ACTDEK032) 
  • Investigate the ways in which products, services and environments evolve locally, regionally and globally and how competing factors including social, ethical and sustainability considerations are prioritised in the development of technologies and designed solutions for preferred futures (ACTDEK029)
  • Critique needs or opportunities for designing and investigate, analyse and select from a range of materials, components, tools, equipment and processes to develop design ideas (ACTDEP035)
  • Independently develop criteria for success to evaluate design ideas, processes and solutions and their sustainability (ACTDEP038)
  • Use project management processes when working individually and collaboratively to coordinate production of designed solutions (ACTDEP039)

Year 9 & 10 Design and Technologies

  • Critically analyse factors, including social, ethical and sustainability considerations, that impact on designed solutions for global preferred futures and the complex design and production processes involved (ACTDEK040)
  • Investigate and make judgments on the ethical and sustainable production and marketing of food and fibre (ACTDEK044)
  • Investigate and make judgments, within a range of technologies specialisations, on how technologies can be combined to create designed solutions (ACTDEK047)
  • Critique needs or opportunities to develop design briefs and investigate and select an increasingly sophisticated range of materials, systems, components, tools and equipment to develop design ideas (ACTDEP048)
  • Develop, modify and communicate design ideas by applying design thinking, creativity, innovation and enterprise skills of increasing sophistication (ACTDEP049)

Syllabus outcomes: D&T5.3.1, D&T5.3.2, D&T5.6.3, D&T5.1.1, D&T5.4.1, D&T5.5.1 and SC4-13ES, T4.1.1, T4.1.2, T4.1.3, T4.4.1, T4.6.2

General capabilities: Critical and Creative Thinking, Ethical Understanding

Cross-curriculum priority: Sustainability

Relevant parts of Year 7 & 8 achievement standards: Students explain how social, ethical, technical and sustainability considerations influence the design of innovative and enterprising solutions to meet a range of present and future needs. They explain how the features of technologies influence design and production decisions. Students explain a range of needs, opportunities or problems and define them in terms of functional requirements and constraints. They collect, authenticate and interpret data from a range of sources to assist in making informed judgements. Students generate and document in digital and non-digital form, design ideas for different audiences using appropriate technical terms, and graphical representation techniques including algorithms.

Relevant parts of Year 9 & 10 achievement standards: Students produce designed solutions for identified needs or opportunities, students evaluate the features of technologies and their appropriateness for purpose for one or more of the technologies contexts. Students create designed solutions for one or more of the technologies contexts based on a critical evaluation of needs or opportunities. They establish detailed criteria for success, including sustainability considerations, and use these to evaluate their ideas and designed solutions and processes. They create and connect design ideas and processes of increasing complexity and justify decisions. Students communicate and document projects, including marketing for a range of audiences. They independently and collaboratively apply sequenced production and management plans when producing designed solutions, making adjustments to plans when necessary.

Topic: Sustainability

Unit of work: Creative Sustainability – Exploring Permaculture – Design & Technology – Years 7 – 10

Time required: 60+ mins.  

Level of teacher scaffolding: Medium – facilitate class discussion

Resources required: Computer access for students. Student Worksheet – one copy for each student. Pitch Factsheet.

Keywords: permaculture, gardening, food, fibre, agriculture, design, designed solutions, creating designs, pitch, celebrate, Faber-Castell.

Cool Australia’s curriculum team continually reviews and refines our resources to be in line with changes to the Australian Curriculum.

Worksheets

Teacher Worksheet

Teacher Preparation

Learning intentions: Students will...

  • ...understand how the principles and ethics of permaculture can be used to address the needs of their school community.
  • ...understand how the principles and ethics of permaculture can be used in their own designed solutions.
  • ...understand how to develop plans and materials to support their design idea.

Success criteria: Students can…

  • ...present a cohesive and considered design proposal.
  • ...explain how they have incorporated permaculture principles into their designs.
  • ...prepare and deliver a pitch for their designs. 
  • ...work collaboratively.
  • ...participate in class and group discussions.

Teacher content information: This lesson forms the fifth part in a unit of 6 lessons, designed to introduce permaculture thinking to your design class and to encourage them to consider the ethical impacts of their own work as designers. To allow flexibility for you and your students, this unit is designed so that you

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Student Worksheet

Thought starter: How might permaculture help your school?

Project Pitch Points

Use the points below to guide you in developing your pitch. You will find that you have most of this information already in your design brief; the points below will help hone your message for an audience.

Introduction - briefly introduce the topic by answering the following questions:

  • What is the project title?
  • What project are you proposing?
  • Why have you chosen this project? State the need you are addressing. 
  • What is permaculture and how can permaculture address the need you have identified? 
  • What is the chosen location for this project? Why have you chosen this location?
  • Who are the project managers for you project? 

You can then dig a bit deeper by considering the following:

  • Describe your design solution in detail, including the permaculture ethics and principles that it incorporates.
  • Think about what drawings, plans, diagrams, maps and photographs you want to share and how you
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