This syllabus outlines the expectations and units for a design technology class across 3 grade levels. Students will learn the design cycle and use tools like SketchUp, iMovie, and GarageBand to design solutions to real-world problems. Assignments are submitted digitally and late work loses points. Plagiarism is not allowed and copyright rules will be discussed. The goal is for students to work hard and enjoy creating original work.

1. Design Technology
Syllabus
A Linear Presentation
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2. Read Syllabus By Section

3. Introduction
S Using industrial, video, and audio tools to
design and create an original product.
S Students learn and utilize the Design Cycle
to develop a solution to a real-world problem.
S The use of current computer applications
and tools are major driving forces in the
design of products.

4. Expectations
S Arrive on time with all supplies ready to use.
S No cell phones, iPods, electronic devices may be used,
or out of the student’s pocket/purse/bag.
S Treat classroom materials with care.
S Negatively treating or bullying another student is
prohibited. This may not be done via the Internet, either.
S Student needs to monitor the assignment due dates for
the class.
S When frustrated in your work, don’t stop, but shift to
something else.

5. Grade 7 Unit Summary
S Unit 1: Spaghetti Bridge Project (4-6
weeks)
S Students will learn the Design Cycle in detail as
they create several plans to design a load-bearing
bridge using uncooked spaghetti.
S Unit 2: Stop-Motion Movie (9-12 weeks)
S Students explore the IB Learner Profile by
designing an informational stop-motion movie

6. Grade 7 Unit Summary
S Unit 3: SketchUp Design Project
S Students follow the design cycle to create a 3D
product with a real world purpose. Students learn
the tools available in Google’s SketchUp
application to create their product.
S Unit 4: Create A Cookbook!
S Students design a hand-made, bound book of
recipes. Students use Internet resources to find
recipes that help them to develop a themed,
healthy cooking, resource book.

7. Grade 8 Unit Summary
S Unit 1: Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation (8-9
weeks)
S Students use their Community and Service topic as a
socio-environmental issue that they need to draw
attention to so as to get funding/sponsorship, increased
awareness, and volunteers. Students will use advanced
PowerPoint tools to maximize the effectiveness of their
presentation.
S Unit 2: Construct a MouseTrap Car (8-10 weeks)
S Students design a MouseTrap Car that focuses on
maximizing speed and distance. Students will use
Internet resources to find models and to discover the 6

8. Grade 8 Unit Summary, Part 2
S Unit 3: iMovie Commercial for Unit 1 or 2 Project
(9-10 weeks)
S Students will learn the editing tools available in iMovie
and then will produce a commercial highlighting their
Unit 1 topic or their mousetrap car from Unit 2.
S Unit 4: Xtranormal Writing a Script (6-8 weeks)
S Students will learn how to create an animated short
movie using the web-based tool, Xtranormal.
Students will have some freedom to choose the topic
of their script, but can use material created in this, or
other classes.

9. Grade 9 Unit Summary
S Unit 1: Introduction to Computer
Programming
S Students will use the MIT-developed application called
Scratch to learn the concepts of computer
programming. Students will design a video game, a
short animated film, or an artistic animation.
S Unit 2: Design Your City
S Students use Google SketchUp to create a 3D
rendering of their city. Students will study the different
city designs and use them to influence their own
creation or to recreate a major city from a time period.

10. Grade 9 Unit Summary
S Unit 3: iMovie Commercial
S Students will use Apple’s movie editor, iMovie to
create a commercial for their Unit 1 or 2 product.
Students will need to consider their audience
when designing their commercial.
S Unit 4: XtraNormal: Writing an Animated
Movie Treatment
S Students use the web-based
application, XtraNormal as their format for
developing a full treatment (setting, action, script)

11. Grade 10 Unit Summary
S Unit 1a: Making an iPhoto Book (5-6
weeks)
S Students use Apple iPhoto to edit photographs
using the tools available; they then use the
Design Cycle to create a themed iPhoto Book on
a topic of their choosing.
S Unit 1b: Creating an Image-based
Advertisement (10-11 weeks)
S Students will learn the complex tools of Adobe
PhotoShop and use this to create an elaborate
advertisement for one of the IB Learner Profile

12. Grade 10 Unit Summary
S Unit 2: An Introduction to C Programming
S Students will learn the basics of the C
Programming Language to serve as an
information aggregator, ideally to support the
student’s Community and Service Project.
S Unit 3: Score an Advertisement
S Students will create a radio advertisement for an
IB Learner profile topic or for a previously
designed project. Students will use Garageband
to learn the basics of audio production and
recording.

13. Submitting Assignments
S Students will submit some assignments on
paper, but many will be turned in by copying
the assignment into their DropBox folder that
is available anywhere with online access.
S Having Internet problems is not a valid
excuse for submitting an assignment late:
class meets once per week and the school
allows for you to access your DropBox folder
any day.

14. Due Dates and Student
Responsibility
S Assignments lose 5% of their points for every
day an assignment is submitted late.
S Homework and long-term assignments are
available to students online; if a student is
absent it is his/her responsibility to check online
for the work they should make up. Students
should also follow up with the teacher upon their
return to school.

15. Grading and Plagiarism
S Grades for each term will be assigned in accordance with
ISAlmere’s grading scale.
S Grades for large projects will be done based on a rubric
that will be provided to students at the beginning of the
project. It will also be available online.
S Plagiarism is very easy to trace, don’t do it! It is also
difficult to tell when you are plagiarizing, or using
another’s ideas to form your own. Students will be
alerted to potential plagiarism before the final due date so
that they may remove it.

16. Cheating and Copyright
Infringement
S A student found cheating when submitting an
assignment, taking a quiz/test, or copying
another’s work will receive a zero for the
assignment.
S Copyright infringement will be reviewed at the
beginning of the class so that students know
how to credit any work that they use from
another website.

17. Work Hard and Enjoy!
S You will be expected to perform at a
high level in this class, but you will
create some truly great products that
you will enjoy making.
S For now, Enjoy the video!