Technology Curricula

Hands on Tech has developed CAPS-applicable Technology curricula, based on LEGO Education's Simple and Powered Machines Set (9686), for children aged 8 - 14 (+/- Grades 4 - 7). The curricula were designed with the average school year in mind, with each book providing enough content to be used weekly for an entire school year. However, teachers are encouraged to mould the curriculum to their learners' needs.

Four student workbooks, Technology 1 - 4, and four accompanying teacher guides have been developed. These books use the LEGO Education Simple and Powered Machines set to explain concepts such as levers, pulleys, wheels, axles and gears and how these can make effective machines and mechanisms, using the Design, Make and Test process.

Key Learning Benefits
  • Children develop logical thought and problem-solving processes - critical in all other areas of study and in their future careers
  • Encourages curiosity in order to solve problems in new and creative ways
  • Understanding mechanical processes at a fundamental level
  • Development of effective fine motor skills and 3D spatial abilities

Hands on Tech, Technology 1 Student Workbook
Appropriate for: Children aged 8 - 14

Technology 1, comprising over 100 pages, introduces children to the foundational LEGO Education elements and concepts, such as beams, modules, pulleys, wheels and axles and levers, and the logical and problem-solving processes that building a functioning model require. It uses activities and problem-solving to ensure that the concepts are understood and retained.

Hands on Tech, Technology 2 Student Workbook
Appropriate for: Children aged 8 - 14

Technology 2, in just under 100 pages, extends the concepts learned in Technology 1 and poses different sceanrios, which allows for checks of understanding of the concepts.

Forces and Materials are also investigated using LEGO Education and how these apply to machines and mechanisms. Activities include group work and self-evaluation of models that have been built to solve a problem.

Hands on Tech, Technology 3 Student Workbook
Appropriate for: Children aged 8 -14

Technology 3, in just under 100 pages, builds on the knowledge gained in the previous two books and delves deeper into the different types of gears and how gearing-up and -down works, as well as levers, winches and the theory of mechanical advantage.

The book includes group- and partner-based work and self-evaluation, done through the Design, Make and Test process.

Hands on Tech, Technology 4 Student Workbook
Appropriate for: Children aged 8 - 14

In just under 100 pages, Technology 4 completes the Technology series of books by exploring advanced gearing concepts and applications such as trundle wheels, rack and pinions configurations and governors. Plastics, as well as their manufacturing processes, are also investigated, as well as linkages, advanced pulley configurations and world structures.

Hands on Tech, Technology 1-4 Teacher Guide and Year Plans

The Hands on Tech Teacher Guides (on DropBox) accompany the four Student Tech Workbooks. They include the answers to all of the questions, as well as open-ended Extension activities to extend the child's learning and test if the concepts have been retained and can be applied to problems. It also includes Helpful Hints for teachers, making it easy to adjust the curriculum to fit the needs of the learners.

The Year Plans are very useful as they give an overview of the activities that can used throughout the years the Technology curriculum is taught. These include page number references to the lessons, what the lesson involves, the concepts covered and what learning outcomes will can be achieved with the lesson. Please feel free to download the full lesson plan for all four Technology books with the 'See Year Plans' button above