This section expands on the syllabus content. It seeks to indicate more precisely what particular skills and knowledge should be taught. It seeks to place alintlt on the extent of those skills and knowledge and 0fiefs examples o f the kind of activities which could be undertaken in the classroom. The examples given should not be regarded as prescriptive but rather as indicators of the underlying thinking in the syllabus. Teachers will be able toadd or substitute their own ideas.
Communications (40 Hours)
Introduction
Good communication skills are crucial to a successfully executed task. In fact no task should be undertaken without first developing some of these skills. Each task at its inception is communicated as a situation or brief.
Communication skills will be drawn upon as the task proceeds thmllcrh th~ rl;ff~m~t at~,~o
Page 8 Section 4 Knowledge and Skills Technology Guidelines
Basic instrument handling skills and simple orthographic projection and oblique or isometric projection should be the early target areas so that the student
- will develop a basic understanding of, and ability to produce, intelligible orthographic sketches and working drawings,
- will develop some appreciation of concepts such as accuracy, precision, and neatness, which are essential to the realisation of the task.
When a design solution has been identified, working drawings containing all the information necessary for the manufacture of the article are prepared, including
- cutting lists,
- component lists,
- tools required,
- processes required,
- skills to be acquired,
- sequential plan of execution,
- procedural sketches.
After the task has been realised it is evaluated and reported on. The evaluation asks questions such as:
- Is it safe?
- Does the solution fulfil the requirements of the brief?
- How could it be improved?
- Is it worth improving it ?
- Would a different choice of materials be better?
- Is it pleasant to look at ?
- Is it pleasant to handle?
The records of these activities are carefully kept and retained for reference.
Drawing Conventions
Graphics is an international language of communication and drawing convention is its grammar. There are various standards relating to working drawings, e.g. engineering drawing and building drawing. These standards govern types of lines for different uses, symbols for different materials, showing positions of drilled holes, showing dimensions, etc. Drawing conventions are also used in other areas, notably, f ~ the purposes of Junior Technology, in electrics/electronics and pneumatics. In these two areas students need to be familiar with the representative symbols for the various components with which they might reasonably be expected to come in contact. Ref: Booklet BS PP7307
It is of great importance that these conventions be observed regardless of whether the drawing is produced in freehand, grid-aided freehand, or using instruments. Scales
The fundamental ability to select a suitable scale for drawings and models and to state that scale (1:10, 2:1, etc.) fulfils the requirements. The application of a scaling system here can help students with the problem of maintaining ~oportion.