ACTDEP024: Critique needs or opportunities for designing, and investigate materials, components, tools, equipment and processes to achieve intended designed solutions.
ACTDEP035: The nature of materials and their properties in design and technologies, such as metals in metalwork.
ACTDEP036: Generate, develop, test and communicate design ideas, plans and processes for various audiences using appropriate technical terms and technologies including graphical representation techniques.
Aboriginal Cultural Standards Framework: Cultural Responsiveness Standard - Staff embed Aboriginal cultural knowledge, such as traditional measuring methods using natural objects in the Kimberley and Pilbara regions, to demonstrate respect for community values and environmental stewardship.
Cross-Curriculum Priority: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures - Students explore pre-contact and contemporary indigenous marking and measuring techniques to understand Indigenous innovation and adaptation in material use.
Measuring tools help quantify lengths, widths, depths, and other dimensions accurately in metalwork. Steel rulers provide basic linear measurements, while calipers are ideal for internal and external measurements, such as diameters of holes or rods. Micrometers offer high-precision measurements for small dimensions, ensuring accuracy down to microns. Marking tools apply visible lines, points, or shapes onto the metal surface for cutting or shaping. Scribes scratch fine lines into metal, often used with engineer's blue for better visibility. Center punches create small indentations to mark points for drilling, preventing drill bits from slipping. Dividers are adjustable tools for scribing circles, arcs, or transferring measurements precisely. Try squares ensure right angles, while combination squares are versatile for measuring angles, depths, and marking 45-degree or 90-degree lines. Height gauges measure vertical distances accurately, and tape measures offer flexibility for longer measurements.
Indigenous methods of measuring and marking out integrate traditional knowledge with natural objects for precision in tool-making. In the Kimberley region, Aboriginal peoples used sticks or stones to gauge distances, ensuring balance in spears or boomerangs. Pilbara communities employed body parts like hands or feet for measurements, promoting harmony with nature without modern tools. These techniques emphasize sustainability and cultural respect, blending with contemporary metalwork practices. Students learn to appreciate both systems, fostering inclusive design approaches. Accurate marking and measuring prevent waste, aligning with indigenous values of resource conservation. This lesson builds skills for precise work while honoring cultural heritage. (Word count: 350)
Here are 20 words from the reading for spelling practice (click to hear the word and a longer sentence with context and meaning):