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Smart Systems Rubric
5 6 Pre & Primary Essentials Worksheets Technologies Design and Technology 1 Page

Smart Systems Rubric

This Smart Systems Rubric provides a structured assessment tool for evaluating student performance in design and technologies projects focused on systems thinking. It allows teachers to assess key competencies such as:

  • Understanding of how systems work
  • Application of design thinking
  • Clarity of planning and process documentation
  • Effective use of tools and technology
  • Communication and teamwork


The rubric is designed to align with Years 5–6 Australian Curriculum Technologies outcomes and can be customised for specific projects or classroom contexts.

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Learning goals

  • We are learning to select and use suitable materials, components, tools, equipment and techniques to safely make designed solutions.
  • We are learning to negotiate design criteria to evaluate design ideas, processes and solutions.
  • We are learning to develop project plans that include consideration of resources to individually and collaboratively make designed solutions.
  • We are learning to explain how people in design and technologies occupations consider competing factors, including sustainability, in the design of products, services and environments.
  • We are learning to explain how electrical energy can be transformed into movement, sound, or light in a product or system.
  • We are learning to explain how characteristics and properties of materials, systems, components, tools and equipment affect their use when producing designed solutions.
  • We are learning to investigate needs or opportunities for designing and the materials, components, tools, equipment and processes needed to create designed solutions.
  • We are learning to generate, iterate and communicate design ideas, decisions and processes using technical terms and graphical representation techniques.
  • We are learning to examine how people in design and technologies occupations address competing considerations, including sustainability in the design of products, services and environments.
  • We are learning to investigate how electrical energy can control movement, sound, or light in a designed product or system.
  • We are learning to investigate the characteristics and properties of a range of materials, systems, components, tools and equipment and evaluate the impact of their use.
  • We are learning to critique needs or opportunities for designing and investigate materials, components, tools, equipment and processes to achieve intended designed solutions.
  • We are learning to generate, develop and communicate design ideas and processes for audiences using appropriate technical terms and graphical representations.
  • We are learning to select appropriate materials, components, tools, equipment and techniques and apply safe procedures to make designed solutions.
  • We are learning to negotiate success criteria to evaluate design ideas, processes and solutions.
  • We are learning to develop project plans that include consideration of resources when making designed solutions, both individually and collaboratively.

Curriculum alignment

AC9TDE6P04 9

Negotiate design criteria including sustainability to evaluate design ideas, processes and solutions

 AC9TDE6P01 9

Investigate needs or opportunities for designing, and the materials, components, tools, equipment and processes needed to create designed solutions

 AC9TDE6K05 9

Explain how characteristics and properties of materials, systems, components, tools and equipment affect their use when producing designed solutions

 AC9TDE6P05 9

Develop project plans that include consideration of resources to individually and collaboratively make designed solutions

 AC9TDE6K02 9

Explain how electrical energy can be transformed into movement, sound or light in a product or system

 AC9TDE6P03 9

Select and use suitable materials, components, tools, equipment and techniques to safely make designed solutions

 AC9TDE6K01 9

Explain how people in design and technologies occupations consider competing factors including sustainability in the design of products, services and environments

 AC9TDE6P02 9

Generate, iterate and communicate design ideas, decisions and processes using technical terms and graphical representation techniques, including using digital tools

 ACTDEP024 8.4

Critique needs or opportunities for designing, and investigate materials, components, tools, equipment and processes to achieve intended designed solutions

 ACTDEP028 8.4

Develop project plans that include consideration of resources when making designed solutions individually and collaboratively

 ACTDEP027 8.4

Negotiate criteria for success that include sustainability to evaluate design ideas, processes and solutions

 ACTDEP026 8.4

Select appropriate materials, components, tools, equipment and techniques and apply safe procedures to make designed solutions

 ACTDEP025 8.4

Generate, develop and communicate design ideas and processes for audiences using appropriate technical terms and graphical representation techniques

 ACTDEK023 8.4

Investigate characteristics and properties of a range of materials, systems, components, tools and equipment and evaluate the impact of their use

 ACTDEK020 8.4

Investigate how electrical energy can control movement, sound or light in a designed product or system

 ACTDEK019 8.4

Examine how people in design and technologies occupations address competing considerations, including sustainability in the design of products, services, and environments for current and future use
ST3-9PW-ST old Investigates the effects of increasing or decreasing the strength of a specific contact or non-contact force ST3-3DP-T old Defines problems, and designs, modifies and follows algorithms to develop solutions ST3-11DI-T old Explains how digital systems represent data, connect together to form networks and transmit data ST3-7MW-T old Explains how the properties of materials determines their use for a range of purposes ST3-8PW-ST old Explains how energy is transformed from one form to another ST3-2DP-T old Plans and uses materials, tools and equipment to develop solutions for a need or opportunity ST3-1WS-S old Plans and conducts scientific investigations to answer testable questions, and collects and summarises data to communicate conclusions
VCDSCD038 Critique needs or opportunities for designing, and investigate materials, components, tools, equipment and processes to achieve intended designed solutions VCDSTC037 Investigate characteristics and properties of a range of materials, systems, components, tools and equipment and evaluate the impact of their use VCDSCD039 Generate, develop, communicate and document design ideas and processes for audiences using appropriate technical terms and graphical representation techniques VCDSCD040 Apply safe procedures when using a variety of materials, components, tools, equipment and techniques to produce designed solutions VCDSTC034 Investigate how forces or electrical energy can control movement, sound or light in a designed product or system VCDSCD041 Negotiate criteria for success that include consideration of environmental and social sustainability to evaluate design ideas, processes and solutions VCDSTS033 Investigate how people in design and technologies occupations address competing considerations, including sustainability, in the design of solutions for current and future use VCDSCD042 Develop project plans that include consideration of resources when making designed solutions

Australian Curriculum covers QLD / SA / WA / NT / TAS / ACT.

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