Technology Education Understanding By Design Unit
Unit Design
Designer: Dave Pickhardt
Subject Area: Technology Education – Granby Memorial Middle School
Course: Manufacturing, Business, & Enterprise
Unit Title / Focus: Manufacturing & Enterprise – How Do Businesses Work – Clock Production Activity
Estimated Instructional Time: 35 to 40 class periods
Desired Results
The overall goal of this unit is to provide Technology Education students with a model experience that will provide frames of reference what will help them better
understand the world in which they live. Through the completion of this unit, Technology Education students to not only learn about, but actually experience
many aspects of manufacturing enterprise operation. Through the completion of this unit students will gain hands-on, minds-on experience in the areas of
product design, design selection and refinement, assembly line design, and production run operation; as applies to enterprise operation. Students will learn to
use the problem solving process, universal systems model, the product development cycle, product design tools and techniques, and many production machines:
to develop a product, which they will then manufacture. Students will learn to work safely and efficiently with common tools and machines. Finally students will
gain knowledge and insight into the areas of business types and models, employee organization and management, business organization, business design,
business resources, and consensus building techniques. This unit is designed delivered to allow for maximum transferability of skills and knowledge to the
solution of every day problems and challenges, while providing a model for students to use in their understanding of the world around them.
Granby 21st Century Skills Initiative
This unit has been designed to support and build on the target skills identified in the Granby 21st Century Skills Initiative as follows:
1. Information / Communication Skills
a. Use of technology for effective communication.
b. Communication skills.
c. Innovation skills.
2. Thinking and Problem-Solving skills
a. Problem solving and the problem solving process.
b. Thinking from different perspectives.
c. Higher order thinking.
d. Life & Career skills.
e. Career awareness.
f. Impacts of globalization on careers and American business.
i. Global marketing and merchandizing of products.
ii. Working for international companies.
iii. Global management of global employee base.
iv. Global collaboration.
3. Productivity skills
a. Collaboration & Professionalism
i. Capitalizing on global communications technologies and information availability.
b. Creativity and innovation
c. Adaptability
d. Ethical behavior
e. Leadership
f. Accountability
g. Leadership and responsibility.
4. Life skills
a. Financial and economic literacy.
b. Personal responsibility and work ethic.
c. Decision making.
5. Thinking for the future
a. Preparing students for jobs and technologies that don!t yet exist in order to solve problems we don!t even know are problems yet.
i. A systems approach to understanding of technology.
ii. A conceptual understanding of technology systems that can be applied to ALL technologies.
CT Technology Education Standards
This unit is designed to provide student learning and hand-on application in the following CT Technology Education content standard areas:
Standard 1 - Economics:
- Describe how societies are organized to produce and distribute goods and services in a structured manner.
- Describe how society uses resources and distributes its goods and services.
- Describe how a business produces a profit.
- Identify three types of businesses.
Standard 2 – Technological Impacts
- Describe the universal input, process, output, feedback (IPOF) systems model
Standard 3 – Career Awareness
- Describe how technological development affects careers and occupations.
- Demonstrate awareness of changes in job requirements.
- Develop personal responsibility and accountability in the workplace.
- Define and discuss personal and professional ethics.
- Identify expectations in the workplace.
- Define and discuss the concept of “work ethic”
- Define and discuss “career path”
Standard 4 – Problem solving / Research and Development
- Discuss how technological systems are used to solve human problems.
- Select and apply a general problem-solving model in a laboratory setting.
- Apply cooperative teaching techniques while engaged in group problem-solving activities.
- Engage in an activity that requires creativity.
- Describe and apply the processes used to make decisions.
Standard 5 – Leadership
- Use flowcharts to define an activity.
Standard 6 – Materials and Processes
- Differentiate between primary and secondary raw materials.
- Demonstrate the appropriate selection and safe operation of basic hand tools.
- Use manual and electronic measuring devices accurately.
- Describe how products are manufactured.
- Demonstrate a working knowledge of the layout, shaping, smoothing, assembly, and finishing techniques used to produce a product.
- Produce simple products from a variety of materials using manual and computer controlled devices.
Standard 7 – Communication Systems
- Explore and explain the integration of communication technologies into transportation and production systems.
Standard 8 – Production Systems
- Define manufacturing terminology, including interchange ability, automation, standardization, etc.
- Describe how products are manufactured using the methods of single crafts-person, line and mass, and automated-robotics manufacturing.
- Identify and describe the tools, materials and methods used in manufacturing products.
- Produce a product using a simple production sequence: layout, shaping, smoothing, assembly and finishing techniques.
- Discuss the influence of enterprise on culture, society, and the environment.
- Define the terms single ownership, partnership, company, and corporation.
- Identify and explore a variety of organizational structures, describing the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Standard 11 Engineering Design
- Identify the elements of design.
- Describe conceptual design, embodiment design, and detail design and identify their roles in the engineering process.
- Develop conceptual designs for production problems.
- Explore techniques used to refine conceptual design sketches and techniques.
Enduring Understandings (In Bold) - (Students will understand…)
1. Problem solving is a process that guides us to allow for consistent
solution of problems…
a. The technology problem solving process is a process that guides
the solution of a problem.
b. In order to be consistently successful in the solution of problems,
the problem solving process must be applied methodically to each
new problem.
c. The process is designed to guide the problem solving process and
eliminate random chance in the process.
d. The problem solving process has 5 steps that must be performed in
order.
i. Identify the problem.
ii. Develop alternatives. (brainstorm)
iii. Select the best alternative.
iv. Implement.
v. Evaluate – does the solution work?
e. Large problems must often be divided up into smaller component
problems.
Essential Questions
-
What are the 5 steps of the problem solving process?
How does the problem solving process help guide someone in the
solution of a problem?
o How is the problem solving process applied to the solution of a
problem?
o Why is Evaluate such a critical step?
o Why is it important to divide a large problem up into smaller
problems? How is this division accomplished?
Enduring Understandings (In Bold)- (Students will understand…)
2. The universal systems model can be used to both understand and
design technology systems.
a. A technology “system” is a group of parts that work together as a
whole.
b. A “system” is made up of 4 subsystems – Input, Process, Output,
Feedback
c. A business is a system, which contains each of the 4 subsystems.
i. 7 Major business Inputs
1. People
2. Materials
3. Tools
4. Machinery
5. Capital
6. Energy
7. Time
ii. Business Process
1. What is done with the inputs.
iii. Business Output
1. The final product or service.
iv. Feedback – The ongoing product and business operation
evaluation that must take place for a business to be and
remain successful. Information that comes back to the
company about the product.
1. Feedback sources…
a. Customers
b. Employees
c. Quality controls
2. Questions to consider.
a. Is the business successful?
b. Can the business grow?
c. Is the product popular?
d. Is the product reliable?
e. Is the product safe?
f. What is the next step in the product cycle?
g. When should product be “retired”?
h. Are our employees empowered to move
the business forward and improve the
business?
Essential Questions
-
-
-
What is a “system”?
What are the 4 components of the universal systems model?
o How can the universal systems model be applied to business
operation and business design?
What are the 7 major resources a business has to work with as
inputs?
How does a company gain feedback?
o What feedbacks are important to consider?
o What sources of data are available to provide feedback?
What is meant by the term product cycle?
Enduring Understandings (In Bold) - (Students will understand…)
3. Product design is a process that uses both the problem solving
process and the universal systems model. Consensus building
techniques must be used to allow people to work collaboratively on a
product design.
a. Product design stages
i. Problem identification.
1. Product purpose.
2. Target market.
3. Target price.
ii. Development alternative product designs.
1. Design teams often work on different portions of a
product.
2. Multiple design teams can be employed to explore
various alternatives.
3. Design tools / techniques
a. Sketches and drawings.
b. Models and Mock-ups
c. Computer modeling and testing
iii. Evaluate design options
1. Consider all aspects of each design.
a. Produce-ability and production costs.
b. Market research and customer approval.
iv. Selection of the best design.
1. Consensus building techniques must often be
employed to unify designers and allow designers to
work collaboratively toward best on the best
designs.
a. The notion of consensus originates with the
idea of shared thought. Many people
working together to solve a problem.
b. There are many ways to build consensus.
i. Discussion – What? / Why? – In
small groups with limited options
decisions can often be reached
through discussion.
ii. Voting & Narrowing – Long lists
must be narrowed down to make
progress.
1. Voting methods.
2. Advantages and risks of
voting.
-
-
-
Essential Questions
What are the 4 product design stages?
o What work takes place during each of the product design
stages?
o Why must product design often be broken down into portions
or components?
How are design teams organized?
What are the tools and techniques available to and used by
designers?
o How are design techniques chosen?
o How are these techniques used in product design?
What is meant by the term “consensus”?
o What are some techniques that can be used to “build”
consensus? How are these techniques applied?
Enduring Understandings (In Bold) - (Students will understand…)
4. There are many different kinds of businesses, but all can be classified
into 2 business types and 3 ownership models. How is globalization
affecting American the American business environment?
a. Business types
i. For-profit – overall goal of the business is to make a profit
from the sale of a product or service.
ii. Non-profit – overall goal of the business is to deliver a
product or service for no profit.
b. Ownership models
i. Proprietorship – Single owner.
ii. Partnership – Two or more owners.
iii. Corporation – Business is “publically” owned. Owned by
the company shareholders.
c. Globalization of businesses.
-
Essential Questions
What are the two business types?
o What is the fundamental goal difference between each?
What are the 3 ownership models used for businesses?
o What are the differences between each?
How is a shift to a global economy affecting the American business
climate?
o What opportunities does globalization provide?
o What challenges does globalization create?
Enduring Understandings (In Bold) - (Students will understand…)
5. Product production is the process of taking a design concept and
mass-producing the finished product.
a. Assembly line design.
i. Origins – Henry Ford, and others
b. Assembly line design.
i. Facility design.
1. Push vs. Pull manufacturing
ii. Machine location and product flow.
1. Cell based manufacturing.
2. Line production.
iii. Machine tooling.
1. Fixtures and other support devices.
iv. Resource preparation and kitting.
v. Machine operation training.
1. EMPLOYEE SAFETY IS CRITICAL IN EVERY
MACHINING OPERATION!
vi. Quality control.
c. Supplier relationships
i. Resource costs.
ii. Resource availability.
iii. Resources for businesses.
1. Raw materials
2. Parts and fasteners
3. Machinery and tooling
a. Purchase
b. Maintenance
4. Energy
d. Distribution
i. Storage vs. “just in time” manufacturing
e. Evaluation and analysis
i. Statistical process control
-
-
Essential Questions
What rules MUST be followed in order to insure operator safety when
working with machinery?
Who invented the moving assembly line?
What are the differences between push and pull manufacturing?
o What are some advantages, and disadvantages of each?
What are the two common assembly line design techniques?
o What are the primary differences between the two designs?
How can proper resource preparation be used to improve product
quality and production efficiency?
o What does the term kitting mean?
o How is kitting used to simplify production?
How do supplier relationships influence company success?
How does product quality relate to company success?
o What role does quality control play in overall product quality?
o How can quality control be implemented to foster total product
quality?
o What are some employees can be “empowered” to take
ownership of product quality?
o Where should quality control inspections take place?
Enduring Understandings (In Bold) - (Students will understand…)
Grade 7 - Grade specific learning infused into Tech. Ed. program each year.
6. All members of a community have a social obligation to take an
active role in working within their community to provide necessary
services.
a. Community service and volunteerism are a vital and necessary
means used by most communities to create and provide many
necessary community services.
i. Most communities, regardless of size, rely on services that
are provided by volunteers.
ii. Every member of a community has a social obligation to
work within their community to support and work towards
providing for the needs of the community.
iii. Without community servants and community volunteers, no
community can sustain itself.
1. Granby services provided by volunteers.
a. Fire Department
b. Emergency Services – EMS / Ambulance
c. Senior Center services / Youth services
d. Local Boards - Board of Education, Board
of Finance, Board of Selectmen
e. Community cleanups
f. Parent Action committees
g. School volunteers
h. Granby Drummer
i. Town budget input / support.
j. More, and more, and more…
2. School based community service opportunities.
Without these volunteers there would be no
student-centered school.
a. Band & Chorus
b. Broadcast / Morning news
c. Student council
d. Renaissance
e. School publications – Yearbook / Newspaper
f. Being a good school citizen.
iv. Why – what is in it for me?
1. Provides a sense of belonging and ownership.
2. Brings communities together.
3. Provides a safe and enriching community in which
to live.
4. Maintains reasonable taxation levels.
Essential Questions
-
-
What is community service?
Why is community service so vital to a community?
What kinds of services are provided by community service efforts?
o What kinds of services do community volunteers provide in
Granby?
o What are some community service opportunities within our
school?
What is meant by the term “social obligation”?
What does the volunteer get out of community service?
o “What is in I for me?”
Enduring Understandings (In Bold) - (Students will understand…)
Grade 8 - Grade specific learning infused into Tech. Ed. program each year.
7. Career selection is a process of first identifying ones strengths and
talents and then choosing / aligning a career path that will allow the
individual to capitalize on these key skills, while allowing the
individual the continued personal and professional growth desired. A
career is more than a job. A career is an employment pathway.
a. Looking to the future.
i. Where I am right now?
ii. Where do I want to be 5 years from now?
b. Next steps in Granby Public Schools.
i. Middle School goals
1. Basic skill development
2. Strength and talent identification
ii. High School goals
1. Building skills for college or life
2. Career path identification
a. High school design
i. Academics
1. Provide knowledge for life.
ii. Electives
1.
c.
Provide knowledge for living.
Jobs vs. Careers
i. The fundamental difference between a job and a career.
d. Career selection questions. Questions that can begin to help focus
the career selection process.
i. What am I good at? What are my skills and talents?
ii. What am I not good at?
iii. How do I like to spend my pass time?
e. Career selection guidelines. Questions that must have a positive
answer for a career to be a match.
i. Is the career something I can love?
ii. Is the career aligned with an area of personal strength?
iii. Is the career in an area of societal need?
iv. Will the jobs associated with the career pay for one needs
and some of ones wants?
f. Other relevant career selection information.
i. Job trends related to educational degree status.
ii. Impacts of globalization.
iii. Salary trends in various degree levels.
1. What does it really cost to live?
iv. 21st Century Skills
v. A plea for future teachers and massive teacher shortage.
-
-
Essential Questions
How does one choose a career?
o What must be considered in choosing a career path?
o What opportunities exist within the school system to
support the career selection process?
o What are 3 questions that can help identify some career
pathways?
o What alignment must exist between interests and needs,
and a career pathway?
What is the fundamental difference between a job and a career?
Knowledge and Skills
Enduring Understandings have been included in Bold
1. Problem solving is a process that guides us to allow for consistent solution of problems…
a. The technology problem solving process is a process that guides the solution of a problem.
b. In order to be consistently successful in the solution of problems, the problem solving process must be applied methodically to each new problem.
c. The process is designed to guide the problem solving process and eliminate random chance in the process.
d. The problem solving process has 5 steps that must be performed in order.
i. Identify the problem.
ii. Develop alternatives. (brainstorm)
iii. Select the best alternative.
iv. Implement.
v. Evaluate – does the solution work?
e. Large problems must often be divided up into smaller component problems.
2. The universal systems model can be used to both understand and design technology systems.
a. A technology “system” is a group of parts that work together as a whole.
b. A “system” is made up of 4 subsystems – Input, Process, Output, Feedback
c. A business is a system, which contains each of the 4 subsystems.
i. 7 Major business Inputs
1. People
2. Materials
3. Tools
4. Machinery
5. Capital
6. Energy
7. Time
ii. Business Process
1. What is done with the inputs.
iii. Business Output
1. The final product or service.
iv. Feedback – The ongoing product and business operation evaluation that must take place for a business to be and remain successful.
Information that comes back to the company about the product.
1. Feedback sources…
a. Customers
b. Employees
c. Quality controls
2. Questions to consider.
a. Is the business successful?
b. Can the business grow?
c. Is the product popular?
d. Is the product reliable?
e. Is the product safe?
f. What is the next step in the product cycle?
g. When should product be “retired”?
h. Are our employees empowered to move the business forward and improve the business?
3. Product design is a process that uses both the problem solving process and the universal systems model. Consensus building techniques must
be used to allow people to work collaboratively on a product design.
a. Product design stages
i. Problem identification.
1. Product purpose.
2. Target market.
3. Target price.
ii. Development alternative product designs.
1. Design teams often work on different portions of a product.
2. Multiple design teams can be employed to explore various alternatives.
3. Design tools / techniques
a. Sketches and drawings.
b. Models and Mock-ups
c. Computer modeling and testing
iii. Evaluate design options
1. Consider all aspects of each design.
a. Produce-ability and production costs.
b. Market research and customer approval.
iv. Selection of the best design.
1. Consensus building techniques must often be employed to unify designers and allow designers to work collaboratively toward best
on the best designs.
a. The notion of consensus originates with the idea of shared thought. Many people working together to solve a problem.
b. There are many ways to build consensus.
i. Discussion – What? / Why? – In small groups with limited options decisions can often be reached through
discussion.
ii. Voting & Narrowing – Long lists must be narrowed down to make progress.
1. Voting methods.
2. Advantages and risks of voting.
4. There are many different kinds of businesses, but all can be classified into 2 business types and 3 ownership models.
a. Business types
i. For-profit – overall goal of the business is to make a profit from the sale of a product or service.
ii. Non-profit – overall goal of the business is to deliver a product or service for no profit.
b. Ownership models
i. Proprietorship – Single owner.
ii. Partnership – Two or more owners.
iii. Corporation – Business is “publicly” owned. Owned by the company shareholders.
5. Product production is the process of taking a design concept and mass-producing the finished product.
a. Assembly line design.
i. Origins – Henry Ford, and others
b. Assembly line design.
i. Facility design.
1. Push vs. Pull manufacturing
ii. Machine location and product flow.
1. Cell based manufacturing.
2. Line production.
iii. Machine tooling.
1. Fixtures and other support devices.
iv. Resource preparation and kitting.
v. Machine operation training.
1. EMPLOYEE SAFETY IS CRITICAL IN EVERY MACHINING OPERATION!
vi. Quality control.
c. Supplier relationships
i. Resource costs.
ii. Resource availability.
iii. Resources for businesses.
1. Raw materials
2. Parts and fasteners
3. Machinery and tooling
a. Purchase
b. Maintenance
4. Energy
d. Distribution
i. Storage vs. “just in time” manufacturing
e. Evaluation and analysis
i. Statistical process control
Grade 7 - Grade specific learning infused into Tech. Ed. program each year.
6. All members of a community have a social obligation to take an active role in working within their community to provide necessary services.
a. Community service and volunteerism are a vital and necessary means used by most communities to create and provide many necessary community
services.
i. Most communities, regardless of size, rely on services that are provided by volunteers.
ii. Every member of a community has a social obligation to work within their community to support and work towards providing for the needs of
the community.
iii. Without community servants and community volunteers, no community can sustain itself.
1. Granby services provided by volunteers.
a. Fire Department
b. Emergency Services – EMS / Ambulance
c. Senior Center support
d. Local Boards - Board of Education, Board of Finance, Board of Selectmen
e. Community cleanups
f. Parent Action committees
g. School volunteers
h. Granby Drummer
i. Town budget input / support.
j. More, and more, and more…
2. School based community service opportunities. Without these volunteers there would be no student-centered school.
a. Band & Chorus
b. Broadcast / Morning news
c. Student council
d. Renaissance
e. Yearbook
f. Newspaper
g. Being a good school citizen.
iv. Why – what is in it for me?
1. Provides a sense of belonging and ownership.
2. Brings communities together.
3. Provides a safe and enriching community in which to live.
4. Maintains reasonable taxation levels.
Grade 8 - Grade specific learning infused into Tech. Ed. program each year.
8. Career selection is a process of first identifying ones strengths and talents and then choosing / aligning a career path that will allow the
individual to capitalize on these key skills, while allowing the individual the continued personal and professional growth desired. A career is
more than a job. A career is an employment pathway.
a. Looking to the future.
i. Where I am right now?
ii. Where do I want to be 5 years from now?
b. Next steps in Granby Public Schools.
i. Middle School goals
1. Basic skill development
2. Strength and talent identification
ii. High School goals
1. Building skills for college or life
2. Career path identification
a. High school design
i. Academics
1. Provide knowledge for life.
ii. Electives
1.
c.
Provide knowledge for living.
Jobs vs. Careers
i. The fundamental difference between a job and a career.
d. Career selection questions. Questions that can begin to help focus the career selection process.
i. What am I good at? What are my skills and talents?
ii. What am I not good at?
iii. How do I like to spend my pass time?
e. Career selection guidelines. Questions that must have a positive answer for a career to be a match.
i. Is the career something I can love?
ii. Is the career aligned with an area of personal strength?
iii. Is the career in an area of societal need?
f.
iv. Will the jobs associated with the career pay for one needs and some of ones wants?
Other relevant career selection information.
i. Job trends related to educational degree status.
ii. Impacts of globalization.
iii. Salary trends in various degree levels.
1. What does it really cost to live?
iv. 21st Century Skills
5. A plea for future teachers and massive teacher shortage.
Assessment Plan
Performance Tasks
Other Evidence
The following performance tasks will be used to assess student progress in the The following further evidence will be used in performance evaluation.
completion of this unit.
1. Participation in all in-class discussions and lessons.
1. Development of a product design idea, which meets appropriate
2. Completion of mini challenge activities designed to develop problem solving
specifications.
skill level.
2. Development of an advertising poster, which meets appropriate design
3. Participation in consensus building exercises which will be used to make
specifications, which could be used to advertise the class product.
class product decisions.
3. Development of and manufacturing simulation of the final chosen class
4. Teamwork and collaboration with design partners and design teams.
product design on the computer using computer design software.
5. Individual work and learning effort.
4. Development of an assembly line that can be used to efficiently
6. Maintaining an attitude of professionalism.
manufacture the class product,
a. Assembly line must be a “pull” type, “just in time” line.
b. Assembly line must contain appropriate quality controls.
c. Assembly line must use the “each operation is a customer to the
last” philosophy in the design.
5. Participation in the actual production run of the class product.
6. Product quality assessment, which will be done through a random
selection from final produced products.
7. Development of a product label for the class product.
8. Participation in community service or career pathway discussions (grade
dependent) and lessons.
9. Note taking
10. In-class writing exercises.
11. Assessment of team collaboration and professionalism.
12. Completion of the Tech. Ed. - Business & Enterprise final exam.
Grading criteria – The following will be used in the determination of student
grade standing during this unit.
- 10% - Team collaboration and professionalism.
- 55% - Completion of design activities and products.
- 25% - Manufactured product quality.
- 10% - Final Exam
Learning Plan
1. Intro to course. (1 day)
2. Introduction production activity. (1 day)
a. Assignment of clock design assignment – outside of class
3. Introduction to the problem solving process. (1 day)
a. Problem solving in class activity.
4. Product design & consensus building techniques. (2 days)
5. Universal Systems – as applies to businesses (1 day)
6. Introduction to graphic design. (7 days)
a. Poster assignment – in class
b. Two part color separation
i. Clock face color separation.
c. Selection of final class clock face
7. Business operation (2 days)
a. Business types
b. Business personnel organization
8. Product production (20 days)
a. Machine safety.
b. Assembly line techniques
i. Henry Ford
c. Supplier relationships
d. Resource preparation and kitting
e. Assembly line design.
f. Machine tooling
i. Fixtures
ii. Printing screen
g. Machine operation training
h. Production run completion
9. Community Service (grade 7) or Career Selection (grade 8) (2 days)
10. Final Exam (1 day)