The Year 7 Voyage through Engineering program at Le Fevre High School introduces students to engineering thinking through authentic, hands-on learning experiences. Working across science, technologies, mathematics, humanities and the arts, students investigate real-world problems and design innovative solutions through a series of interdisciplinary voyages.
Students develop their understanding of the engineering design process by exploring how ideas move from concept to prototype. Throughout the year, they learn to collaborate effectively, think critically, communicate their ideas and apply creativity to solve complex challenges.
Course Objectives
- Voyage Learning: Emphasising interdisciplinary connections, students engage in deep, purposeful learning experiences that encourage exploration, creativity and innovation.
- Hands-On Experience: Through coding, robotics, computer-aided design (CAD), prototyping and testing, students gain practical skills and insights into the engineering process.
- Innovation and Creativity: Encouraging students to think creatively and develop innovative solutions to authentic real-world problems.
- Community Engagement: Projects focus on addressing challenges within the local community, promoting a sense of responsibility, sustainability and active citizenship.
Learning Experiences
Students participate in a range of voyages that connect engineering with real-world contexts, including:
- Robotics and Autonomous Systems: Students explore algorithms, coding and automation using Sphero BOLT+ and LEGO SPIKE Prime robotics systems. They design, build and program autonomous robots to navigate challenges while working within specific design constraints.
- Renewable Energy – Wind Turbines: Students investigate sustainable energy solutions by designing, building and testing wind turbines. They collect and analyse data to optimise blade design and improve energy efficiency.
- Indonesian Shadow Puppetry: Students combine engineering, design technologies and the arts by creating interactive shadow puppets inspired by Indonesian culture. They use creative and design thinking to bring traditional stories to life through animation.
- Waste Management and Sustainable Design: Students investigate waste and recycling practices within the school community through activities such as bin audits and data collection. They analyse waste patterns, evaluate current systems and design innovative solutions to improve bin placement, accessibility and recycling outcomes across the school.
- CAD and Prototyping: Students use industry-standard design software to develop digital models and prototypes, exploring how technologies such as 3D printing support the engineering process.
Throughout each voyage, students are encouraged to:
- Test ideas and learn from failure.
- Take calculated risks and iterate on their designs.
- Listen to and evaluate alternative perspectives.
- Apply their learning to authentic, real-world contexts.
Outcomes By the end of Year 7, students will have developed foundational engineering knowledge and transferable skills including teamwork, communication, critical thinking, creativity and resilience. They will understand how engineering can be used to solve problems and improve communities while building confidence to pursue further studies in STEM and the Engineering Futures Pathway.
