How can you tell they’ve got it: Comparing Design Solutions?

If they’ve got it, you’ll see things like: Test two designs that address the same problem and collect data on their performance; Compare the results, identifying strengths and weaknesses of each design; Use data as evidence to recommend which design works better and suggest improvements. Or just try it together: If your child tests two different paper aeroplane designs, can they compare the results and explain which one flew better and why?

Science Scientific Inquiry Ages 5–8

Comparing Design Solutions

Your child can test two designs that do the same job, like two paper aeroplanes. They compare how each did and explain which worked better, and why.

In curriculum terms

Analyse data from tests of two objects designed to solve the same problem to compare the strengths and weaknesses of each design

Ages are typical, not deadlines — follow your child’s pace. How to help at home →

How to tell they’ve got it

Tick these off as you see them — no test required.

Test two designs that address the same problem and collect data on their performance
Compare the results, identifying strengths and weaknesses of each design
Use data as evidence to recommend which design works better and suggest improvements

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Try this together

If your child tests two different paper aeroplane designs, can they compare the results and explain which one flew better and why?

Where this sits on the map

Stuck here? Check the skills it builds on first. Confident? Here’s what it unlocks.

Builds on

Modelling with Sketchesages 5–8Must create models before comparing test results of two designs

Recording Dataages 5–7Must gather/record data before analysing data from design tests

Comparing Design Solutionsthis skill · ages 5–8

Unlocks

Simple Design Problemsages 8–11Must analyse simple design comparisons before formally defining design problems with criteria/constraints

solid = must come firstdashed = helps

Curriculum alignment

Where this fits in the official school curriculum — our best automated guess, not yet checked by a person.

Show candidate curriculum codes · 2 NSW · 3 VIC

Australian Curriculum v9 candidate

This skill sits outside the F–6 Australian Curriculum — no candidate code matched (v0.1).

NSW syllabus codes & stages only

ST2-DDT-02low confidenceScience and Technology K-6 · Stage 2

ST2-DDT-01low confidenceScience and Technology K-6 · Stage 2

Victorian Curriculum 2.0 codes & levels only

VC2TDE4D04medium confidenceDesign and Technologies · Levels 3 and 4 · Creating Designed Solutions strand

VC2TDE4D01low confidenceDesign and Technologies · Levels 3 and 4 · Creating Designed Solutions strand

VC2TDE2C04low confidenceDesign and Technologies · Foundation to Level 2 · Technologies Contexts strand

These are candidate alignments generated by semantic matching — machine-suggested and unreviewed (v0.1), not official or verified mappings. For official curriculum content see australiancurriculum.edu.au, curriculum.nsw.edu.au and f10.vcaa.vic.edu.au. Don’t rely on them for registration or compliance purposes.

Nearby on the map

Asking scientific questionsages 5–8 Modelling with Sketchesages 5–8 Observing with simple equipmentages 5–7 Recording Dataages 5–7

All Scientific Inquiry skills →