Grade 7 Technology develops design and problem-solving skills through the Design Process: investigate, design, make, evaluate and communicate. Learners apply knowledge of structures, mechanisms, processing and systems and control to practical design challenges. The CAPS curriculum integrates technical drawing, materials knowledge and construction skills with the broader technological literacy required in the modern world. Grade 7 Technology builds the foundation for Engineering, Graphics and Design and other technical subjects in the FET Phase.
- The Design Process: investigate (problem analysis), design (sketches, notes), make, evaluate, communicate
- Structures: natural and human-made structures — what they share
- Forces on structures: compression, tension, torsion, shear
- Triangulation: why triangles make structures stronger
- Frame structures vs shell structures — examples and comparison
- Technical drawing: isometric and orthographic (front, top, side view)
- Materials: properties — strength, flexibility, hardness, conductivity, cost
- Practical: design and build a bridge structure to carry maximum load
- Mechanisms: devices that change force or movement
- Levers: class 1, 2 and 3 levers — fulcrum, load, effort
- Pulleys: fixed, moveable and compound — mechanical advantage
- Gears: how they work, gear ratios, direction of rotation
- Cams and cranks: converting rotary to reciprocating motion
- Linkages: parallel, bell-crank, reverse motion linkages
- Technical drawing: exploded views and assembly drawings
- Practical: design and build a mechanism demonstrating gear or pulley use
- Processing: changing the properties of materials to make them more useful
- Food processing: preservation methods — salting, drying, fermenting, pasteurising
- Paper-making process: raw materials, pulping, forming, drying
- Textile production: natural fibres (cotton, wool, silk) and synthetic fibres (nylon, polyester)
- Weaving, knitting and bonding — how fabric structure affects properties
- Recycling and sustainability in processing industries
- Technical drawing: cutting planes and sectional views
- Practical: design a product that involves processing a raw material
- Systems: input, process, output — applied to everyday systems
- Control systems: why we use control (safety, efficiency, automation)
- Electrical systems: series and parallel circuits — revision and extension in a design context
- Electronic components: resistor, capacitor, LED, transistor (basic function)
- Switches and sensors: types and uses in control systems
- Simple programs: flow diagrams for control — IF-THEN-ELSE logic
- Technical drawing: circuit diagrams using correct symbols
- Practical: design and build a simple system with a control element (switch, sensor or timer)
Learn the Design Process steps by heart. Investigate → Design → Make → Evaluate → Communicate. Every Technology test refers to these stages.
Technical drawing takes practice. Isometric and orthographic drawing are skills — practise 10 minutes every day in Term 1.
Evaluate honestly against your spec. When you evaluate a solution, compare it to the original specification. What worked? What would you change? This earns marks.
Understand why triangles are strong. Triangulation is the most important structural concept in Grade 7 Technology. Know it, explain it, draw it.
Technology is about solving real problems. Every design challenge must start with understanding the user and the context. The best designs meet real human needs.