Technology inspired by Matariki

Year 7 Technology students at Marsden have recently discovered a wonderful way of enhancing their technological skills while celebrating and learning more about Matariki. Their pihikete (or biscuit) project drew together different threads of the technology curriculum for a fun outcome. Generating conceptual designs, seeking stakeholder feedback, using a range of digital programmes all went into producing their celebratory batch of Matariki cookies.

Students first designed and created their own cookie cutter, using a 3-D printer.

They then learnt about principles of Māori design before developing a relevant digital image that was converted into sheets of edible icing. 

Last but not least, they made the cookies! Transferring the printed icing images onto the biscuits was a very delicate operation but well worth the effort. 

What a great sense of satisfaction to take home a gift bag of cookies that have required a very different set of skills than the usual cookie-baking enterprise. It was wonderful for the students to follow through a technological process and see the potential for creativity and design. And how good were the pihikete? Tino pai was the verdict!

Tino pai!