Barrowcliff School
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'Learning Together Growing Together'

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Design Technology

This is planned to enable children to examine, plan and build with different materials and tools. They examine products from the real world and to see how they are fit for purpose and make their own objects to meet design needs.

 

Year 1

Moving   Pictures

Unit 1A Moving Pictures

Focus   – mechanisms

 

ABOUT THE UNIT

In this unit, children develop an   understanding of simple mechanisms through designing and making moving  pictures. These can be based on characters or scenes from stories and could   be designed for use in storytelling activities. Children develop their   understanding of how movement can be created by investigating everyday   products and making simple levers and sliders from given examples.

This unit can be adapted by using   an alternative context for the children’s designing and making assignment eg greetings cards with moving parts,   simple puppets, a class book with moving pictures related to a class topic.  

Playgrounds  

Unit 1B Playgrounds

Focus – structures

 

ABOUT THE UNIT

Children explore a range of   full-size items of playground equipment and make their own models. This unit   gives children opportunities to learn about framework structures and how to   make them stable and able to support loads. They investigate materials used   for the play equipment, what the different parts of the equipment are, and   how they have been assembled. Through a range of focused tasks they develop   their use of construction kits, combined with reclaimed materials. The main   outcome of this unit will be to design and make a model of an item of   playground equipment eg slides,   swings, roundabouts, climbing frames and adventure playground equipment.

This unit could be adapted by   using an alternative context which focuses on making frameworks eg furniture for a house or garden.

Eat more   fruit and vegetables

Unit 1C Eat more fruit and vegetables

Focus   – food

 

ABOUT THE UNIT

This unit develops children’s   understanding of designing and making with food and the importance of healthy   eating. They make choices based on the properties of different fruit and   vegetables in order to design and make a product for a particular occasion or   target group to encourage them to eat more fruit and vegetables.

Children investigate and taste   different foods and develop vocabulary to describe the appearance, taste,   smell and texture. This activity provides opportunities for children to apply   hygienic practices and to use basic tools and equipment effectively and   safely.

This unit can be adapted by   changing the types of fruit or vegetables, or changing the target group, or   focusing on a particular product eg salads,   soups, fruit jelly, fruit yoghurt, fruit drinks, fruit or vegetable kebabs.

 

Homes/structures  

Unit 1D Homes

Focus   – structures

 

ABOUT THE UNIT

This unit gives children   opportunities to develop their understanding of structures. Observation of   different types of building gives children experience and information to draw   on when developing their own ideas. They develop and model their ideas by   creating static models from sheet and reclaimed materials and using   construction kits. They gain a basic understanding about structures and how   these can be made stronger and more stable.

This unit could be adapted by   focusing on different types of building or by giving children an opportunity   to design and make other static models eg containers.  

 

 

Year 2

Mechanisms  

Unit 2A Vehicles

Focus   – mechanisms

 

ABOUT THE UNIT

This unit builds on children’s   experiences of joining and combining sheet and reclaimed materials and of   using moving joints. They learn about wheels and axles and how to use these   when making wheeled vehicles for a specific purpose. They are encouraged to   develop their design ideas based on investigating vehicles in the world   around them. Work in this unit also offers opportunities to use construction   kits, and computer generated graphics or text to enhance their finished   products, to apply basic measuring skills and to draw on knowledge of forces   from science.

This unit could be adapted and   based on other wheeled products eg service   vehicles (fire engine, tip-up truck, milk float, ambulance), carnival float,   prams and buggies, wheelchairs, shopping trolleys, wheelbarrows. The main   features of the particular vehicle would be the purpose of the product.

Puppets

Unit 2B Puppets

Focus   – textiles

 

ABOUT THE UNIT

This unit involves children making   a textile product by marking out, cutting and joining pieces of fabric.   Children look at a selection of hand puppets and base their design on their   investigations into how the puppets have been made and who they have been   designed for. This unit provides a context for work in literacy and offers an   opportunity for children to make up their own play or to retell a familiar   story using their puppets.

This unit could be adapted by   focusing on another simple textile product eg a protective bag that can be made from a limited number of   pieces.  

Winding up /mechanisms/ structures

Unit 2C Winding up

Focus   – mechanisms/structures

 

ABOUT THE UNIT

This unit introduces the children   to the concept of winding mechanisms, building on previous knowledge of   wheels and axles. The children explore how to make winding mechanisms using   construction kits, then, after discussion, make their own toy using a winding   mechanism out of reclaimed materials. The unit uses the context of nursery   rhymes and the rhyme chosen can be adapted for a particular class topic.

The unit could be adapted to have   a broader focus for the designing and making assignment (design and make a   story prop which includes a winding mechanism to make movement) or focus on   an alternative context eg machines   or cranes.

Joseph's coat / textiles  

Unit 2D Joseph’s coat

Focus   – textiles

 

ABOUT THE UNIT

Through this unit children will   learn to use a graphics program to design a model of a simple coat linked to   the story of Joseph’s coat of many colours. They learn to use simple paper   patterns to make a coat and simple joining techniques for fabrics. They learn   to communicate their ideas through talking, freehand drawing and using a   graphics program.

This unit can be adapted by   focusing on an alternative product eg a   fabric mat, bookmark or simple bag.  

 

Year 3

Packaging   (structures)

Unit 3A Packaging

Focus   – structures

 

ABOUT THE UNIT

Through this unit children learn   about strengthening sheet material to make a strong shell structure, which   can be used for a variety of packaging. They gain knowledge about nets and   about how complex 3D shapes can be made by using a net. They develop their   designing skills through the knowledge gained from investigating,   disassembling and evaluating a range of familiar commercial packaging. They   develop their making skills through focused tasks in which they use a range   of measuring, marking-out, cutting and assembling techniques. They also learn   simple graphical communication techniques. 

 

Food   (sandwich snacks)

Unit 3B Sandwich snacks

Focus   – food

 

ABOUT THE UNIT

Children learn basic food   preparation techniques and ways of combining components to create simple food   products for a particular purpose. They develop their designing skills by   using their own experiences and evaluating existing products to develop   ideas. Through discussion, they develop criteria for their design proposals   and suggest ways to proceed. They develop their making skills by learning to   combine components according to taste, appearance or texture to create a   product that contributes to a healthy diet. Through this activity children   develop an awareness of health and safety and learn that the quality of the   product depends on how well it is made and presented.

This unit can be adapted by using   an alternative context for the children’s designing and making assignment eg snacks, pizza toppings.

 

Mechanisms   (moving monsters)

Unit 3C Moving monsters

Focus   – control: mechanisms

 

ABOUT THE UNIT

This unit helps to develop   children’s understanding of control through investigating simple pneumatic   systems and designing and making a model of a monster that has moving parts   controlled by pneumatics. This could be linked to stories or poems, or   another purpose. A good context is toys to amuse children who are ill in bed.   The designing and making assignment requires children to develop skills in   working as part of a team.

The techniques used in this unit   could be used in another context where something needs to be controlled by   moving backwards and forwards or up and down eg a tip-up truck, a jack-in-the-box, moving scenery for a   puppet theatre.

 

Photograph   frames (structures)   

Unit 3D Photograph frames

Focus   – structures

 

ABOUT THE UNIT

In this unit, children learn about   stiffening materials and making stable structures through the context of   free-standing photograph frames. The unit uses readily available materials and   examples. Children might design a product for their own use or as a gift for   a particular user.

The unit could be adapted by using   a picture or by making a frame to display a special piece of work. 

 

 

Year 4

Money   containers (structures) 

Unit 4A Money containers

Focus   – structures: textiles

 

ABOUT THE UNIT

In this unit children learn how   textiles containers eg purses,   wallets and belt bags are designed for different purposes and different   users. They design patterns/templates, and join and reinforce fabrics.   Children develop their designing skills when evaluating products and use this   information to generate their own ideas and identify design criteria. They   communicate their early ideas through modelling with paper or inexpensive   fabric, and use decorative techniques eg dyeing   and embroidery.

This unit could be adapted to   focus on bags for different purposes eg pencil   cases, simple bags, insulated bags for cold drinks, or water-proof bags for   swimwear.

Storybooks   (mechanisms) 

Unit 4B Storybooks

Focus   – control: mechanisms

 

ABOUT THE UNIT

This unit develops the popular   activity of making greetings cards and the moving picture made in key stage   1. Children research the content of the book and design and make a book that   is finished to a high standard, with pages that incorporate moving parts,   including linkages and levers.

Children gain an understanding of   linkage-type mechanisms through investigating a range of products eg books or greetings cards. Through   focused practical tasks, children develop further skills and understanding   relating to the construction and assembly of a range of simple mechanisms   that can be incorporated into a book with moving parts. The children develop   their ability to work in groups as they make decisions about the book and   share out tasks.

This unit can be adapted by using   an alternative context for the children’s designing and making assignment eg a puppet, a display, a poster or a   greetings card with moving parts. It may not be appropriate to repeat the   same context as Unit 1A ‘Moving pictures’.

Torches   (electrical)

Unit 4C Torches

Focus   – control: electrical

 

ABOUT THE UNIT

This unit enables children to   apply knowledge about electric circuits that they acquire in science in a   purposeful way by designing and making a simple torch. While all the   designing and making skills will be used, there will be a particular emphasis   on defining a set of clear specifications for the torch by considering who   will use it and the conditions under which it might be used. The children   also consider how the torch can be controlled by designing and making their   own switch.

This unit can be adapted by using   an alternative context for the children’s designing and making assignment eg lighting a room or a house,   lighting up a poster or a display.  

Alarms   (electrical)    

Unit 4D Alarms

Focus   – control: electrical

 

ABOUT THE UNIT

In this unit, children develop an understanding   of simple electrical control through the designing and making of an alarm   system. They are also introduced to the idea of feedback. The designing and   making assignment involves an alarm system to protect a valuable artefact   which has been brought into the classroom. The children could experiment with   the use of a control program.

This unit could be adapted to focus on an   alternative context which includes a system which does not produce movement eg lighting a house/room, headlights on a   vehicle.

Lighting   it up (electrical)

Unit 4E Lighting it up

Focus   – control: electrical, computer

 

ABOUT THE UNIT

In this unit, children apply knowledge about   electric circuits that they have acquired in science in a purposeful way.   They learn to design and make something that will shine light eg a table lamp, a light in a room, or one   that lights up a poster, a Christmas tree or a display. The children will   also need to consider what kind of lights are switched on and off by remote   control eg in a corridor or in a home   so that it looks lived in. While many of the designing and making skills   will be used, there will be two particular focuses. The children should be   encouraged to define a set of clear specifications for the light by  considering who will use it, and the conditions under which it might be used.   They may also use ICT tools to support their research into a range of lights   and to control their light, switching it on and off when required.

 

Year 5

Musical   instruments  

Unit 5A Musical instruments

Focus   – structures

 

ABOUT THE UNIT

Children learn about the   construction of a range of musical instruments, including those from   different times and cultures, and how different sounds can be created and   altered to make different notes. They learn to use this knowledge and   understanding to design and make a working musical instrument using a   combination of materials.

The appearance of the finished   product is an additional aspect and the use of techniques to illustrate   visual elements could provide a strong link with art. When completed, the   instruments could be used by the children eg to   perform a musical composition.

This unit offers strong links with   music in that it provides children with opportunities to investigate, use and   listen to a range of musical instruments. It also links to Science Unit 5F   ‘Changing sounds’.

This unit can be adapted by using   an alternative context eg mechanically   operated instruments or musical boxes.

Food   (bread)

Unit 5B Bread

Focus   – food

 

ABOUT THE UNIT

This unit provides an opportunity to develop   children’s understanding of, and skills in, working with food through a range   of activities related to bread products. They gain knowledge and understanding   from investigating existing products and exploring the functions and   properties of ingredients. They then draw on this knowledge when designing   and making their own bread products. They use a range of skills and   techniques using basic food tools and equipment and taking account of   appropriate safety and hygiene issues.

This unit can be adapted by focusing on an   alternative type of baked food product eg   biscuits, cakes, pizza or snack   bars. There may be opportunities for working with industry on this project   eg a visit to a bakery, inviting a food   expert to work in the classroom.

 

Moving   toys (mechanisms)  

Unit 5C Moving toys

Focus   – control: mechanisms

 

ABOUT THE UNIT

Children learn about controlling   movement with a cam mechanism as part of a simple toy. The purpose of the toy   is negotiated with the children. They develop their designing skills by using   information sources to generate ideas and formulate an understanding of how   cam mechanisms can be used to produce movement. They extend their making   skills by developing techniques in cutting, shaping and joining to combine   components and by selecting tools and equipment to measure and cut   accurately. Through these activities they gain an understanding of the   working characteristics of the materials and components and how they can be   combined to create more useful properties. They consider both functional and   decorative attributes in a finished product.

This unit can be adapted by using   an alternative context for the design and make assignment eg a vehicle or moving display.

Food   (biscuits)   

Unit 5D Biscuits

Focus   – food

 

ABOUT THE UNIT

This unit develops children’s   skills, knowledge and understanding of food, building on the previous units   in which children prepared food products using simple processes. The children   learn how to adapt a basic recipe to develop a product with specified   criteria. Investigation of existing products from all cultures will inform   design ideas.

This unit could be adapted by   focusing on an alternative food product eg bread   (see Unit 5B ‘Bread’), cakes,   pizzas, crumbles or snack bars. In this unit, there are also   opportunities to develop skills in market research, and data-handling or to   develop a link with industry.

 

Year 6

Shelters   (structures)  

Unit 6A Shelters

Focus   – structures

 

ABOUT THE UNIT

In this unit, children learn about   structures. They learn that structures can fail when loaded, and the use of   techniques for reinforcing and strengthening structures. They are shown the   strength of tubes as a construction material and textiles as a suitable cover   for a framework. The main outcome of this unit will be the design and   construction of a framework-type shelter for an identified purpose. This can   be a model or full-size structure.

This unit can be adapted by using   alternative contexts for the design and make assignment eg bridges, chairs, adventure playground equipment.

Slippers   (textiles) 

Unit 6B Slippers

Focus   – structures: textiles

 

ABOUT THE UNIT

In this unit, children learn how   products eg slippers are   designed for different purposes and people. They learn that designers must   address a range of needs when designing slippers eg appearance, safety, warmth and size. Children learn about   making accurate patterns/templates and detailed working drawings. They   develop making and finishing skills to enhance the quality of their slippers.   They learn to evaluate their products critically against design criteria and   identify what to do to improve them.

This unit could be adapted to be   broader to encompass ‘footwear’ or to focus on other textile products eg hats, soft toys, badges or wall hangings.

Fairground   (electrical)   

Unit 6C Fairground

Focus   – control: electrical

 

ABOUT THE UNIT

This unit enables children to gain   understanding of an important mechanism, using belts and pulleys, and to   learn more about control using electricity and an electric motor. Children   can then be introduced to computer control. The focus of the unit is to   design and make a model of a fairground ride but it could be adapted to suit   any product in which an electric motor produces rotating movement.

Controllable   vehicles (electrical)    

Unit 6D Controllable vehicles

Focus   – control: electrical

 

ABOUT THE UNIT

In this unit, children develop   their understanding of how products can be driven by electricity. They learn   how to use motors within their models and how to control the speed and   direction of movement. They develop their designing skills by using their own   ideas and experiences to produce clearly labelled drawings. They use   construction kits and a range of materials and components to develop their   skills, knowledge and understanding. The children will produce a framework   structure that will be controlled by an electrical circuit. The children will   develop this structure with cladding and appropriate finishing techniques to   create a quality product.

The vehicles made in this unit   could be linked to the computer using appropriate equipment and software to   enable children to experience writing procedures to control the movement and   direction of their vehicles. This unit could be adapted by focusing on a   particular type of vehicle eg a   circus vehicle, a carnival float, a moon buggy, a vehicle for transporting a particular   load.

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