Hello, I trained as an industrial designer, then found myself training as a D&T teacher (great choice!). I've been at it for nearly 20 years now. I was a subject leader for 10 years, leading one of only 10 schools in the country to be recognised by the SSAT as leading edge for D&T. I'm also a past recipient of the DATA annual awards for leadership. I am now in senior leadership, but still teach D&T to KS3,KS4 & KS5 weekly. All resources are well designed, and do what they say on the tin!
Hello, I trained as an industrial designer, then found myself training as a D&T teacher (great choice!). I've been at it for nearly 20 years now. I was a subject leader for 10 years, leading one of only 10 schools in the country to be recognised by the SSAT as leading edge for D&T. I'm also a past recipient of the DATA annual awards for leadership. I am now in senior leadership, but still teach D&T to KS3,KS4 & KS5 weekly. All resources are well designed, and do what they say on the tin!
A collection of simply photocopy and distribute cover work sheets. Each should take around an hour, and the mini figure task 2 hours (as it involves packaging too).
A worksheet based on a Lego Mini Build of a D&T Workshop. Children are tasked with drawing up the photographed model in isometric. At the top of the page I have modeled this task in simple steps.
To draw, use thick/thin lines, and then render the models should take around an hour per sheet.
File enclosed is a printable PDF and accompanying jpeg.
I have other sheets available in this series, or a compilation package too.
Powerpoint designed to cover the required theory for Major Developments in Technology within A-level D&T.
Sir Clive Sinclair Case Study
Age of Microelectronics
Gordon Moore and Moore’s Law
Information Age
Impact of ICs
Product History Task
2 exam questions are also included.
23 slides - lesson includes spaced retrieval starter, questions for show-me-tell-me boards and consolidation activities.
31 Slide powerpoint covering the necessary elements of theory for AQA GCSE Design & Technology.
This would cover 2 lessons.
Lesson has a starter question, and further questions too.
2 worksheets outs are enclosed too.
A lesson which could be used as part of an induction process for KS4 or KS5.
Lesson focusses around refelctions on a user profile, followed by the design of a water bottle for the user (handouts include space for itterations).
This resource was designed to be used alongside ‘user profile boxes’ which is where you make up 4 boxes, with each box containing 10-15 posessions of a key person e.g.
Retired lady - china mug, saga magazine, item of clothing etc.
Young boy - plastic dinosaur, lego magazine, etc.
Initial ‘investigation’ and user profile would be carried out in groups (one group per box). Students complete profile sheet. NB: you will never answer all questions from the items in a box, so assumptions are needed reflecting on evidence to hand.
Students then individually design their bottles, but then present them back to the sub groups afterwards, and a ‘professional argument’ to cross check the design suitability is structured in.
Powerpoint written to support the understanding of manufacturing efficiencies, particularly:
Modify designs to make them more efficient to manufacture, including:
Why and how you would reduce the number of manufacturing processes to make a product
How choice of materials affects the use, care and disposal of products
Application of the six Rs of sustainability
Product maintenance (fixings, parts, and even software)
An 18 slide powerpoint, with a mixture of theory, tasks and youtube links as relevant.
Theory powerpoint to support the teaching of CPA to KS5 students, and to aid in the creation of their own within their NEA.
18 slides with examples and tasks.
A one hour theory session covering the elements needed for energy generation and storage. Includes course textbook page links. The powerpoint has been written to aid note taking (i.e. when you move to the next slide the key elements of the previous are still seen) - I have found this very useful for early in year 10.
21 Slide powerpoint covering the necessary elements of theory for AQA GCSE Design & Technology.
Lesson has a starter question, consolidate question and activity throughout (VOCAPPS).
A 17 slide powerpoint covering material testing in readiness for NEA. This focusses on testing techniques you can easily do in school (tensile, hardness, toughness, energy (heat) transfer etc.
Within the powerpoint are photographs and videos of each test taking place in the workshop (they are made by me - not just a youtube video).
The theory works as a standalone presentation, but if you wanted to make your own testing rigs, I have made a few simple contraptions to make testing more controlled which are also shown in the powerpoint photos/videos in use - all 3 would be easy to make in any DT workshop in a few hours.
There is an accompanying handout for recording any practical tests that students do.
Always one of the favourite lessons of year 12, and they get to complete a piece of NEA in the process too!
As with all my lessons, they come with a retrieval exercise to begin and relevant exam questions (with mark scheme) to conclude.
A 19 slide powerpoint, which covers all key information on Design for Maintenance, Repair and Disposal.
6 R’s, Upcycling, strategies for disassembly, design for durability etc.
Lesson starts with spaced retrieval (maths this time), and consolidates with 2 exam questions (with mark scheme).
Includes video, and practical session disassembling a mouse/keyboard (normally I find a broken one from ICT).
18 slide Powerpoint, including opening maths question (retrieval) and a connection question.
Powerpoint then goes through the various tests (Tensile, Toughness, Hardness and then non destructive options - Ultrasound and Radiographic / X-rays).
Each process covers key words, definitions, diagrams and videos of the tests in process. The lesson concludes with 2 exam questions (with mark scheme).
This lesson is designed as a complimentary lesson to the one with identical name but “(in school)” at the end.
A KS3 project for either year 8 or year 9, with all presentations, booklet and scheme of learning mapped to PoS.
In this unit, students will be looking to evolve their existing electronics knowledge from year 8 (PCBs, transistors, capacitors etc.) into microprocessors, their associated systems (specifically the BBC Microbit), and their control. Students will progress beyond controlling prebuilt projects into the creation of their own mechanical systems capable of being controlled under a ‘smart home’ agenda. The development of these ideas will be contextually driven. This module should equip students with the necessary tools to fully engage with the rest of their KS3 Design & Technology curriculum.
This unit will be covered during year 9. It is designed to boost consideration of structures and mechanical elements within design. The module will be taken during a carousel of other modules in year 9, all of which approach design and technology from core areas of the program of study, collectively building GCSE readiness. The module is stand alone in nature, but builds upon the skills gained throughout KS3.
It is helpful if the student’s have been:
Exposed to the idea of thinking ‘outside the box’
Experience with block and script programming.
Had experience of designing to a brief and specification.
Worked with a variety of materials, mechanisms and structures, being aware of the limitations of certain types.
Prior learning in CAD and card modelling.
A KS3 project for either year 8 or year 9, with all presentations, booklet and scheme of learning mapped to PoS. Main focus of students:
1 - Investigate nets through practical examples (laser files given)
2 - Design and then develop a draft net in thin card.
3 - Reflect on itterations, and then draw up a 2D design version, which can be laser cut.
Editable powerpoints and booklet enclosed.
Enclosed is a printable self contained cover lesson based on the Red Bull Air Race. Essentially students sketch a series of primitive forms in isometric, then add an arrow to show the path of the plane.
Arrows to show openings, swings, drawers etc. are not used very well by students in product design, so this task was designed to bring on that skill.
The sheet is printable in A3, and would has instructions enclosed. It also has a PowerPoint to accompany it, including stage steps, if that facility is available (including a 3 minute video to engage the students on what an air race is like).
All files are fully editable (hand out made in PowerPoint too).
I have used this for many different age groups successfully, and usually leads to a very quite and engaged cover lesson!
A Microsoft Word template (and an example) of a specific risk assessment.
I have included an excel tracking grid of all needed specific risk assessments (for my school, you will need to edit for your own situation), which I used to allocate the writing of them amongst my team.
Imagine that you have had a power cut at home and in your local area. Imagine that the power cut has lasted a number of days and you don’t know when the electricity is going to be reconnected. Imagine that cells (batteries) had not yet been invented. What would life be like?
Work sheet can be printed double sided on A4, and will fill around an hour and a half to two hours.
Can be printed double sided on A4, and will fill around 1.5 hours to 2 hours. Children go through a cut down design cycle in designing a hand / head torch. Hand out guides them through consideration such as buttons etc.
A 17 slide powerpoint, which covers all key information on 3D printing (and also as a tag on, EPOS/PPC)
Lesson starts with spaced retrieval (mechanisms this time), and consolidates with definitions.