Design Technology - Orrery using a Gear Mechanism (Upper Key Stage 2)

Design Brief: Design and Make an Orrery to teach younger children how the Solar System works.

Sequence of Learning for Teachers
In this project, children apply their knowledge of gear mechanisms to design and make an orrery. They learn that an orrery is a mechanical model of the solar system that shows how the planets orbit the Sun. They investigate gears and understand how they can change the speed and direction of movement in a mechanical system. They will use this knowledge when designing their orrery model. Children create a wooden framework to house the mechanical system that works the orrery. They design and make a model of the solar system that will rotate as part of the model. Children decorate their orrery model using suitable images and theming. They evaluate their finished product against the design brief and design specifications and consider improvements they would make to their product. As part of the evaluation process, children create a Zine all about the orrery they have designed and made.

This knowledge, skills and understanding is delivered through the following six sessions:

1. Investigate 1: What is an Orrery? & Investigate 2: Investigating Gears
2. Focus Task 1 – Making the Orrery Box
3. Design & Make: Designing the Orrery
4. Design & Make: Making the Orrery
5. Design & Make: Decorating the Orrery
6. Evaluation: Evaluating the Orrery

Some activities / sessions can be re-arranged or delivered in different ways in the learning sequence to allow for whole-class teaching and/or small adult-led sessions to take place at the same time.