A useful starter for all DT lessons. Puts what good design and bad design actually means into somesort of context. Good to present at the start of a design project or after the generation of initial ideas Website added with examples of good design for each strand of design technology (images mainly from twitter)

overview of key smart materials such as polymorph, piezo electric materials, smart springs & photochromic paints etc useful in year 11 as a one-off lesson between end of coursework and exam season

Can also be used for higher years or G&T year 7. Goes the process of breaking a problem down into sequential steps by means of flowcharts and programming it into a PIC. Example BASIC file for PICAXE is enclosed (cyberpet1txt). Can also be programmed as a flowchart. Recommended: use a GENIE C-08 PIC and program from circuitwizard v2.0. Circuitwizard PCB image for simulation included. The scheme of work refers to a custom designed PCB. I can sent the artwork for this on request - however the cyberpet project kits contain a pre-made PCB which is cost effective when bought in bulk (> 10).

This is intended for A level use for those taking Design Technology Resistive Materials or Product Design. It covers the theory of plastics & polymers and material properties of common examples It is also useful at GCSE level for RM but the details will need to be watered down.

examples of good & bad design sources of design inspiration suitable for use as a starter year 9 or 10 in graphics or rm

for use in KS4 or KS5 electronic products an introduction to ohms law, potential dividers & calculating power

Explains the concept of a transistor as an electric sandwich. Discusses the differences between bipolar transistors and FETs and introduces the concept of gain.

A markbook for Edexcel GCSE design technology subjects. Ued to keep track of controlled assessment and to automatically work out 'WAG' (working at grades). Divided into sheets by assessment criteria to make the sheet easy to print and read for students on A4

A ppt quiz that can be used as a starter and a list of keywords that can be used as a checklist to ensure students are familiar with all that is necessary.

An overview of different types of switches (PTM, PTB, DPST etc) as well as different implimentations (rotary, embrane, rocker, toggle etc). Useful for GCSE Electronics and Electronic Products courses

Two tutorials for beginners starting to use Circuit Wizard 1. goes through schematic entry and simulation 2. goes through manual PCB creation

For older KS3 classes and above. A series of definitions for given keywords for a class to assess and find the right one. Definitions are deliberately wordy to help with literacy and make them think more deeply about if the definition makes sense

A series of posters containing keyword definitions for electronics, that should be coloured in by students, laminated and then hung from the workshop ceiling. These have proved useful to have as a permanent fixture for both KS3 and KS4 - particularly when it comes to asking plenary questions at the end of practical time

This is what I am currently using for AQA GCSE Electronic Products. The templates seem to work quite well and have been refined after the first submission May 2011. I have also added a version for EDEXCEL GCSE Electronic Products Also included is an example of some completed sheets and stickers for use with Avery 7159 stickers for quick feedback if commonly found student issues during assessment

an introduction or review of metals and their properties. Resource includes a step through powerpoint together which introduces a series of student based tasks. A full customised worksheet is provided encourage students to make meaningful notes as the lesson progresses. This lesson takes between 30 and 40 minutes to complete fully and has been successfully used with year 10 and 11 students in England

This 14 lesson course introduces the concept of Internet of Things (IoT) to students and develops both a technical and social, moral and ethical thinking about if technology is always good Content is embedded with practical: an internet controlled MP3 player. To avoid any issues with the IT department, this is done by setting the microcontroller up that controls the MP3 player in AP mode to act as a local hotspot. Students can then remotely connect to the player with phones, tablets or laptops. MP3 files are played using an onboard SD card. This sounds very expensive, but it isnt and even with todays (April 2022) prices, can be made for under £2 a unit. PCB artwork or professionally manufactured PCB’s are available from the author at cost together with the Arduino microcontroller code

A student based, step by step tutorial that can be used for remote learning, cover work or independent working in the classroom. Tutorial takes one hour to complete and takes students through creating a simple microcontroller system with a switch and a servo motor then programming it in scratch. includes differenciated help with embedded videos and solutions that weaker students can use to reverse engineer with Systems can then be upgraded to replace the switch with other inputs depending upon design need Tinkercad is free and available entirely online as cloud based CAD software. This tutorial has been used successfully many times with year 8 and year 9 students.

To follow up and help students improve after an initial design activity, this lesson helps students to evaluate how designs can be improved This resource has been used with year 7 and 8 students (England) to follow up on an initial design of a nightlight and help them become ambitious with their designs and stretch out into considering more about functionality, sustainability, performance and usability (ergonomics)

models logic gates as switches. Students must identify which switches need to be pressed for an LED to come on and from that build up truth tables.

Theory for GCSE electronics & electronic products focusing on comparators and inverting amplifiers. A more detailed discussion on op amps is available but this is not needed at GCSE

a simple formatted quiz that can easily be expanded. Ideal as a starter or as part of general revision. Differentiated so that all will score something and boost confidence whilst higher ability can still shine through