Design Technology - Automaton Toymaker (Upper Key Stage 2)

This unit of work forms part of the PrimaryDT scheme of work that features over 60 units of work designed to deliver outstanding outcomes for primary school children in design technology.
This unit of work has been revised and updated for 2026 and is based on delivering six sessions of design technology that are guided by high quality presentation slides accompanied by all the resources that are needed to deliver the lessons, including a knowledge organiser.

Comprehensive medium-term planning that includes
• Unit overview and sequence of learning
• Prior learning needed and links to other curriculum areas
• Learning statements (from our curriculum pathway document)
• List of resources and background information to support teaching and learning
• Key vocabulary for the unit of work
• Teaching activities (investigative and focus tasks)
• Teaching activities (designing and making)
• Advice for challenge and support strategies
• Assessment indicators that children are keeping up with the curriculum

Accompanying this revised unit is further information about the scheme of work and the progression chart and vocabulary list used when creating the scheme of work.

Automaton Toymaker is a Design Technology unit of work aimed primarily at children aged 9-11. The unit focuses on designing and making an automaton toy using a cam mechanism.

Design Brief: Design and make an automaton toy for the local toy museum

Sequence of Learning for Teachers
In this project, children apply their knowledge of mechanisms and in particular cam mechanisms, to design and make an automaton toy. They learn about the key features of an automaton and use this knowledge when designing and making their own product. They learn how cams can change movement in a mechanical system. When creating their automaton toy, they design the automaton character and decide the movement it will make, selecting the appropriate cam mechanism to produce this movement. They make a wooden box structure for their automaton before adding the cam mechanism and the character. Children decorate the automaton to create a scene for the automaton character. 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 about the automaton toy they have designed and made.

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

1. Investigate 1: What is an automaton toy?
2. Focus Task 1 – Making a Cam Frame
3. Design and Make: Designing the automaton toy
4. Design and Make: Making the automaton toy
5. Design and Make: Decorating the automaton toy
6. Evaluation: Evaluating the automaton toy

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.