Design Technology - Table Lamps (Lower 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.

Design Brief: Design and make a table lamp to add more light to your bedroom.

Sequence of Learning for Teachers
In this unit of work children design and make a table lamp product. This provides an opportunity to apply their knowledge and understanding of different structures and simple electrical circuits to create a product. Children learn about different lights in the home and that a product such as a table lamp is made up of three components – a stand, a shade and the electrical circuit. Children design and make a wooden frame, create a shade using papier mâché and then add a simple circuit with a switch to complete the product. They evaluate their product against the design brief and design specifications and use this information to create an online selling page for their product.

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

1. Investigate 1: Let there be light!
2. Focus Task 1: Table Lamp Designer
3. Design and Make Activity: Shade Maker
4. Design and Make Activity: Frame Maker
5. Design and Make Session: Putting it Together
6. Evaluation Session

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.