Design Technology - Teddy Explorer (Key Stage 1)

Teddy Explorer is a Design Technology unit of work aimed primarily at children aged 5-7.

Design Brief: Design and make a toy buggy for teddy to explore the world

Sequence of Learning for Teachers
In this unit of work children design and make a toy buggy for their teddy to explore the world. They begin by investigating toy vehicles to see how they work, identifying their different parts and learning about linear and rotational movement. They also learn how a wheel and axle mechanism makes a vehicle move. They then learn about the invention of the wheel and its impact on ancient civilisations. Children are taught woodworking skills to create a simple wooden frame that is used to create the chassis for their buggy. Attaching a wheel and axle mechanism to this frame. children are then able to make a moving vehicle. They research and investigate vehicles in the world around them and toys that have wheels and axles. When designing their toy buggy, they consider all the different objects that teddy will need when exploring the world. They make the body of the buggy and attach it to the wooden frame chassis. Adding a wheel and axle mechanism completes their model. Finally, they decorate their teddy explorer buggy.

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

1. Investigate Task 1: Investigating Toy Cars
2. Focus Task 1: Working with Wood & Investigate Task 2: Wheels all Around
3. Design and Make Session 1 – Designing the Toy Buggy
4. Design and Make Session 2 – Making the Buggy Chassis
5. Design and Make Session 3 – Making the Buggy Body
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.