During my training I created a few resources that would help out cover teachers and teachers themselves, as it can be used 5 times and cover staff only have to monitor behaviour. The resource is design to get students thinking outside the box and problem solving. It covers a lot of different topics and can be used for a range of ages. i have a PDF file and a PPT incase you wanted to edit it a bit.

I have created an A4 activity sheet for cover lessons in technology, there are 5 different problem solving task meaning that this can be used multiple times with the same group. It is also quite versatile and can be used across different year groups.

Starter tasks - a large range of different types see image for examples: there are 26 tasks in total, can be adapted for plenaries as well. Tasks include; anagrams fill in the gaps spot it what do you see question guru odd one out check your spellings scrabble tiles how many uses what problems do you see They cover a lot of different RM topics focusing on metals and workshop equipment.

2 lessons based around a cardboard chair modeling, team work and testing. Focusing on anthropometrics and ergonomics so students think about measurements of the human body.

This is a 1 A4 page hour lesson task, can be used for a cover lesson or a general theory lesson. It goes trough the meaning of the 6 R’s of sustainability, with an introductory match up task, a look at these objects and analyse task, leading to a re design drawing task. It encourages, group learning and independent designing. Little to no teacher talk is needed (you could always accompany it with printed images of objects as opposed to physical ones).

This mat has the basics of some of the mathematics requires in technology, especially for the GCSE as 10% of the paper is maths. I think it works well with KS3 students as well to support their designing work. (1 sided)

I have done a lesson on ethical food choice a few times and i think it is a key one to do with the students, some of the images are a bit graphic but i think its important. It has a video link to do with the students of chicken farming for KFC. The lessons is important in enforcing chosing the right foods, free range and red tractor. There is a starter and a plenary.

Literacy Mat usually used for KS4 (can also be used for KS3 written tasks), helps with the NEA written aspect, especially helps with scaffolding for struggling/SEN students .

This series of 6 Deliberate practise sheets, work through the main key words of the GCSE AQA Design and Technology course. I have found deliberate practise a great revision tool with my students, it gets them thinking about the term they are learning about, in different ways, to try and cement it into their memories.

This biomimicry design worksheet is great for a KS3 cover lesson, it has a bronze, silver and gold assessment criteria to support all ability levels.

i created this help sheet to support my year 10 students with their ‘mini NEA’ but realised that it can work further down the school too. It has lots of different ideas as to what sort of annotations students should be writing about their designs, i have separated them into 2 sections - the non-negotiables and the get higher marks. I have found it has worked really well with getting my lower targeted students into those top brackets. (I have also added hints and tips to support any tricky wording) This has both the original PowerPoint document and a PDF as i like to use specific fonts, which unless you have them downloaded will not work on your computer, so feel free to fiddle with it.

I love doing PPT’s so its time i shared them, so here are 14 different starter tasks (which could also be adapted to be plenaries) i would say for a year 7 or 8 class as they are about the basics of food and nutrition, to just embed and enforce the important topics, presented in an engaging way; anagrams, true or fasle, catagorise, fill in the gaps, spot the difference, direct questioning etc. Some of the topics; washing up/working together chopping boards good and bad fats eatwell guide balanced diets key vitamins and minerals carbohydrates seasonal veg and fruit weighing and measuring key labels equipment food miles/impacts on the environment

I did these light/ lamp designs in a quick attempt to help my students with their designing, both how they present their work, thinking about angles and alterations. I have also annotated one of the ideas with aspects that would support students with their GCSE NEA. My Students have found it really useful as just a resource to get hits and tips from when they are typing up their coursework, as well as thinking about how they design. The pack has 4 original design sheets with a singular theme but variations of, and 1 annotated design sheet.

A PPT to accompany a mini design challenge, marble run with instructions and initial discussions about movement and types of energy but getting students to try and understand gravitational potential energy and how it effects moving objects.

A full 2 hour revision lesson (or more depending on ability) based around a focus of timber based materials and processes - GCSE Design and technology content. All answers included as well as extension worksheet that has been placed in the middle and end of the lesson to support faster workers, can also be set for HW. Questions range in marks.

PPT for engineering students with information about composites, GRP etc and activity for students to understand what order to complete the manufacture in. Great for KS3 and KS4.

A single design challenge based around the construction of a GEODESIC dome using sweets and cocktail sticks. The pp goes into detail about who invented/pioneered the domes then onto instructions (including a printable PDF for students to refer to). (starter and plenary included)

1 engineering lesson to do with students discussing how helicopters work, understanding the rotation of the blades, then making a successful one out of A4 paper and a paper clip. Can have fun with the testing.

Designing cover lesson - linked to the specific theme of the sea.

This A3 worksheet is a great tool for teaching students Isometric and 1 Point perspective designing, it can be used as cover, for revision or even just in lessons as a design tool.