Learning About Structures and Mechanisms at KS3

Some students come to KS3 without the necessary grounding in areas such as Structures and Mechanisms to enable them to progress at the pace you would like. Extensive learning about structures and mechanisms should take place in primary schools, but if it has not been covered to a level that is required for progressing towards GCSEs, an intermediate refresher that takes students over the concepts can be very welcome.

In preparation for the D&T GCSE a good knowledge will be required of a range of materials and their applications, links to science, rigid and soft structures, different types of movement and the forces, stresses and friction associated with these. These two PowerPoint KS3 resources offer a grounding to build upon in teaching these concepts.

The resources are presented as revision guides to help bridge the gap between Primary and GCSE by reviewing the basic principles and taking this forwards towards higher level learning. They do not provide in-depth detail about, for example, calculating compound gear ratios, and have a level of vocabulary appropriate for Key Stage 3 students. However, they may be adapted by teachers to suit a school’s needs, and used in association with GCSE Control Systems resources to develop understanding further.

"These resources are perfect to adapt to your own classroom, the images and animations help to teach students in a visual way and also relate to everyday life. I will definitely be using in my own classroom."