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Primary Design Technology

Carousel Education provides high quality bespoke support that addresses current educational challenges and practices. Our vision is to enable school leaders and staff to provide the best possible outcomes for all their children. In addition to our resources, we aim to offer down to earth, interactive, innovative and practical solutions for school leaders.

Carousel Education provides high quality bespoke support that addresses current educational challenges and practices. Our vision is to enable school leaders and staff to provide the best possible outcomes for all their children. In addition to our resources, we aim to offer down to earth, interactive, innovative and practical solutions for school leaders.
Design Technology - Seasonal Tarts (Lower Key Stage 2)
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Design Technology - Seasonal Tarts (Lower Key Stage 2)

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Seasonal Tarts is a Design Technology unit of work aimed primarily at children aged 7-9. Design Brief: Design and make a seasonal, savoury tart for your school lunch The package provides the medium-term plan, six lessons (each lesson has a MS Powerpoint presentation). Any additional resources are provided as PDFs or as Powerpoint Presentations. This unit of work fulfills the National Curriculum (England) Design Technology requirements for this age group in the following strands of learning: • Cooking and Nutrition For this project children design and make a seasonal, savoury tart for their school lunch. This unit develops their cooking skills and introduces the technique of baking using pastry. Children learn about seasonality in food and how different climates across Europe mean that different fruit and vegetables are grown and harvested at different times of the year. Children learn how to make short crust pastry when they create jam tarts. This provides an opportunity to learn more about how and why foods are preserved. Applying their knowledge of how to create sweet tarts, in the design and make activity children design and make a savoury tart for themselves having considered their favourite fruit and vegetables.
Design Technology - Summer Fruit Smoothie (Key Stage 1)
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Design Technology - Summer Fruit Smoothie (Key Stage 1)

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In this unit of work children design and make a fruit smoothie for a friend. Children learn the names of a range of fruit and investigate where fruit can be bought locally. Children learn how to cut and prepare a range of fruits. Through tasting apples, they begin to develop their taste vocabulary. This vocabulary is extended through more taste tests where the children are taught how to cut fruit using the bridge hold and the claw grip. Children are taught key healthy eating messages including eating five portions of fruit and vegetables every day, drinking lots of water and cutting down sugary foods. Having designed and made their fruit smoothie they evaluate their product, and their friend also evaluates the smoothie. As part of the evaluation children begin to investigate food packaging and use this knowledge to design a container for their smoothie.
Design Technology - Model Playground (Key Stage 1)
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Design Technology - Model Playground (Key Stage 1)

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In this unit of work children learn about structures by designing and making a model of a new piece of play equipment for the local playground. They begin by visiting a local playground to look at the different types of playground equipment. their shapes and structures. Whilst at the playground they also focus on different types of movement created by the equipment, particularly linear and rotational movement. Having discussed their favourite playground activities and equipment, they draw a plan of their ideal playground. Children create 2D and 3D structures using drinking straws and pipe cleaners and are taught different ways of making these frame structures stronger, stiffer, and more stable. Using their experience of visiting the playground, children design and make a new piece of play equipment applying different skills and techniques to make the structure strong, stiff and stable. This knowledge, skills and understanding is delivered through the following six sessions: IDEA Task 1: Visiting the Local Playground & Focused Practical Task 1: Making Straw Shapes IDEA Task 2: Playgrounds in Motion Focused Practical Task 2: Playground Models Designing Session Making Session Evaluating Session
Design Technology - Fruit Salads (Key Stage 1)
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Design Technology - Fruit Salads (Key Stage 1)

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In this unit of work children design and make a fruit salad based on the story of Handa’s Surprise written by Eileen Browne. Children learn the names of a range of fruit and investigate where fruit can be bought locally. Children learn how to cut and prepare a range of fruits. Through tasting apples, they begin to develop their taste vocabulary. This vocabulary is extended through more taste tests where the children are taught how to cut fruit using the bridge hold and the claw grip. Children are taught key healthy eating messages including eating five portions of fruit and vegetables every day, drinking lots of water and cutting down sugary foods. Having designed and made their fruit salad they evaluate their product and the products of other children repeating using a taste test. As part of the evaluation, they write a letter from Akeyo to Handa thanking her for the gift and saying what they liked about the fruit salad.
Design Technology - Fruit Kebab (Key Stage 1)
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Design Technology - Fruit Kebab (Key Stage 1)

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In this unit of work children design and make a fruit kebab based on the story of Handa’s Surprise written by Eileen Browne. Children learn the names of a range of fruit and investigate where fruit can be bought locally. Children learn how to cut and prepare a range of fruits. Through tasting apples, they begin to develop their taste vocabulary. This vocabulary is extended through more taste tests where the children are taught how to cut fruit using the bridge hold and the claw grip. Children are taught key healthy eating messages including eating five portions of fruit and vegetables every day, drinking lots of water and cutting down sugary foods. Having designed and made their fruit kebab they evaluate their product and the products of other children repeating using a taste test. As part of the evaluation, they write a letter from Akeyo to Handa thanking her for the gift and saying what they liked about the fruit kebab.
Design Technology - Model Treehouse (Key Stage 1)
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Design Technology - Model Treehouse (Key Stage 1)

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In this unit of work children learn about structures by designing and making a model treehouse. They begin by visiting a local playground to look at different types of playground equipment. Their shapes and structures. Having discussed their favourite playground activities and equipment, they draw a plan of their ideal playground. Children create 2D and 3D structures using drinking straws and pipe cleaners and are taught different ways of making these frame structures stronger, stiffer, and more stable. Having discussed what a treehouse is and the different types of activities that can take place in a treehouse, children draw a labelled drawing of their treehouse design. Working in groups they use their designs to help them make a model of their treehouse and apply their learnt knowledge to make them strong, stable, and stiffer. They evaluate their own models and those of their peers using the design specifications and identify what they like and what they would improve about the products they have made. This knowledge, skills and understanding is delivered through the following six sessions: IDEA Task 1: Visiting the Local Playground Focused Practical Task 1: Making Straw Shapes & IDEA Task 2 – All About Treehouses Focused Practical Task 2: Playground Models Designing Treehouses Making Treehouses Evaluating Treehouse
Design Technology - Monkey Business (Key Stage 1)
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Design Technology - Monkey Business (Key Stage 1)

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In this unit of work children learn about structures by designing and making a model of a monkey enclosure for the local zoo. They begin by visiting a local playground to look at the different types of playground equipment, their shapes and structures. Having discussed their favourite playground activities and equipment, they draw a plan of their ideal playground. Children create 2D and 3D structures using drinking straws and pipe cleaners and are taught different ways of making these frame structures stronger, stiffer, and more stable. Using information from either a visit to a zoo or from watching a video of different monkeys and primates in zoos, children design a new enclosure for monkeys. They use their ideas and designs to help them create a model of a monkey enclosure applying different skills and techniques to make their structure strong, stiff and stable. This knowledge, skills and understanding is delivered through the following six sessions: IDEA Task 1: Visiting the Local Playground Focused Practical Task 1: Making Straw Shapes and IDEA Task 2: Monkeying Around Focused Practical Task 2: Playground Models Designing Session Making Session Evaluating Session
Design Technology - Snack Dippers (Key Stage 1)
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Design Technology - Snack Dippers (Key Stage 1)

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Snack Dippers is a Design Technology unit of work aimed primarily at children aged 5-7 Design Brief: Design and make a dips and dippers food product as a healthy snack between meals. The package provides the medium-term plan, six lessons (each lesson has a MS Powerpoint presentation). Any additional resources are provided as PDFs or as Powerpoint Presentations. This unit of work fulfils the National Curriculum (England) Design Technology requirements for this age group in the following strands of learning: • Cooking and Nutrition In this unit of work children extend their knowledge of food preparation by designing and making a healthy lunchtime snack. They learn how to make Greek Tzatziki and also take part in a taste test to find out what vegetables and biscuits make the best dippers. Using their knowledge of how to make Tzatziki, they adapt this recipe to make a dips and dippers product based on Indian Raita. As part of the evaluation, they design labelling for their snack product and create an advert to promote their product.
Design Technology - Photograph Frames (Lower Key Stage 2)
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Design Technology - Photograph Frames (Lower Key Stage 2)

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Photograph Frames is a Design Technology unit of work aimed primarily at children aged 7-9. Design Brief: Design and make a seasonal, savoury tart for your school lunch The package provides the medium-term plan, six lessons (each lesson has a MS Powerpoint presentation). Any additional resources are provided as PDFs or as Powerpoint Presentations. This unit of work fulfils the National Curriculum (England) Design Technology requirements for this age group in the following strands of learning: Materials Structures In this unit of work children learn about creating a wooden framework that is used to create a free-standing photograph frame. They investigate how frames are constructed so that they are strong and stable, and the different techniques that allow them to be free-standing. They apply this technical knowledge when designing and making their own wooden photograph frame using the Jinks method. Children learn about ideas of theming and decorating products and apply this knowledge to their own photograph frame.
Design Technology - Teddy Explorer (Key Stage 1)
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Design Technology - Teddy Explorer (Key Stage 1)

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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 The package provides the medium-term plan, six lessons (each lesson has a MS Powerpoint presentation). Any additional resources are provided as PDFs or as Powerpoint Presentations. This unit of work fulfils the National Curriculum (England) Design Technology requirements for this age group in the following strands of learning: Structures Mechanical Systems 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 and 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 children are 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.
Design Technology - Mini Greenhouse (Lower Key Stage 2)
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Design Technology - Mini Greenhouse (Lower Key Stage 2)

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Mini Greenhouse is a Design Technology unit of work aimed primarily at children aged 7-9. Design Brief: Design and make a mini greenhouse to provide the right conditions for seeds to germinate and grow. The package provides the medium-term plan, six lessons (each lesson has a MS Powerpoint presentation). Any additional resources are provided as PDFs or as Powerpoint Presentations. This unit of work fulfils the National Curriculum (England) Design Technology requirements for this age group in the following strands of learning: Structures Materials In this project children learn about how greenhouses are used to grow plants and the conditions that are needed for healthy plant growth. Children learn about frame structures and the different techniques that can be used to make them stronger, stiffer, and more stable. They are introduced to using computer software to help in designing products and use this software to design a mini greenhouse to grow plant seedlings in. They further their understanding of frame structures by using their design to make a mini greenhouse using the Jinks method of constructing wooden frameworks. As part of the evaluation, they can plant, germinate and grow seedlings. This knowledge, skills and understanding is delivered through the following six sessions: IDEA Task 1: All About Greenhouses & IDEA Task 2: Investigating Frame Structures IDEA Task 3: Understanding Structures & Focused Practical Task 1: Making a Wooden Frame Focused Practical Task 2: Introducing Computer-Aided Design Designing Greenhouses Making a Mini Greenhouse Evaluation Session
Design Technology - Nightlights (Lower Key Stage 2)
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Design Technology - Nightlights (Lower Key Stage 2)

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Seasonal Tarts is a Design Technology unit of work aimed primarily at children aged 7-11 Design Brief: Design and make a nightlight for a child who is afraid of the dark. The package provides the medium-term plan, six lessons (each lesson has a MS Powerpoint presentation). Any additional resources are provided as PDFs or as Powerpoint Presentations. This unit of work fulfils the National Curriculum (England) Design Technology requirements for this age group in the following strands of learning: Structures Electrical Systems Materials In this unit of work children design and make a nightlight 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 nightlight 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 a marketing poster for the product. This knowledge, skills and understanding is delivered through the following six sessions: IDEA Task 1: Let there be light! Focused Practical Task 1: Nightlight Designer Design and Make Activity: Shade Maker Design and Make Activity: Frame Maker Design and Make Session: Putting it Together Evaluation Session
Design Technology - Torches (Lower Key Stage 2)
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Design Technology - Torches (Lower Key Stage 2)

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Torches is a Design Technology unit of work aimed primarily at children aged 7-9. Design Brief: Design and make a ‘hands-free’ headlamp for someone walking their dog at night. The package provides the medium-term plan, six lessons (each lesson has a MS Powerpoint presentation). Any additional resources are provided as PDFs or as Powerpoint Presentations. This unit of work fulfils the National Curriculum (England) Design Technology requirements for this age group in the following strands of learning: Structures Materials Electrical Systems In this unit of work children are given the opportunity to apply their knowledge of creating simple electrical circuits to design and make a torch product. Using a range of electrical components, they create a hand torch that lights up when the switch is on. Children have the opportunity to develop brainstorming skills to investigate how a torch works and then use the same skills to develop ideas and to design their product. In this unit children are taught how cut-away drawings, labels and annotations can help to understand how a product has been made and functions. They use this knowledge to create an authentic ‘hands-free’ headlamp product for somebody who walks their dog at night. Having made their product and thinking about the appeal to the intended client, children design a poster to market and advertise their product. This knowledge, skills and understanding is delivered through the following six sessions: IDEA Task 1: All About Torches IDEA Task 2: Investigating Torches Focused Practical Task 1: Making a Torch Designing the Headlamp Torch Making the Headlamp Torch Evaluation Session
Design Technology - Lunchtime Wraps (Lower Key Stage 2)
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Design Technology - Lunchtime Wraps (Lower Key Stage 2)

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In this unit of work children learn how to design and make tortilla wraps as part of a healthy diet. They continue to develop their understanding of healthy eating messaging and the Eatwell Guide and use this knowledge when designing their own healthy lunchtime wrap. They consolidate their knowledge of a range of different food types and know what food group from the Eatwell Guide they belong to. They know that a wrap consists of tortilla bread wrapped around a filling and how to conduct a taste test to evaluate food taste, texture, and appearance. Children learn that food is either grown, reared or caught and apply this learning to different fillings used for lunchtime wraps. As part of their learning, children investigate the information on food labels and packaging as use this knowledge to design packaging for the lunchtime wraps that they have created. This knowledge, skills and understanding is delivered through the following six sessions: IDEA Task 1 – Wraps for Lunchtime FPT 1: Making Tortillas & IDEA Task 2: Wraps – What, Where and Why? FPT 2: Making the Wrap Filling – Making a Tuna Wrap DME: Designing the Wrap DME: Making the Wrap DME: Evaluation Activity – Healthy Lunchbox
Design Technology - Mechanical Book Page (Lower Key Stage 2)
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Design Technology - Mechanical Book Page (Lower Key Stage 2)

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Mechanical Book Page is a Design Technology unit of work aimed primarily at children aged 7-9. Design Brief: To design and make a page for a book for the class library with movable mechanisms to interest and engage the reader. The package provides the medium-term plan, six lessons (each lesson has a MS Powerpoint presentation). Any additional resources are provided as PDFs or as Powerpoint Presentations. This unit of work fulfils the National Curriculum (England) Design Technology requirements for this age group in the following strands of learning: Materials Mechanical Systems In this project children create a page for a book for the class library. This book could be linked to wider curriculum learning. Children consolidate and develop their knowledge of simple mechanical systems with a focus on levers and linkages. The focused practical tasks deepens children’s knowledge and understanding of how levers and linkages work by making simple mechanical monsters. Children then apply their knowledge of levers and linkages to create a movable part for a book page and enhance this page by adding other mechanical systems such as levers, pop-ups and flap mechanisms. Children add text, images and other decorative features to make their page attractive and appealing to the reader. This knowledge, skills and understanding is delivered through the following six sessions: IDEA Task 1: Investigating Moving Books & Focused Practical Task 1: Making a Lever Monster Focused Practical Task 2: Making a Linkage Monster Focused Practical Task 3: Pull Down Mechanism Designing the book page Making the book page Evaluation session
Design Technology - Hola Mexico Tacos (Upper Key Stage 2)
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Design Technology - Hola Mexico Tacos (Upper Key Stage 2)

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In this unit of work, children apply their knowledge and understanding about healthy eating to design and make Mexican-inspired tacos based on the key messages from the Eatwell Guide for healthy eating. Children begin by discussing the different ways that we can eat food at home and outside the home. They conduct market research into their favourite take-away foods. They consolidate their understanding of how designers use mood boards when creating their products. In learning how to make a tortilla and a filling they acquire the essential skills and knowledge needed to make a taco. They consolidate their understanding of the different food groups on the Eatwell Guide to healthy eating and use this knowledge to design a taco that promotes the Eatwell Guide. As part of this unit, they begin to understand the danger of eating too much take-away food and how people make dietary choices and vegetarian and vegan diets. Having designed and made their taco product they become entrepreneurs and set up their own small business learning business basics, marketing and budgeting.
Design Technology - Ramayana Puppets (Key Stage 1)
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Design Technology - Ramayana Puppets (Key Stage 1)

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Ramayana Puppets is a Design Technology unit of work aimed primarily at children aged 5-7. Design Brief: Design and make a puppet to tell the story of the Ramayana in a class puppet show. The package provides the medium-term plan, six lessons (each lesson has a MS Powerpoint presentation). Any additional resources are provided as PDFs or as Powerpoint Presentations. This unit of work fulfils the National Curriculum (England) Design Technology requirements for this age group in the following strands of learning: Materials Textiles In this unit children make a hand puppet by marking out, cutting, and joining pieces of fabric together to create a character from the story of the Ramayana. Children learn about different types of puppets and some famous puppets such as Sooty and Sweep and the Muppets. They understand that a puppeteer makes the puppet appear alive. They draw a puppet design based on a character from the Ramayana. They learn how to thread a needle and the technique of the simple running stitch. They apply and practise the running stitch to create decorative stitching using Binca material. Stitching two identical templates together they create a basic puppet figure which they then decorate using a range of skills following their puppet design of a character from the Ramayana. This knowledge, skills and understanding is delivered through the following six sessions: IDEA Task 1 – Let’s Find Out About Puppets & Focused Practical Task 1 – Starting to Sew IDEA Task 2 – What makes a Good Puppet? Focused Practical Task 2 – Making a Hand Puppet Designing Your Puppet Making Your Puppet Evaluation Session
Design Technology - Orrery (Upper Key Stage 2)
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Design Technology - Orrery (Upper Key Stage 2)

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Orrery is a Design Technology unit of work aimed primarily at children aged 9-11. Design Brief: Design and Make an Orrery to teach younger children how the Solar System works. The package provides the medium-term plan, six lessons (each lesson has a MS Powerpoint presentation). Any additional resources are provided as PDFs or as Powerpoint Presentations. This unit of work fulfils the National Curriculum (England) Design Technology requirements for this age group in the following strands of learning: Mechanical Systems Structures Materials In this project, children apply their knowledge of mechanisms and in particular cam mechanisms, to design and make an orrery. They learn that an orrery is a mechanical model of the solar system that shows how the planets orbit the Sun. They learn how a cam mechanism can change vertical rotation into horizontal rotation and apply this knowledge when designing their model. They create a wooden framework to house the mechanical system that works the orrery. They design and make a model of the solar system that will rotate as part of the model. Children decorate the orrery model using suitable theming. 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 all about the orrery they have designed and made. This knowledge, skills and understanding is delivered through the following six sessions: IDEA Task 1: What is an Orrery? Focused Practical Task 1 – Making a Cam Frame DME: Designing the Orrery DME: Making the Orrery DME: Decorating the Orrery DME: Evaluating the Orrery
Design Technology - Temple Marble Run (Upper Key Stage 2)
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Design Technology - Temple Marble Run (Upper Key Stage 2)

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Temple Marble Run is a Design Technology unit of work aimed primarily at children aged 9-11. Design Brief: Design and make a prototype Marble Run toy based on a temple theme for the MAGIC toy company. The package provides the medium-term plan, six lessons (each lesson has a MS Powerpoint presentation). Any additional resources are provided as PDFs or as Powerpoint Presentations. This unit of work fulfils the National Curriculum (England) Design Technology requirements for this age group in the following strands of learning: Materials Structures In this project children design and make a prototype Marble Run game. This is an opportunity for children to consolidate and demonstrate their understanding of structures and in particular different techniques used to make structures stronger, stiffer, and more stable. Children deepen their understanding of designing a product around a central theme and the use of a mood board to develop their ideas. When making the Marble Run toy they will need to try out and test out their ideas to ensure that the Marble Run functions as it should. This project introduces the idea that designers make models and prototypes as part of the design process and use these models to inform the final design. Sessions: IDEA Task 1 What is a Marble Run? & IDEA Task 2 Creating Tall Towers Focused Practical Task 1 – Columns and Sliders DME: Introducing the Marble Run Project DME: Developing the Design DME: Making the Marble Run Toy DME: Evaluation Session
Design Technology - Eco Tote Bag (Upper Key Stage 2)
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Design Technology - Eco Tote Bag (Upper Key Stage 2)

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In this unit of work children design, make and decorate a Tote Bag to encourage people to be more eco-friendly. Children learn about different types of bags and their functions and understand that designers will often design a product that has both function and is fashionable. Children have the opportunity to develop and consolidate their sewing skills and techniques working with textiles. Each child makes an identical tote bag but in learning about graphic design will make design decisions around additional features to add to their tote bag and also about how to decorate their tote bag with a slogan and logo to promote an eco-friendly message. This knowledge, skills and understanding is delivered through the following six sessions: IDEA Task 1: Investigating Bags & Focused Practical Task 1 – Fashion Designers and Mood Boards IDEA Task 2: Newspaper Bag Challenge Focused Practical Task 2 – Making a Tote Bag Eco-Bag Designer Adding the decoration. Evaluation session.