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Design, engineering and technology
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What am I? Inputs and outputs
Guess the device from a series of clues
This is one of a series of resources to support the use of the BBC micro:bit in Design and Technology lessons.
People are always looking for ways to save energy. It is estimated that the average UK homeowner could save up to £240 a year alone on the cost of lighting their home.
In this unit of learning, learners will use the BBC micro:bit to develop a prototype for an LED based automatic home lighting system, designed to save energy.
Activity info, teachers’ notes and curriculum links
This is an engaging starter activity where learners will extend their understanding of input and output devices used in the system and consolidate their learning. They will be able to develop their knowledge of components and both test themselves and their peers.
The activity sheet includes teachers’ notes, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Download the activity sheets for free!
All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.
And please do share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation
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Maths behind a heating system
This is a practical exercise in which students will utilise their mathematical knowledge to solve problems and apply formulas. Specifically, they will compute the length of pipes necessary for an underfloor heating system. They will also write a brief explanation of how a sustainable underfloor heating system operates.
This can be effectively taught within mathematics or within design and technology, as part of resistant materials or product design.
How long will this activity take?
This activity will take approximately 60-90 minutes to complete
Tools/resources required
Green School film
Projector/Whiteboard
Measuring equipment e.g. tape measures or trundle wheels
Squared paper
The engineering context
Sustainability is a key consideration in modern engineering practices. As the world faces pressing environmental challenges such as climate change and resource depletion, engineers must design solutions that not only meet the needs of society, but also minimise their impact on the planet.
Sustainable engineering involves developing systems, products and processes that are socially, economically, and environmentally responsible. This can include reducing carbon emissions, optimising energy use, minimising waste, conserving natural resources, and designing products that can be recycled or repurposed at the end of their lifecycle.
Suggested learning outcomes
By the end of this activity students will be able to describe the operation of a sustainable underfloor heating system and they will be able to create and apply mathematical formulae in a practical context.
Download the free Maths Behind a Heating System activity sheet!
All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.
The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Please share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation
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Materials and their properties poster
Primary classroom poster taking a closer look at the materials used to make each part of a tent and how these ensure the tent can function effectively.
Download single poster here or order the full set of posters for free from the IET Education website.
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Nanotechnology poster
Secondary classroom poster exploring nanotechnology in everyday life.
Download the single poster or order a full set of posters for free from the IET Education website.
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Make a papier mâché Easter egg
Learn how to make papier mâché Easter eggs with balloons in this fun STEM activity for kids
In this fun Easter STEM activity for kids, students will learn how to use papier mâché and a balloon to make and decorate an Easter egg that they can use as part of their celebrations.
This activity is aimed at primary school students and could be used as a main lesson activity to teach learners about making techniques, design creativity and the use of colour, or part of a wider scheme of learning covering graphics-based techniques. There are also potential curriculum links with the Art department and STEAM based activities.
This is one of a set of resources designed to allow learners to use Easter themes to develop their knowledge and skills in Design and Technology and Mathematics. This resource focuses on making and decorating a papier mâché Easter egg with different coloured paints.
Follow this step-by-step guide to make your very own papier mâché Easter egg.
Download our free activity sheet for more detailed instructions, teachers notes and optional extension work. Also included is a fun bonus maze activity.
Tools/resources required
A balloon
Newspaper and white paper
Wallpaper paste (flour and water or PVA glue can be used instead)
A small plastic pot
Scissors
Different coloured paints and other materials for decorating, such as foam letters and card borders
Suggested learning outcomes
By the end of this Easter STEM challenge learners will be able to use papier mâché and a balloon to make an Easter egg model. They will also be able to use colour to decorate a papier mâché based egg and they will be able to show creativity when designing and making products.
The engineering context
Engineers make product models to test ideas and see how they will work. Papier mâché can be used to make 3D models. Its other applications include masks for the theatre, structures for carnival floats and even disposable fuel tanks for aircrafts!
All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.
The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Please share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation.
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Sports logo developement
A project to design a sports logo
This STEM activity is inspired by the Olympics. Students will learn about logo design by designing and creating a sports logo for a sports team of their choice.
This free resource, aimed at secondary school students, will develop learners’ knowledge and skills in design and technology and engineering. Activity sheets for students and resources for teachers are provided below.
This fun resource could be used as a one-off main lesson activity to build knowledge of branding and logos. It could also be used as part of a wider scheme of learning focussing on developing creative skills within graphics and graphic design.
Imagine that a sports team is designing a new kit and your students have been asked to design a new logo for the team. They want the logo to represent the sport and be eye-catching.
Your students will design a sports logo for a sports team of their choice. Their design should use an image or a simple shape that represents the sport.
They need to think about how a sports logo is created from a single image. How are colours used to show movement on an object? How can an image of a sports person be converted into a sports logo? How can different shapes be used to add a background to the image? How do you add text to the logo?
Then sketch their idea for a sports logo that meets the needs of both the brief and the design criteria given.
Designs can be produced on the handout provided or on blank A4/43 paper.
Once finished, ask three other people to suggest one improvement each to the design. Then select one of these suggested improvements and use it to update the design.
This exercise should take approximately 50-60 minutes to complete.
What you will need:
Projector/whiteboard
Sketching equipment
Coloured pencils
The engineering context
Many top sport teams have logos that have become famous and appear on all their branded products.
Suggest learning outcome
By the end of this activity students will be able to design a sports team logo. They will also be able to communicate design ideas using sketches, notes and annotations.
All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.
The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
And please do remember to share your activity highlights with us @IETeducation
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Sports logo design
Learn how to design a new logo for a sports team
This STEM activity for kids is inspired by the Football World Cup but can be linked to any sporting event, the Olympics for example. Students will learn about logo design by designing and creating a sports logo for a sports team of their choice.
This exercise, aimed at primary school students, will develop learners’ knowledge and skills in design and technology and engineering. Activity sheets for students and resources for teachers are provided.
This fun resource could be used as a one-off main lesson activity to build knowledge of branding and logos. It could also be used as part of a wider scheme of learning focussing on developing creative skills within graphics and graphic design.
Imagine that a sports team is designing a new kit and your students have been asked to design a new logo for the team. They want to logo to represent the sport and be eye-catching.
Your students will design a sports logo for a sports team of their choice. Their design should use an image or a simple shape that represents the sport.
They will need to think about how a sports logo is created from a single image. How are colours used to show movement on an object? How can an image of a sports person be converted into a sports logo? How can different shapes be used to add a background to the image? How do you add text to the logo?
This exercise should take approximately 50-60 minutes to complete.
What you will need
Projector/whiteboard
Sketching equipment
Coloured pencils
The engineering context
Many top sport teams have logos that have become famous and appear on all their branded products.
Suggested learning outcomes
By the end of this activity students will be able to design a sports team logo. They will also be able to communicate design ideas using sketches, notes and annotations.
All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.
The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Please share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation
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Make international flag biscuits
Create biscuits in national flag colours to celebrate an international sporting event
Combine science, maths and design skills to celebrate the different nations taking part in international sporing events such as the Football World Cup and the Olympics. This fun STEM activity focusses on making and decorating biscuits with flags from the different nations.
Students will consider the colours and shapes used in different national flags. They will then make and use icing to colour their biscuits in national flag colours from each teams.
All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.
The activity sheet includes teachers’ notes, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
You can download our step-by-step instructions as a classroom lesson plan and PowerPoint presentation.
And please do share your learning highlights and final creations with us on social media @IETeducation
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Make an Egyptian snake bracelet
**Learn about ancient Egypt and discover how to make a snake bracelet inspired by ancient Egyptian jewellery **
This activity for kids will teach students how to make a snake bracelet inspired by ancient Egyptian jewellery. This activity will encourage students to design and create, as well as teach them historical facts about ancient Egypt. Resources and activity sheets are provided to help teachers support their students.
Activity info, teachers’ notes and curriculum links
In this activity learners will make an example of a bracelet inspired by ancient Egyptian jewellery using air drying clay. There are related activities that involve making an alternative form of bracelet and necklaces.
All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download and are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.
And please do share your learning highlights and final creations with us on social media @IETeducation or send them via email to IETEducation@theiet.org to be featured in our online gallery.
Downloadable content
Make an Egyptian snake bracelet activity
Make an Egyptian snake bracelet presentation
Tools/resources required
Air drying clay
Sequins
The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
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Wheel materials
Testing materials to see which material is the most suitable for a wheel
This resource has been developed with the support of the Bugatti Trust Museum and Study Centre and focuses on testing materials to see which material is the most suitable for a wheel using Engineering and Math’s skills.
Ettore Bugatti was the founder and designer of Bugatti sports cars. He was the first designer to use aluminium wheels to decrease the weight of Grand Prix racing cars, designing one of the most successful racing cars in the world.
Activity info, teachers’ notes and curriculum links
In this activity learners will test various discs made from different materials to see how they perform as a wheel.
This activity could be used as a main lesson activity to teach learners about the physical properties of materials or approaches to testing in the context of practical applications. It could also be used as part of an introduction to the practical use of numeracy within engineering.
All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download and are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.
And please do share your learning highlights and final creations with us on social media @IETeducation or send them via email to IETEducation@theiet.org to be featured in our online gallery.
Tools/resources required
• Discs of material, 140 mm diameter with a 10 mm central hole; for example, steel, aluminium, acrylic, plywood
• Metal bar or pipe, 8-10 mm diameter
• G clamps or vices
• Masking tape
• Weights – various, 250 g to 1 kg
• Stopwatch
• Calculators
• Rulers and writing implements
• Optional: scales to weigh the discs
The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
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Engineers can read your mind
Explore the different technologies that engineers have developed to scan the brain
The use of different types of signals is hugely important in all areas of healthcare. Signal processing engineers are involved in everything from extracting information from the body’s own electrical and chemical signals to using wireless signals to allow search-and-rescue robot swarms to communicate with each other.
Together with related activities, this resource allows students to investigate the wide range of sophisticated imaging technology available in modern hospitals, and to explore the latest ideas in search-and-rescue robotics.
Activity info, teachers’ notes and curriculum links
This activity encourages students to think about new technologies and how difficult it is to predict their future development and application. The handout ‘Reading minds’ is an introduction on how the engineering field of biomedical signal processing is helping doctors understand the brain and treat patients.
The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
The ‘Mind Scanner’ challenge is an extension activity that allows students to do a bit of future gazing. The challenge looks at how future compact mind scanner technology could be used and by whom - considering both ethical and economic issues.
Download the free activity sheet!
All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.
And please do share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation
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Energy use of everyday appliances
Understand the relationship between energy transferred, power and time
This is one of a series of resources to support the use of the BBC micro:bit in Design and Technology lessons.
Reducing energy usage in the home saves money, increases energy security and reduces the need to burn unsustainable fossil fuels. The first step in doing this is monitoring how much energy is used each day.
In this unit of learning, learners will use the BBC micro:bit to develop a prototype for a home energy usage monitoring system that will inform people how long they leave their lights and/or heating on during the day.
Activity info, teachers’ notes and curriculum links
In this activity, learners will calculate the amount of electrical energy used by one or more of their appliances in the home.
The activity sheet includes teachers’ notes, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Download the free activity sheet!
All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.
And please do share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation
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Design a home security system
Use the BBC micro:bit programmable system to create a working prototype
This is one of a series of resources to support the use of the BBC micro:bit in Design and Technology lessons.
Home security is increasingly important as homeowners look to ensure that their properties and possessions are protected from potential burglary. Alarm systems are being developed with increasingly complex embedded electronics and programmable components.
In this unit of learning, learners will research, program and develop a working door access and alarm system using the BBC micro:bit.
Activity info, teachers’ notes and curriculum links
In this activity, learners will program a working door access and alarm system using the BBC micro:bit.
The activity sheet includes teachers’ notes, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Download the activity sheets for free!
All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.
And please do share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation
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Build a robot arm with cardboard
Design and produce a 2D card model of the physical elements of a robot arm as an example.
This curriculum-linked activity teaches the foundation of a wide variety of real-world industrial applications, ranging from loading machines to assembling cars, welding parts together and spray-painting products. Robot arms are also used in applications such as bomb disposal and repairing spacecraft as they orbit the earth.
All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download and are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.
Please do share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation
Tools/resources required
For each participating team:
1 A4 cardboard or MDF baseboard
2 A4 pieces of thick card
1 pair of scissors/craft knife
5 brass fasteners/brads/split pins
5 thumb tacks
3 paper clips
2 m length of string or fishing line
2 rubber bands
2 m length of sticky tape or masking tape
The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
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Use the Speed Equation to Calculate Journey Times
Calculate journey times from one country to another
A costly and sometimes very long aeroplane journey is currently the only option if you intend to travel a long distance. However, what about in the future? One method that has been proposed is the vacuum tube train. The vacuum tube train may be able to reach speeds of 4,000 mph, but is it a realistic option?
Activity: Use the Speed Equation to Calculate Journey Times
In this fun maths activity for KS3, students will use the speed equation to calculate how long it takes to travel to destinations around the globe from the UK via today’s global transport options. They will then be introduced to a new concept in global travel: the vacuum tube train.
Students will work in pairs or small groups to complete the tasks on the handouts below. Handout Journey Times A is for higher-ability students, and Journey Times B is for the less able. Students completing the handout Journey Times A may have to be informed/reminded of the speed = distance/time equation and how to use it to calculate the journey times.
This activity can be used to introduce ideas about the environmental, economic, ethical and social impacts of each type of global transport. For example, comparing fuel efficiencies, the impact of infrastructure on the environment and how polluting they are.
Suggested learning outcomes
By the end of this activity, students will be able to calculate time using the speed equation, and they will be able to identify issues surrounding global transport.
The engineering context
Engineering has constantly propelled human progress, and the vacuum tube train is a testament to this innovation. This cutting-edge transportation marvel utilises sealed tubes to create a low-pressure environment, drastically reducing air resistance. Maglev technology suspends the train, eradicating friction for unparalleled speed.
The engineering behind the vacuum tube train merges aerodynamics, materials science, and electromagnetic systems, enabling mind-boggling velocities. As we strive for more sustainable and efficient transit solutions, this exemplifies the potential of engineering to reshape our world, revolutionising travel and underscoring the limitless possibilities when science and ingenuity converge.
Download the activity sheets for free!
All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable so that you can tailor them to your students and your schools’ needs.
The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, helpful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in the four devolved UK nations: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Please share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation
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Robot swarms
Write a set of rules for governing the behaviour of a robot swarm used in search and rescue operations
The use of different types of signals is hugely important in all areas of healthcare. Signal processing engineers are involved in everything from extracting information from the body’s own electrical and chemical signals to using wireless signals to allow search-and-rescue robot swarms to communicate with each other.
Together with related activities, this resource allows students to investigate the wide range of sophisticated imaging technology available in modern hospitals, and to explore the latest ideas in search-and-rescue robotics.
Activity info, teachers’ notes and curriculum links
This activity gets students to work in small teams to create a set of simple rules which can be used to control a robot swarm designed to help in search-and-rescue-type scenarios such as earthquakes. The ‘Robot Swarms’ student brief sets the scene.
The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Download the activity sheets for free!
All activity sheets and supporting resources (including film clips!) are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.
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Materials and design
Design a sporting outfit that is fit for purpose
This unit focuses upon how materials have been specifically engineered in order to provide the requisite qualities and characteristics. It builds on the ‘science behind the material’ scheme of work, developing the students’ understanding of particle states and motion in relation to materials used in engineering/product design. It allows the students to explore a range of engineered and smart materials, identifying why they are ‘fit for purpose’ and how they have been engineered to achieve this purpose.
Activity info, teachers’ notes and curriculum links
An engaging activity where students will design an outfit that could be worn whilst participating in a sport. With a strong emphasis on developing creative thinking when generating ideas, this activity requires students to be creative when applying knowledge and understanding in science to a design and technology context.
The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Download the activity sheets for free!
All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.
And please do share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation
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How technology affects us classroom debate
Argue for and against different technological products
The ‘Who’s the winner’ scheme of work provides students with an opportunity to collect data which they can use as evidence to debate whether people should be encouraged to engage in computer-based sport activities. This activity provides a context for the scheme, by focusing on the wider issues relating to society and health. It helps set the scene for the ‘question of sport’ unit of activities by providing a ‘big picture’ in relation to the connection between society and health and the development of new technologies.
Activity info, teachers’ notes and curriculum links
An engaging activity which allows students to explore social, ethical, economic and health issues relating to the Nintendo Wii and present their findings in a persuasive, coherent and focussed argument.
The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Download the free activity sheet!
All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.
And please do share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation
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Testing water filtration systems
Design an experiment to test advertisement claims on water filtration equipment
Water is crucial to human life, but it can also be a killer.
Water contaminated with micro-organisms or chemicals, which is then used for drinking or cooking, is a leading cause of disease and death across the world. Poor facilities for the disposal of sewage and other waste water can quickly lead to the spread of dangerous diseases.
Activity info, teachers’ notes and curriculum links
This activity gets students to design an experiment or experiments which will test the claims of companies producing various types of domestic water filtration equipment. It can take 60 - 90 minutes to complete depending on the number of adverts chosen from the ‘Product advertisements’ student handout, and if the related short film is shown as an introduction to the session. You can stream and download this film for free by clicking on the link in the related resources section below.
The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Download the activity sheets for free!
All activity sheets and supporting resources (including film clips!) are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.
And please do share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation
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How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
What is sustainable energy? What is a carbon footprint? The “Energy Efficiency” curriculum explores the meaning of these terms and encourages students to research what they can do as a school community to save energy and reduce their carbon footprint.
The activities use the example of Howe Dell Primary School, which was designed with the principle of sustainability. This provides a framework for students to compare their own school and identify simple energy-saving measures that they can implement to reduce their carbon footprint and save money. By studying Howe Dell Primary School, students can see how cutting-edge technology and science are being used to achieve sustainability goals.
Activity overview
Show the students the Green School film. Ask them to briefly discuss, as a class, the following questions:
What do we mean by “sustainable energy” resources?
What types of sustainable energy resources are found in buildings today?
What does “carbon footprint” mean, and how is it calculated?
What is sustainable energy?
Sustainable energy is energy that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It is energy from renewable sources that do not produce greenhouse gases or other pollutants.
Sustainable energy is important for a number of reasons. It helps to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, which are a finite resource and produce greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. It also helps to improve air quality and create jobs in the clean energy sector.
What is a carbon footprint?
A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases emitted by an individual, organisation, event, or product. Greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere, which contributes to climate change.
A carbon footprint can be calculated for any activity or entity. There are several different methods for calculating carbon footprints. They all involve measuring the amount of greenhouse gases emitted during a product or service’s production, transportation, use, and disposal.
Suggested learning outcomes
By the end of this activity, students will be able to explain what “sustainable energy” and “carbon footprint” mean, and they will be able to describe and explain what sustainable technologies could be used in their school.
Download the activity sheets for free!
All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable so that you can tailor them to your students and your schools’ needs.
The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, helpful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in the four devolved UK nations: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Please share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation