Hello, I trained as an industrial designer, then found myself training as a D&T teacher (great choice!). I've been at it for nearly 20 years now. I was a subject leader for 10 years, leading one of only 10 schools in the country to be recognised by the SSAT as leading edge for D&T. I'm also a past recipient of the DATA annual awards for leadership. I am now in senior leadership, but still teach D&T to KS3,KS4 & KS5 weekly. All resources are well designed, and do what they say on the tin!
Hello, I trained as an industrial designer, then found myself training as a D&T teacher (great choice!). I've been at it for nearly 20 years now. I was a subject leader for 10 years, leading one of only 10 schools in the country to be recognised by the SSAT as leading edge for D&T. I'm also a past recipient of the DATA annual awards for leadership. I am now in senior leadership, but still teach D&T to KS3,KS4 & KS5 weekly. All resources are well designed, and do what they say on the tin!
Worksheet (double sided A4) walks you through an investigation into the scientific principles of helicopters. It keeps it simple, but is a good first example of iterative design and performance improvement.
Also needed: a small dowel or sharpened square stick (could even be a pencil); pencil sharpener; a small strip of plastic - vacuum forming plastic is perfect (HIPS), or even a sliced up milk bottle, and a hole punch.
I have used this for transition day activity (year 6/7) for years and lasts around 40-60 minutes. Could be stretched to an hour. Could be used in KS3 too.
A one hour theory session covering the elements needed for energy generation and storage. Includes course textbook page links. The powerpoint has been written to aid note taking (i.e. when you move to the next slide the key elements of the previous are still seen) - I have found this very useful for early in year 10.
A 17 slide PowerPoint, running through the needed knowledge for AQA A-level D&T.
This covers the types of composites, along with examples of each. Several curated youtube videos are also included to bring the theory to life.
Enclosed is a printable self contained cover lesson based on the Red Bull Air Race. Essentially students sketch a series of primitive forms in isometric, then add an arrow to show the path of the plane.
Arrows to show openings, swings, drawers etc. are not used very well by students in product design, so this task was designed to bring on that skill.
The sheet is printable in A3, and would has instructions enclosed. It also has a PowerPoint to accompany it, including stage steps, if that facility is available (including a 3 minute video to engage the students on what an air race is like).
All files are fully editable (hand out made in PowerPoint too).
I have used this for many different age groups successfully, and usually leads to a very quite and engaged cover lesson!
11 Slide powerpoint covering the necessary elements of theory for AQA GCSE Design & Technology.
Lesson has a starter question, and further questions as a consolidate.
A 17 slide powerpoint, which covers all key information on 3D printing (and also as a tag on, EPOS/PPC)
Lesson starts with spaced retrieval (mechanisms this time), and consolidates with definitions.
18 slide powerpoint covering all the required information about smart materials and modern materials needed for AQA Design & Technology.
Powerpoint includes a maths starter and connect activity.
There is also two exam style questions for consolidation and home learning.
Powerpoint covers all the needed theory, and has a wide variety of images, gifs and videos too.
Powerpoint designed to cover the required theory for anthropometrics.
3 exam questions are also included.
19 slides - lesson includes starter activity on measurement of a partner’s hand. This is normally my first theory lesson of the year, and teaching for a 6th form college, many of my students don’t know each other so there is a bit of ice breaking in this task too! There is also a drawing task, where they can work with a partner to discuss the variety of measurements required for a given task. No recall activity in this one (lesson 1 of the year).
NB: Quite a few of these slides are imagery with a few short bullet points (most of my powerpoints have more on them) - as it’s lesson one, I’ve kept the volume of note taking also lighter, and more is delivered verbally.
A 30 slide powerpoint covering all core knowledge required under this topic for AQA Design & Technology - Alevel.
Slides include…
Production levels
Historical context
Industrial Revolution
Production Lines
Batch/Mass/LineOne-off/Bespoke etc. all clarified.
Lean/QRM/UPS/Vertical/Kaizen etc.
There is a task to do in within the lesson and then a homework exam question with answers.
A KS3 project for either year 8 or year 9, with all presentations, booklet and scheme of learning mapped to PoS.
In this unit, students will be looking to evolve their existing electronics knowledge from year 8 (PCBs, transistors, capacitors etc.) into microprocessors, their associated systems (specifically the BBC Microbit), and their control. Students will progress beyond controlling prebuilt projects into the creation of their own mechanical systems capable of being controlled under a ‘smart home’ agenda. The development of these ideas will be contextually driven. This module should equip students with the necessary tools to fully engage with the rest of their KS3 Design & Technology curriculum.
This unit will be covered during year 9. It is designed to boost consideration of structures and mechanical elements within design. The module will be taken during a carousel of other modules in year 9, all of which approach design and technology from core areas of the program of study, collectively building GCSE readiness. The module is stand alone in nature, but builds upon the skills gained throughout KS3.
It is helpful if the student’s have been:
Exposed to the idea of thinking ‘outside the box’
Experience with block and script programming.
Had experience of designing to a brief and specification.
Worked with a variety of materials, mechanisms and structures, being aware of the limitations of certain types.
Prior learning in CAD and card modelling.
Powerpoint designed to support the teaching of UCD.
14 slides including starter/consolidation tasks along with a card sort task based on Maslow’s hierarchy.
Card sort task: Print off the PDF using the ‘multiple’ option, and 2 x 2 pages per side, double sided. There being 5 steps makes this a bit wasteful - sorry!
Hand out: This was just to make the notes easier!
Powerpoint designed to cover the required theory for IP within A-level D&T.
Patents
Registered Designs
Copyright
Trademarks
Combinations
How to apply & examples
13 slides - lesson includes spaced retrieval / starter and consolidation activities.
Double sided A4 self directed cover lesson. Children design a new mobile phone and associated operating system, then design a quick start guide instruction leaflet for new users. The focus is on UCD, and instructional graphics.
Can be printed double sided on A4, and will fill around 1.5 hours to 2 hours. Children go through a cut down design cycle in designing a hand / head torch. Hand out guides them through consideration such as buttons etc.
Theory powerpoint to support the teaching of CPA to KS5 students, and to aid in the creation of their own within their NEA.
18 slides with examples and tasks.
A lesson which could be used as part of an induction process for KS4 or KS5.
Lesson focusses around refelctions on a user profile, followed by the design of a water bottle for the user (handouts include space for itterations).
This resource was designed to be used alongside ‘user profile boxes’ which is where you make up 4 boxes, with each box containing 10-15 posessions of a key person e.g.
Retired lady - china mug, saga magazine, item of clothing etc.
Young boy - plastic dinosaur, lego magazine, etc.
Initial ‘investigation’ and user profile would be carried out in groups (one group per box). Students complete profile sheet. NB: you will never answer all questions from the items in a box, so assumptions are needed reflecting on evidence to hand.
Students then individually design their bottles, but then present them back to the sub groups afterwards, and a ‘professional argument’ to cross check the design suitability is structured in.
16 Slide PowerPoint covering the necessary theory for AQA A-Level Design & Technology.
Lesson includes group tasks, mini white board Q’s along with a starter task / exam question consolidation/plenary.
31 Slide powerpoint covering the necessary elements of theory for AQA GCSE Design & Technology.
This would cover 2 lessons.
Lesson has a starter question, and further questions too.
2 worksheets outs are enclosed too.
A 17 slide powerpoint covering material testing in readiness for NEA. This focusses on testing techniques you can easily do in school (tensile, hardness, toughness, energy (heat) transfer etc.
Within the powerpoint are photographs and videos of each test taking place in the workshop (they are made by me - not just a youtube video).
The theory works as a standalone presentation, but if you wanted to make your own testing rigs, I have made a few simple contraptions to make testing more controlled which are also shown in the powerpoint photos/videos in use - all 3 would be easy to make in any DT workshop in a few hours.
There is an accompanying handout for recording any practical tests that students do.
Always one of the favourite lessons of year 10, and they get to complete a piece of NEA in the process too!
As with all my lessons, they come with a key question to begin and relevant exam questions (with mark scheme) to conclude.
A couple of worksheets based on Lego Mini Vehicles (simple Lego models). Children are tasked with drawing up the photographed model in isometric. At the top of the page I have modeled this task in simple steps.
To draw, use thick/thin lines, and then render the models should take around an hour per sheet.
File enclosed is a printable PDF and accompanying jpeg.
I have other sheets available in this series, or a compilation package too.