Learners to demonstrate existing knowledge of sustainability issues in Design and Technology 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 demonstrate their existing knowledge of sustainability issues in Design and Technology. 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

Improve and develop your programmable system 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 improve and further develop their programmable 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

Students design an ideal set of headphones This is an engaging exercise aimed at secondary school students. This resource will allow learners to understand ergonomics and aesthetics in an authentic context and apply their findings in a creative and challenging way. Students are given the opportunity to think about acoustic engineering and to analyse earphones currently on the market in a structured, detailed, and creative way. They are then encouraged to investigate the potential development of the product. Download our free activity sheet below to view a case study of a pair of Bang & Olufsen earphones. Discuss as a class the styling and marketing of this product. The CAFEQUE (Cost, Aesthetics, Function, Ergonomics, Quality, User, Environment) principles can then be used to analyse them. Using what they have learnt from this product, ask the students to analyse their own headphones/earphones and to produce a critique of them. They should focus on which areas they would develop and why. To support the students, use the ‘Acoustic Engineering’ presentation for assessment criteria that stipulate what is expected in this detailed design-development sheet. These criteria can be developed with the students, using the example as a starting place. Tools/resources required Projector/whiteboard A range of earphones and headphones (these could be provided by the students or collected by the department over time) Suggested learning outcomes By the end of this resource students will understand how to analyse a product. They will also be able to identify areas for development when analysing a product and they will be able to present their design considerations when deciding which areas and features to develop. Download the activity sheets for free! Also available Acoustic Engineering 1 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.

Making a maze game from a bottle and a magnet Learners will draw a maze layout on a plastic bottle and use a magnet to guide objects, such as a 1p coin, around the maze. This is a fun STEM challenge that will teach students about how magnets attract certain materials and will show them how to apply this knowledge in an engaging and practical way. This resource could be used as a one-off activity or as part of a wider unit of work focussing on magnets and magnetism. It can also be used in conjunction with other IET Education resources, developed alongside the School of Engineering at Cardiff University. Activity: Magnetic maze STEM challenge This is one of a set of resources developed to support the teaching of the primary national curriculum. They are designed to support the delivery of key topics within science and design and technology. This resource focuses on developing understanding of magnetic materials by producing a maze game. This activity could be completed as individuals or in small groups depending on the equipment that is available. As an optional extension students could replace the coin with a ball bearing, a paper clip, a plastic coin and a small piece of wood. Which ones work well and which do not? Students could also draw different maze layouts and use different sized bottles to create a range of puzzle products! Alternatively, students could compete with their friends to see who can complete the maze the fastest by timing themselves with stopwatches. Tools/resources required Pre-made exemplar Magnets 1 pence coins (post 1992) Plastic drinks bottles Paper clips (for extension activity) Ball bearings (for extension activity) Plastic coins (for extension activity) Small pieces of wood (for extension activity) Different coloured marker pens Stopwatches (for extension activity) The engineering context Engineers need to know the properties of magnets, which materials are magnetic and which materials are non-magnetic. This knowledge could be used when identifying and creating potential solutions to future engineering problems. Suggested learning outcomes By the end of this exercise students will have an understanding of what makes a material magnetic, they will be able to give examples of magnetic and non-magnetic materials and they will be able to make a maze game using a bottle and a magnet. Download the activity sheets for free! All activity sheets, worksheets 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

Investigating everyday products to see if they are magnetic In this activity learners will predict whether they think different products are magnetic based on the material that each product is made from. They will then test their theory by using magnets, to see whether or not each product is attracted to a magnet. This resource is a great way for KS2 students to learn all about magnets and could be used as a one-off activity or as part of a wider unit of work focusing on magnets and magnetism. It can also be used in conjunction with the IET Education ‘Magnet Madness’ resource, developed alongside the School of Engineering at Cardiff University. This is one of a set of resources developed to support the teaching of the primary national curriculum. They are designed to support the delivery of key topics within science and design and technology. This resource focuses on identifying whether everyday products are made from magnetic materials. This activity could be completed as individuals, in pairs or in small groups. Learners could be given all the products at once to test, or the teacher may wish to lead through one product at a time, recapping the key tasks and questions for them to consider as they go through. Discussion topics and key questions for learners can be found on the presentation below and detailed instructions on how to complete the activity can be found on the activity sheet. This activity will take approximately 40-60 minutes to complete. Tools/resources required Magnets Plastic drinks cups 2 pence coins Steel door keys Aluminium drinks cans Steel paper clips Wooden toy cars The engineering context Engineers need to know the properties of magnets, which materials are magnetic and which materials are non-magnetic. This knowledge could be used when identifying and creating potential solutions to future engineering problems. Suggested learning outcomes By the end of this exercise students will know which materials are magnetic and which are not, they will be able to give examples of magnetic and non-magnetic materials and they will be able to test products to see whether they are made from magnetic materials. Download the free How do magnets work? activity sheet! All activity sheets, worksheets 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

Primary classroom poster giving a closer look at some of the applications of engineering in our everyday lives. Download the single poster or order a full set of posters for free from the IET Education website.

Understanding levers and forces This STEM activity aims to develop children’s understanding of levers, specifically the seesaw class lever, one of the simplest forms of machine used to change the magnitude or direction of a force. Making a small seesaw model is a fun-filled way to introduce children to the concepts of levers and forces. By making simple levers, learners will grasp how the effort applied to a lever affects the load. This hands-on project not only sparks their curiosity but also encourages active learning. We’ve created this seesaw scale activity to support the teaching of key topics within design and technology (D&T), maths, and science as part of the primary national curriculum at key stage 2 (KS2). You can use it as a one-off activity or link it with a measurement activity in food technology. Activity: Making the lever Learners will make a simple lever assembly from a binder clip, ruler, two paper cups and sticky tape. Children will also be asked to use a lever to work out the force required to move a load. Learners will compare results and explain their findings. Depending on available resources, this activity could be carried out individually or in small teams. Tools/supplies needed: Rulers Large binder clips Paper cups Sticky tape Weights such as steel nuts, small weights from science or marbles The engineering context Engineers use their understanding of how the effort applied to a lever affects the load in designing a wide range of products. From weighing scales to control pedals in cars, nutcrackers, wheelbarrows, bottle openers, and scissors, levers find their application across various industries. By understanding the seesaw lever class, learners will gain a fundamental insight into the principles that govern these everyday objects. Suggested learning outcomes Through this activity, learners will gain the ability to identify the parts of a lever and understand how the effort applied to a lever affects the load. They’ll also understand the principle of balance in a seesaw lever and how distance from the fulcrum impacts the effort needed to move a load. This will equip them with the foundational knowledge about levers, a key component in KS2 science, and provide a practical context for understanding mathematical concepts like multiplication and equality. Download our activity sheet and other teaching resources 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 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. Please do share your highlights with us @IETeducation

Make a water clock to measures time In this fun activity for kids, students will learn how water can measure time using principles from ancient Greece. They will then create a Greek water clock that can be used to measure a set period. This activity will test students’ maths abilities and teach them historical facts about ancient Greece. Resources are provided for teachers. And please do share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation

Secondary classroom poster highlighting some of the areas in which the human body can be improved with technology. Download the single poster or order a full set of posters for free from the IET Education website.

Secondary classroom poster illustrating the concepts of current and resistance, their measurements and affecting factors. Download the single poster or order a full set from the IET Education website.

In this lesson, learners will apply the lift equation to carry out a real-world aircraft design activity. This will support their understanding of: manipulating the subject of equations; using equations; interpreting data presented in tables and graphs. This is one of a set of resources produced in conjunction with the engineering company Arconic. The resources are designed to support teaching of key engineering concepts at both key stage 3 and key stage 4, including the GCSE in Engineering. This resource focuses on the application of maths in engineering. This could be used as a one-off main lesson activity, as an introductory lesson to a wider unit of work focussing on aerodynamics or as part of a scheme on aircraft design using all of the resources developed in association with Arconic. Activity: Writing flowchart programs to meet a given design brief Students will firstly view our Flying by Numbers presentation to make sure that they understand the concept of lift and the lift equation. Using the information from within this presentation, they will change the subject of the formula to make wing area and velocity the focus, and then interpreting data using the tables and graphs that have been provided. Download our activity overview and presentation for a detailed lesson plan on how to write a flowchart program to meet a given design brief. What is the lift equation? The lift formula is as follows: L = d x v2 x s x CL / 2 Where: L = lift; for level flight this equals the weight of the aircraft d = density of the air. This changes with altitude – the higher you get, the ‘thinner’ (less dense) the air is v = velocity of the aircraft s = wing area of the aircraft CL = coefficient of lift. This is read from a graph Wing area: s = 2 L / (d x v2 x CL) Velocity: v = √(2L / (d x s x CL )) The engineering context This lift equation is used by aerospace designers to determine the necessary characteristics of an aircraft so that it can fly. Suggested learning outcomes This lesson will teach students how to manipulate the subject of a formula. They’ll be able to use a formula and interpret data in tables and graphs. Download our activity sheet and related teaching resources 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. 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. Please do share your highlights with us @IETeducation.

Design a future programmable system to meet user needs As technology progresses, programmable systems are being increasingly utilised at home and in industry. What will the programmable systems of the future be like and how will we use them? In this activity, students apply what they have learnt about the uses and designs of programmable systems to invent their own to meet a specific user need. Activity info, teachers’ notes and curriculum links An engaging activity in which students look to the future and consider what they have learnt so far about programmable systems to design their own that meets a user need. 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

In this fun Christmas STEM baking activity, students will make Rudolph cookies, with his famous red nose. Combing maths and science, this activity will teach students precision measuring, different imperial measurements, chemical changes and more. 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 share your learning highlights and final creations with us on social media @IETeducation #SantaLovesSTEM

A set of printable resources and guidance notes giving teachers and technicians the basic ingredients to run their very own Faraday Challenge Day. This cross-curricular activity day brings science, design and technology, engineering and maths together in an engaging way. The James Webb Space Telescope challenge is based on the Faraday Challenge of the same name from our 2018/19 season of Faraday Challenge Days. Students are given an engineering brief from Tim Peake (found in the student booklet) where he invites the students to assist the engineering mission of the James Webb Space Telescope team. They will need to demonstrate that they have the engineering skills required to engineer and construct a working prototype of their design and pitch their products to the judges. Designed for six teams of six students (36 students in total) aged 12-13 years (year 8 England, and equivalent), the challenge encourages the development of students’ problem solving, team working and communication skills. This activity day can be tailored to the needs of your school and your students by adapting the PowerPoint presentation and the editable student booklet. Can your students help make a difference as a Faraday James Webb Space Telescope engineer?

This is one of a series of resources to support the use of the BBC micro:bit in Design and Technology lessons. It is very important that food is prepared or cooked to the correct temperature. Too cold and it could cause food poisoning, too hot and it could burn. A temperature probe can be used to check that the temperature of food is at the right level. In this unit of learning, learners will use the BBC micro:bit to develop a prototype for a food temperature probe that will warn people when their food is too cold. Activity info, teachers’ notes and curriculum links In this activity, learners will recall and extend their understanding of programmable systems. 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

Students discuss what they do and don’t know about programmable systems This is one of a series of resources to support the use of the BBC micro:bit in Design and Technology lessons. Some people enjoy taking part in quizzes in their spare time. Keeping an accurate score of points gained by each team, or player, is important when deciding who the overall winner is. Programmable counter systems can be used to do this quickly and easily, and reduce the likelihood of human error. In this unit of learning, learners will use the BBC micro:bit to develop a programmable counter that can be used to keep score during a quiz. Activity info, teachers’ notes and curriculum links In this activity, learners will self-assess and plan how to extend their current knowledge of programmable systems. 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

Use the BBC micro:bit programmable system to create a working prototype of a score counter This is one of a series of resources to support the use of the BBC micro:bit in Design and Technology lessons. Some people enjoy taking part in quizzes in their spare time. Keeping an accurate score of points gained by each team, or player, is important when deciding who the overall winner is. Programmable counter systems can be used to do this quickly and easily, and reduce the likelihood of human error. In this unit of learning, learners will use the BBC micro:bit to develop a programmable counter that can be used to keep score during a quiz. Activity info, teachers’ notes and curriculum links In this activity, learners will integrate a BBC micro:bit based programmable system into a working product prototype. 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

Create and implement a set of tests for your prototype This is one of a series of resources to support the use of the BBC micro:bit in Design and Technology lessons. Hundreds of people are killed in accidents on roads in the United Kingdom every year. When schools are situated close to roads there is particular danger to children crossing them. A good, well programmed pedestrian control system can minimise risk and enable people to cross the road safely. In this unit of learning, learners will integrate a BBC micro:bit based programmable system into a working product prototype. Activity info, teachers’ notes and curriculum links In this activity, learners will create and implement a set of tests for their prototype and suggest possible improvements. 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

Manufacture the beep tester using the BBC micro:bit This is one of a series of resources to support the use of the BBC micro:bit in Design and Technology lessons. Technology can be used in sports to enhance performance and help participants to improve their fitness and stamina. For example, automated beep tests can be used to monitor fitness levels during training sessions, and set targets for future improvement. In this unit of learning, learners will use the BBC micro:bit to develop a prototype for an electronic beep test that can be used to help people monitor and improve their fitness levels. Activity info, teachers’ notes and curriculum links In this activity, learners will use a vacuum former to manufacture a suitable casing and integrate the programmable system into a completed product. 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

Draw and annotate casing that meets a design brief and design criteria This is one of a series of resources to support the use of the BBC micro:bit in Design and Technology lessons. Flooding is becoming increasingly common in parts of the United Kingdom and causes a lot of damage to peoples’ homes. The sooner a potential flood can be detected, the more time homeowners have to prepare and to save their property. In this unit of learning, learners will identify the design problems presented by flooding. They will then develop a working flood warning system using the BBC micro:bit. Activity info, teachers’ notes and curriculum links In this activity, learners will design a suitable casing for their BBC micro:bit flood warning system. 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