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!
A KS3 project (year 8 or 9).
A project written for an environment without powerpoints and interactive boards. It hangs on the initial two lessons researching into pop up mechanisms and then pop out mechanisms. Students practically manufacture a range of them, but also record and analyse the mechanisms in a work booklet.
The remaining weeks focus on concept designs, then developments and a final working card.
Included are all the resources (templates & handouts) along with lots of exemplars from previous students.
Every year I make a countdown calendar for year 11, which commences the day after Easter holidays (when the NEA is complete - or hopefully is!).
It’s 3 sheets of A4 that I encourage them to pin up at home in the kitchen. Then I request that they answer one question every day whilst they are making their breakfast. It often inspires them to look deeper into the keywords which invariably brings about deeper revision elsewhere in their week.
It’s always a success with the students.
A printable PDF along with the original Powerpoint are included, so you can edit the questions.
There is a theory slide in there too, (linked to the EEF research) that goes through the best revision methods in a D&T context.
The questions are set up for the AQA exam, but the questions would work with any exam board!
A full set of NEA guidance booklets for A-level D&T. The booklets talk the students through a ‘standard’ NEA powerpoint / portfolio. Each has a page by page description, along with doodles of what a page should look like (but doesn’t breach the exam board guidance).
Has been used successfully for 2 years now, with high grade results. Students have been highly complimentary as to the guide’s usefulness and clarity.
This is not 200 pages of written content, it’s written for 17/18 year olds, so get’s to the point without waffling or being too vague.
NB: I teach section A&B (as known by AQA in the specification) as ‘Section A’ as I find it easier to do the brief/spec in the first chunk. Therefore the guidance appears as only 4 sections, but does cover all 5.
A series of 4 x A4 sheets which guide children through the design of a future product by category with some inspirational images. Each takes around a period. Great for non specialist cover.
Double sided A4 sheet which guides students through the design of a LEGO style minifigure, they then design a sustainable carton based packagaing net to sell them through. Fill a double lesson with a non specialist. Best with Year 7 and 8.
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.
This is a printable guide booklet to give to children which guides them through all sections of the NEA. Each page gives a doodle of what their sketchbook or PowerPoint slide should look like, along with guidance as to what to include in order to meet the mark scheme needs.
The booklet is tried and tested, and I have used this format for many years with great success. This booklet is written specifically for AQA GCSE D&T (latest spec).
Included is a fully editable version (made in PowerPoint), which you could easily modify to OCR etc. too if you so wished.
I have also included a printable booklet of the mark scheme for students and teachers (just a cut down version of the specification), which I find handy for marking, and also a deadline poster for display in the department.
This guide will work with any contextual challenge.
A modern take on a classic woodwork project, creating a laminated curved lid pine box.
This is a sequence of 7 lessons, each 2 hours long, with full powerpoint to accompany all learning. The lessons have a work booklet to complete, and also a modified version for SEND students.
All resources are FULLY EDITABLE, in word or powerpoint format.
You will need to install the font ‘Drafting’ (free download from dafont)
There are extra step by step guide sheets to help too.
Materials needed: 2 of 210mm x 70mm x 15mm pine, flexi/aero/bendy ply sheet and some thin normal ply.
Outcomes are great, and there is significant learning throughout.
Provided free as a sample of what my project packs are like. All I ask is that you drop a review back as to what you think of the resource. If you like it, and my style, please have a look at my other materials.
This does NOT have editable booklets, nor assessment sheets, but does include all (editable) powerpoints, along with schemes of learning etc. A version of this with editable files is available through my shop for a few pounds.
You will need to install the font ‘Drafting’ (free download from dafont)
A modern take on a classic woodwork project, creating a laminated curved lid pine box.
This is a sequence of 7 lessons, each 2 hours long, with full powerpoint to accompany all learning. The lessons have a work booklet to complete, and also a modified version for SEND students.
There are extra step by step guide sheets to help too.
Materials needed: 2 of 210mm x 70mm x 15mm pine, flexi/aero/bendy ply sheet and some thin normal ply.
Outcomes are great, and there is significant learning throughout.
A silly one off lesson which takes around an hour. Works well for induction sessions. Lesson starts off with a deadpan question about if students saw the news? What follows are some slides to support a highly spurious tale about rockets being fired from the Isle of White into deep space, supported by some faked newspaper articles about aliens. It all comes down to a meeting is needed, and it will be in the O2 arena (The Millenium Dome as it’s visible from space), but what will they sit on? How do you design a chair for a creature you’ve never met?
The lesson is designed to encourage interaction within groups of students who don’t know each other, and also raises some questions about user centered design.
Pairs / Groups then present their ideas (with good evidence about where the tail goes).
It lasts about an hour, brings a smile to the face, and engages students.
Included is a powerpoint (and a pdf version too). There is no lesson plan, it somewhat ‘runs itself’ from the powerpoint.
Imagine that you have had a power cut at home and in your local area. Imagine that the power cut has lasted a number of days and you don’t know when the electricity is going to be reconnected. Imagine that cells (batteries) had not yet been invented. What would life be like?
Work sheet can be printed double sided on A4, and will fill around an hour and a half to two hours.
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.
Double sided A4 which works in conjunction with ANY of the Richard Hammond Engineering Connections video (they are all on YouTube and last around 45 minutes). This handout encourages note making (mind map style) during the video, then guides students through first some concept designs and then a final design whereby they must apply the engineering principles covered in the film. Great for a longer cover lesson with a non specialist.
A series of 5 sheets which can be printed in A4 or A3. The rendering sheets will take around a period, and the perspective sheets a double period. Each are self guided being suitable for a non specialist.
A4 guide sheet (blank A3 also needed), which guides children through a mindmap, specification ahead of designing their own seating (and then drawing up in orthographic) Great cover for any KS3 class.
All sets are stand alone sheets suitable for non specialists to print and distribute. Could be used for remote home learning too, and some for blended learning.
