Design a Christmas Cracker Legend has it that Christmas Crackers were first designed by confectioner Tom Smith to sell his sweets at Christmas time. He was inspired by the ‘bon bon’ wrapper design that he had seen on his travels in France. He added the ‘snap’ when the cracker was pulled apart and put in a joke or riddle along with the sweet and they have remained a popular part of the festive season ever since! Students are asked to design a festive cracker for Christmas – cutting out the template and using drawing and colour to create their own stand out Christmas decoration. The worksheet includes teacher instructions and an extension task for high achievers. Skills practised: Imagination Drawing skills Use of shape and colour Hand skills and accuracy Shape and function

Anti-Litter Machine – Heath Robinson In this fun lesson students are asked to examine how Heath Robinson’s over engineered Anti-Litter Machine works and design with their own more effective contraptions. The accompanying extension task asks students to research Heath Robinson and to design ‘in the style of’. Skills and learning: Imagination Lateral thinking Types of motion Engineering Drawing and perspective skills Research and interpretation skills Annotation and technical drawing

Proscenium Arch Theatre - Design and Configuration In-depth examination of the impact of this theatre configuration on audience; director; actor and designer. Includes questions and design tasks.

Robots of the Future Robots, as we know them, came out of the late nineteenth century. They featured in films of the early 1950s as mechanical humans that would perform superhuman feats. Other robots simply carried out household tasks like cleaning and cooking while their owners relaxed. Students are asked to Design a robot of the future - thinking about what our needs might be in a hundred year’s time and what tasks robots will do for us? Skills and learning: Imagination Lateral thinking Problem solving Engineering Drawing and perspective skills Real world and future world problems Annotation and technical drawing

Traverse Theatre - Design and Configuration In-depth examination of the impact of this theatre configuration on audience; director; actor and designer. Includes questions and design tasks.

Art Deco Christmas Bauble Students are asked to research and design an Art Deco inspired Christmas bauble decoration by the company John Lewis. The worksheet also contains an extension task for high achievers. Skills practised: Imagination Lateral thinking Drawing and perspective skills Use of shape and colour Narrative and storytelling Annotation and technical drawing

Types of Motion - Rube Goldberg Machines In this fun lesson students are asked to examine how Rube Goldberg’s over engineered machine works and examine the types of motion inherent within it. They will then design with their own contraption which has the same functions as the Goldberg machine and incorporate the types of motion they have discovered during their examination. The accompanying extension task asks students to research Rube Goldberg and to design ‘in the style of’. Skills and learning: Imagination Lateral thinking Types of motion Engineering Drawing and perspective skills Research and interpretation skills Annotation and technical drawing

Promenade Theatre configuration is examined in this resource; employing in-depth questions and design tasks. “Promenade theatre is a theatrical form where the audience are free to move around the designated performance space and intermingle with the actors. The venue usually has no fixed seating which allows the audience to follow the focal point of the action to different parts of the room or rooms Multiple-focus action and a moving audience are the primary characteristics of the promenade theatre.”

In-the-round Theatre - Design and Configuration In-depth examination of the impact of this theatre configuration on audience; director; actor and designer. Includes questions and design tasks.

Culture and Society - User Needs Students are asked to examine three people with different user needs - which are complicated by physical challenges – and to design a product that will enable them to carry out a specified activity. The extension task requires students to think about designing a product that will help them or someone they know carry out an activity that they cannot currently perform. Skills and learning: Imagination Lateral thinking Problem solving Consideration of others’ needs Real world problems Drawing and perspective skills Annotation and technical drawing

End On Theatre - Design and Configuration In-depth examination of the impact of this theatre configuration on audience; director; actor and designer. Includes questions and design tasks.

Thrust Stage - Design and Configuration In-depth examination of the impact of this theatre configuration on audience; director; actor and designer. Includes questions and design tasks.

Food Waste Solutions Food waste is an environmental concern across the world, with 1.9 million tonnes of food and drink wasted by the food industry in the UK alone, and more than half of it is avoidable. A company has crafted an intelligent bin that could cut down on food waste. The ‘Winnow Vision’ uses a camera and smart scales to recognise and keep track of the food items that are being disposed of. The thinking behind it is that it will help commercial kitchens reduce the amount they purchase and, in doing so, save them money. Students are asked to think of a solution to a food waste issue in their own home and design a product to help overcome this issue. The extension task requires students to carry out some research in to how other designers and engineers have tacked the problem of food waste and evaluate how effective their own solution is. Skills and learning: Imagination Lateral thinking Environmental concerns for the present and future world Real world tasks Drawing and perspective skills Fiscal and economic considerations Annotation and technical drawing

Reuse and Refill - Supermarket reduction of packaging Waitrose is trailing a scheme to reduce product packaging by asking customers to bring in their own reusable containers which they can fill with unpackaged produce such as cereals, fruit and detergent. This cover lesson requires students to examine and design a way for customers to transport their containers to and from the supermarket. The resource includes an extension task which requires students to further examine how Supermarkets can reduce packaging waste. Skills and learning: Imagination Lateral thinking Environmental concerns for the present and future world Real world tasks Drawing and perspective skills Fiscal and economic considerations Annotation and technical drawing

Escape Room cover lesson with extension task. Students design their own Escape Room, imagining the themes, clues and mysteries that go in to it. The extension task asks students to create the marketing for their target audience. Skills practised: Imagination Lateral thinking Drawing and perspective skills Fiscal and economic considerations Narrative and storytelling Annotation and technical drawing

The opening lesson in a series about different theatre configurations, use of space and design. “It is human nature to gather together and talk to each other about our experiences, our thoughts and to share ideas and tell stories. Think about the last time you and your friends met, what was the natural shape you all fell into when someone was speaking? Where were you positioned in relation to the speaker? Did you find yourself giving space to the speaker to allow them to ‘perform’?”

Cut Out and Keep Board Game Students are asked to: “design a ‘Cut out and Keep’ board game which could be printed on the back of a cereal packet for example. The design should include; The board; 6 playing pieces; A spinner; Instructions” Skills practised: Imagination Lateral thinking Drawing and perspective skills Use of shape and colour Narrative and storytelling Annotation and technical drawing

Cover work - Stained Glass (design and technology, Art and Design) Key Stage 3 - Graphic design, problem solving, cultural design.

Flexible spaces examines how different theatre configurations are created in an adaptable space. In-depth questions and design tasks. "A flexible theatre; also known as a black box or studio theatre; is a term for a space that can be configured to suit the needs of each production. The flexible theatre usually has only room for a maximum audience capacity of around 400 meaning it serves intimate productions well. "

The third in a series focusing on theatre configuration, use of space and design. Including questions and design tasks. "Which stage configuration do you think this diagram represents? Write your answer in the box: Where is the audience? Shade or crosshatch the area on the diagram (in a different colour/crosshatch) and label this."