DT Topic Summaries

Nursery Over all Coverage for the Year We develop an interest in using tools through role play and using real tools with purpose.

We explore different materials freely and develop our ideas about how to use them and what to make.

We learn to work co-operatively. To talk through designs, solve problems and develop our ideas as part of a team.

Reception; Summer Who’s afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?

We researched and looked at different types of beds and chairs. We shared our own ideas and talked about the type of bed and chairs we have in our own homes.

“My Grandmother’s furniture is getting old. Can you make a new bed or a new chair for Grandmother?” - Little Red Riding Hood

Our finished products!

We applied our learning throughout the provision; • •

Using lolly sticks to create simple 2D & 3D shapes. We explored the shapes we could see in house designs.

We used the loose parts resources to create small scale houses and furniture. We thought about the necessary things that we would need (roof for house, chairs to sit on etc).

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Hammering

Painting

Sawing

Key Designer; Zaha Hadid

Gluing

Screwing

Exploring materials; thinking about the uses of different materials and if it would work for a roof, a cushion or a bed cover.

Year 1 Autumn 2 Can we design and make an animal or insect puppet for Percy’s Park.?

We were challenged to create a We discussed the materials and puppet linked to our Creative Topic resources that were on offer Characters in Percy the Park Keeper. before planning our puppet design.

We looked closely at a range of puppet types and investigated how they move. Some used strings, handles or sticks.

Others need the user to insert their hand and move it, like a glove.

We planned it using a diagram and We evaluated our final product and labels. It was important to think tested it with a puppet show for carefully about the material and joining our friends. Our puppets scored strategies. highly on the evaluation chart!

In this half term we covered these objectives: Learn the importance of a clear design criteria, including individual preferences & requirements in a design.  Use & follow a template to create a design for a puppet.  Select appropriate materials from a list.  Cut fabric neatly with scissors.  Learn different ways in which to join fabrics together: pinning, stapling, gluing.  Use joining methods to join materials with support so that they are strong and stable.  Sequence steps for construction.  Evaluate the design according to design criteria, testing whether the puppet is strong and stable and alter if needed.  Reflect on a finished product and suggest points for improvements for own work and the work of others. 

Look at our finished products. Can you see how we designed, planned, selected materials, joined fabrics and added finishing touches to make them look realistic?

Year 1 Spring 2 Can we design and create bread just like Thomas Farriner?

We planned it using a diagram and

We discussed the materials and We were challenged to create a delicious, healthy labels. It was important to think equipment on offer. We talked bread bun in our own shape & style. We had a design criteria & could choose brown or white dough. about flavours and styles of bread. carefully about flavours.

We looked closely at a range of types of bread. We talked about size, colour and more importantly, shape.

We tasted our bread rolls and they were amazing! We evaluated the recipe and design, making recommendations for the future.

We evaluated our final product and tested it with a healthy snack in the afternoon.

Year 2 Spring Can we design and make a healthy wrap for Paddington Bear?

We learnt about the Eatwell Guide and the five main food groups, learning how we should have lots of some types of food and less of others in order to have a balanced diet. It’s not just about limiting treats as we first thought!

Excitingly, we discovered we had received a letter from Paddington! He asked us to design and make him some healthy wrap ideas. He gave us a list and asked us to make sure the wraps contained a carbohydrate, protein, vegetable and dairy ingredient to help him have a balanced diet.

We really enjoyed exploring how sugar is made and how much sugar can be hidden in foods. We conducted an investigation to see how much sugar is in our drinks. The results were quite a shock to some of us!

We each designed three options of wraps for Paddington, then swapped with our talk partners to peer assess to help us decide on our final designs.

When we had made and tasted our wraps we evaluated them. We completed a letter back to Paddington, explaining our choices for our ingredients and if we thought it was tasty or not!

We tried the bridge and claw cutting methods, practising using equipment safely and effectively.

Year 3

Autumn 2

First, children researched and explored what was meant by pneumatics and saw how pneumatics operate using a syringe and a balloon.

We looked at real life examples of pneumatic power and how it is used in everyday life.

Children used their design to create a working pneumatic system and decorative ’Viking’ casing, using range of tools and materials.

Mechanical Systems: Pneumatic Toys Inspired by our Whole Class Reading text ‘Thorfinn the Nicest Viking’. We then designed our own pneumatic toy using thumbnail sketches and exploded diagrams.

Our client, Thorfinn, set us a design criteria for our Pneumatic Viking Figurehead.

Finally, children evaluated their design and final product.

Year 4 Summer 1: Earthquake Safe Buildings In this unit, the children designed and created their own earthquake safe building using various materials and their knowledge from the 2010 Haiti Earthquake.

After the conversation with the Architect, children were then set a challenge to create a tall, stable structure using only spaghetti and marshmallows.

Once we had learnt about the three main techniques, when then went back to our First, the children spoke to an spaghetti and marshmallow structures to see if we could improve them. We manArchitect who had previously aged to make them a lot taller and sturdier! worked in Haiti helping to create earthquake resistant buildings. The children learnt lots of facts about Haiti and understood why Haitians are so vulnerable to natural disasters, like earthHaving worked in pairs to complete the challenge, children then had a second Zoom call with the Architect. This Finally, we designed and created our very own earthquake helped them to understand the techniques architects use safe buildings using carboard, wooden dowels, and much to create earthquake safe buildings. We looked at vari- more. We used our knowledge of earthquake resistant techniques to ous techniques including: cross bracing, base isolation, create these buildings. and a tuned mass

Year 5 Spring 2; Cooking: What could be healthier?

Focusing on nutrition, children research and modify a traditional stir fry recipe to make it healthier. They will cook their new and improved versions, making appropriate packaging and also learn about the ethical considerations of farming cattle.

Children learn how beef, the main ingredient of a beef stir fry, is farmed and are made aware of key welfare issues surrounding the rearing of cattle

Children taste test two stir fry sauces to compare their nutritional values. Then after researching variations of the recipe, the children work in teams to decide on ingredients for a healthier alternative.

The children work in teams to decide on ingredients for a healthier alternative to the stir fry recipe. They use a website to analyse their recipe and create a label showing the nutrition facts.

The children prepared their stir fries, including chopping the vegetables and frying their ingredients.

The children tasted their finished product and loved the results!

Finally, the children evaluated their designs and talked about what new skills they had learnt and used in this project.

Year 5 Summer 1: Structures: Bridges

This topic develops children’s understanding of secure structures and introduces them to measuring, sawing and joining wood accurately. After learning about different types of bridges and also exploring how the strength of structures can be affected by the shapes used. Children create their own wooden bridge and test its durability.

Children develop their understanding of structures by investigating how different shapes affect their strength.

Children learn about material properties and why they are important. They learn to use tools including saws to build a wooden bridge.

The children learnt about their key designer, William Aroll and how he was a contractor responsible for the fabrication and construction of steel bridges many of which were at the forefront of technology including the Forth bridge and Tower Bridge.

Pupils continue to build their truss bridges, reinforce and evaluate them.

Finally, the children evaluated their designs and talked about what new skills they had learnt and used in this project.

Year 6 Autumn 1: Mechanisms — Automata toys Our project was to create a Victorian toy which would move using cams. We followed a brief to design our toys and created our own plan based off criteria.

We then used a range of tools to produce working toys.

Finally, we evaluated our finished product using the original design criteria.

Year 6 Summer 1— Food: Come Dine with me In groups, children researched a recipe for the course they will make: a pepper starter or salmon main course or pineapple dessert.

Children then cooked their courses and presented their meals to the rest of the class.

They then evaluated and scored each course out of 10 on the presentation and the taste.