Design & Technology
subject overview
Design and Technology is both a practical and academic subject. It provides our young people with the opportunity to actively respond to class based projects with creativity and rationality. Design and Technology teaches our children how to make important design decisions and how to become more resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable. Our learners also develop a critical understanding of the impact of design and technology in daily life and the wider world. Design and Technology delivers excellent opportunities for our learners to develop and apply judgements in relation to; aesthetics, economic, moral, social, and of a technological nature in both their own designing and when evaluating the work of others.
unit overview - term 1
Subject: Mechanical systems and movement |
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Skills |
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Knowledge |
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Rationale |
Recovery Curriculum: At the start of the new autumn term during the recovery period a number of activities have been designed in booklets for design and technology. These material have been produced to support the prior knowledge and re-engagement of the New Year 7s and also determine any gaps. The topic focus will be Health and Safety in the work shop; Tools and equipment; Drawing skills; materials and their uses. Activities in the booklets will help to build their confidence while equipping them ready for the starting the new learning. Activities in booklets will include short quizzes after each activity. Worksheets with some written task; drawing and practical activities. This acquired knowledge gives the learner incite of how mechanism are used to improve the out-put and performance of several products and machinery. The gained knowledge allows learners identify various automated products used in everyday life. Practical activities reinforce technical principles throughout the unit, which enables learners introduce mechanisms in their design. They are able to work from basic forms of motion, moving to a more complex ‘design and make’ activity, which will support what kind of levers, rotary and linkages give the right motion and velocity needed for a design. There are elements of mathematics and science covered in the unit which is accessible and logical allowing calculation and performance of systems be predicated. |
unit overview - term 2
Subject: 3D Problem solving |
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Skills |
To use the iterative design process to develop design ideas from conception to the final product. Create a design specification Using prototypes to present final design ideas. Identify problems with a design. Design through prototyping and modelling. |
Knowledge |
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Rationale |
This unit enable learners to analyse critically, design challenges in products and prototypes. They understand how products are created and come up with solutions that are adaptable and user friendly. It is set in context that ensures empathy is used to realise that consumers are different and have varying needs and requirements. Learners are able to offer constructive criticism, explain and justify potential problems and offer solutions. The practical activities allow learners to experience the physical restrictions disabled users face thereby arming them with motivation to design and make innovative prototypes while using the iterative design strategy. Through out the process of designing and making reflection and critical evaluation takes place. |
knowledge OrganiserS
A knowledge organiser is an important document that lists the important facts that learners should know by the end of a unit of work. It is important that learners can recall these facts easily, so that when they are answering challenging questions in their assessments and GCSE and A-Level exams, they are not wasting precious time in exams focusing on remembering simple facts, but making complex arguments, and calculations.
We encourage all pupils to use them by doing the following:
- Quiz themselves at home, using the read, write, cover, check method.
- Practise spelling key vocabulary
- Further researching people, events and processes most relevant to the unit.