D & T - Resistant Materials
Rationale
Students will learn to use a full range of practical skills which are built on each year through design and make activities. Students generate, develop and refine designs to be fully functioning, high quality products using the iterative design process. Students create unique and eco-friendly products by being responsible designers, using recycled materials with ethically sourced new materials to achieve a zero carbon footprint. Design work is judged on how innovative, creative and sustainable they are and using inspiration from existing designers while fulfilling users’ needs and safety considerations.
Students will learn how to use all of the machines, tools and equipment correctly and safely combining cutting edge technology such as the laser cutter, sublimation printer and 3D printer combined with traditional hand tool skills such as making wood joints, saw piercing, texturing and finishing techniques. Many other decorative techniques inspired by culture and iconic designers are explored to make aesthetic and functional products such as cast resin and pewter jewellery. Students work on a range of real life contexts which are challenging and inspiring including STEM activities, subject specific language and oracy skills, scientific principles and numeracy focus. A lot of the work we do includes transferrable skills which students will draw on in higher education and problem solving challenges which will help our students become resourceful, reflective, respectful and resilient learners.
Key Stage 3
In Years 7-9 Product design is taught on a rotation system so that students experience all Design and Technology specialist curriculum areas every year.
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Year 7 |
Year 8 |
Year 9 |
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Project 1 |
Shaping and finishing polymers to make key fobs and phone stands. Develop and communicate design ideas using annotated sketches. Design and make functional, high quality products which meet the user’s needs. Use electronic components to develop products by adding an LED light circuit. |
Small storage jewelry box constructed and decorated by using CAD/CAM technology. Students use a wider, more complex range of tools, equipment and machinery including CAD CAM. Use traditional hand tools to safely and accurately cut wood. Use a variety of finishing techniques inspired by culture including transfer print, varnish, paint and laser engraving for a high quality finish. |
Mechanisms inspired pull along novelty toy. Students use prior knowledge to design and make a toy that has pop up moving features based on cams and followers. Select from and use specialist tools and equipment with precision. Use prototypes to develop working cams and test them. Use a range of graphic techniques to apply a high quality finish, including laser engraving. |
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Project 2 |
Use a range of levers and linkages to design and make a pair of lazy tongs with multi-functional jaws. Students will analyse existing products and write a design specification. Students will use anthropometric data and polymorph smart material to make ergonomic hand grips. Test and evaluate-students test their mechanisms in a competition of two teams and evaluate their performance, suggesting improvements. |
Electronics challenge. Based on a real life brief, students make a moisture sensor. Understand how products are developed to solve problems. Analyse existing products to inform a manufacturing specification based on function and user’s needs. Safely use a range of electronic equipment and components, understanding their functions. Test the circuit and identify faults to make improvements for a fully functional, quality product.
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Solar powered buggies team challenge. Designing, building and testing solar powered buggies. Test, evaluate and refine design ideas against a specification. Re-configuring component layout for ergonomics and energy efficiency. Students will develop an ‘efficient’ buggy running on 2 volts of energy that will be stored in an electrical field in the capacitor. Timed and tested over distance achieved in a straight line.
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