Design Technology – Great Teddy Race (Key Stage 1)

This unit of work forms part of the Primary Design Technology scheme of work which features over 60 units of work designed to deliver outstanding outcomes for primary school children in design technology. Each unit contains lesson slides for each session, downloadable resources, planning and a knowledge organiser. Comprehensive medium-term planning includes

• Unit overview and sequence of learning
• Prior learning needed and links to other curriculum areas
• Learning statements (from our curriculum pathway document)
• List of resources and background information to support teaching and learning
• Key vocabulary for the unit of work
• Teaching activities (investigative and focus tasks)
• Teaching activities (designing and making)
• Advice for challenge and support strategies
• Assessment indicators that children are keeping up with the curriculum

Accompanying this unit is further information about the scheme of work and the progression chart and vocabulary list used when creating the scheme of work.

(Further details and free resources: www.primarydt.com)

Design Brief: Design and Make a Toy Buggy to enter the Great Teddy Race

 Sequence of Learning for Teachers

In this unit of work children learn about wheels and axles and how these are used to make a moving vehicle. They begin by investigating toy vehicles to see how they work, identifying their different parts and learning about linear and rotational movement. They then learn about the invention of the wheel and its impact on ancient civilisations. Children are taught woodworking skills to create a simple wooden frame that is used to create the chassis for their vehicle. Attaching a wheel and axle mechanism children are able to make a moving vehicle. For the design and make activity, children bring in a soft toy from home and design a vehicle for the toy to take part in the class vehicle race across the classroom.

 This knowledge, skills and understanding is delivered through the following six sessions:

1. Investigate Task 1: Investigating Toy Cars
2. Focus Task 1: Working with Wood & Investigate Task 2: Wheels all Around
3. Design and Make Session 1 – Designing the Toy Buggy
4. Design and Make Session 2 – Making the Toy Buggy
5. Design and Make Session 3 – Decorating the Toy Buggy
6. Evaluation Session

 Some activities / sessions can be re-arranged or delivered in different ways in the learning sequence to allow for whole-class teaching and/or small adult-led sessions to take place at the same time.