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Design
Technology
Design Technology
teaches children how to design and make things. These skills are important
because they provide a basis which children can build on in secondary
school so that they understand the engineering, manufacturing and other
processes which are vital in industry and the workplace.
Areas of Design Technology
General
Children study products in order to understand them (eg, by taking them
apart), design their own products with an eye to their usefulness and
aesthetic value, evaluate how successful they have been, and work out
how to improve on their work.
Materials
Children explore the use of a wide variety of materials (such as flexible
and stiff sheet materials, including wood, plastic and fabric; materials
that can be moulded, such as dough and clay; construction kits; electrical
components; and materials that can be used to make frameworks).
Design Skills
Children develop ideas for projects using information from a variety
of sources, and communicate them in appropriate ways (such as verbally,
in writing and pictures, and by making temporary models). They evaluate
their designs bearing in mind their suitability and effectiveness, and
the needs of their target audience, and work out ways to deal with problems
by modifying their designs as they go along.
Making Skills
Using skills and information gained from their work in maths, science
and information technology, children put their design ideas into practice
by selecting appropriate materials, tools and methods. Working alone
and in small and large groups, they decide how to carry out their plans,
including what to do if things go wrong. They measure, cut, shape and
modify these materials accurately, and join them using permanent and
temporary methods. They pay attention to the way the product looks,
and use appropriate techniques to improve its appearance. Finally, they
evaluate the product in terms of its usefulness and appeal, and the
reaction of users.
Knowledge and understanding
Children develop their understanding of products by taking them apart
to see how they work, and they learn to evaluate how well they do their
jobs - and how to distinguish between poor design and poor build quality.
They learn about the properties of materials and how they can be combined
and modified to produce a particular effect. They learn how mechanisms
can produce different kinds of movement, and how to build simple electrical
circuits, including switches. They investigate structures and how -
by the use of different designs or materials - they can be made to bear
loads better. Finally, they discuss health and safety issues, and learn
how to recognise and minimise risks in workshop situations.
Tessellation Crib Sheet
Back to National Curriculum
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