Year 3 Design & Technology

Look at the pictures of different free-standing objects on the slides to discuss how the structures are made stable, then move on to look at a variety of photograph frames and how they stand up. Read More

In this lesson, children start gathering ideas for how to strengthen and join paper and card using a variety of tools and techniques. The slides in this unit contain helpful photograph demonstrating some paper strengthening techniques that your class... Read More

This hands-on lesson gives children the chance to put their structuring skills to the test as they explore how to make sturdy free-standing objects using different materials. Read More

Give your class the chance to consolidate everything they have learnt about structures as they design and plan their own photograph frames. Read More

Children put their practical skills to the test in this fun lesson as they make their own photograph frames, using their own designs and plans. Lead children through the questions on the slides to get them thinking about how they will tackle their ch... Read More

Give children the chance to admire their handiwork as they evaluate their finished photograph frames, and their overall design process. What would they change? What could be improved? Read More

The first lesson in this module allows your class to take a closer look at a variety of familiar packaging and think about how it was constructed, what materials were used and the purpose of the packaging. Read More

This practical lesson gives your class the chance to explore a variety of 3D nets and think about which shapes would be best for a variety of types of packaging. Read More

This lesson looks at the use of graphics on packaging and explores how different styles of graphics and fonts are used for different purposes and audiences. Your class will then have the opportunity to practise creating some different graphics for th... Read More

Using all the ideas they have gathered so far, this lesson will get their creative juices flowing as they design their own packaging box for a particular purpose. Read More

This lesson puts their skills to the test as they construct and decorate their own packaging based on their designs. Please note that, due to the practical nature of this lesson, worksheets are not necessary and, therefore not included. Children may... Read More

The final lesson in this series gives your class the chance to reflect on the designing and making process as they evaluate their finished products. Read More

The first lesson in this module looks at familiar objects that use air to make them work, such as whistles, bicycle pumps and party blowers, and studies what the air does and how it has been used in the design of the products. Read More

Look at familiar objects that use air to make them work. What does the air do? How do they work? Read More

Your class will start to think about how they can use pneumatic systems in terms of moving parts on monsters in this lesson as they experiment with different materials and different moving parts. Read More

Using what they have learnt about pneumatics and moving parts so far, your class will have the chance to let their imaginations run riot in this lesson as they plan and design their very own moving monsters! Read More

The lesson they have been waiting for! Your class will put all their new-found pneumatic and design skills to the test as they follow their designs to make their own moving monsters. Please note that, due to the practical nature of this lesson, work... Read More

Your class will have the chance to reflect on their finished products and on the designing and making process in this final lesson as they evaluate their own work and the work of their classmates. Read More

In this lesson, your class will explore the food pyramid and apply their knowledge of the different food groups to making healthy sandwiches. Read More

After getting their mouths watering by discussing adjectives to describe different types of bread and sandwiches, your class will have the chance to taste and test different items using each of their senses. Read More

After your class have thought about who and what they will make their sandwich for, use the slides to demonstrate how to draw an exploded diagram of a sandwich. Your class can then design and plan their own sandwich snack. Read More

The lesson they've been waiting for! After going through the slides to check children understand what they need to do and how they can work safely with food, your class will have the chance to bring their healthy sandwich designs to life. Please not... Read More

This lesson gives children the chance to reflect on the entire designing and making process and allows them to evaluate their finished sandwich snacks. Read More

In the first of these six complete lessons for Year 3/4, children will consider the purposes of illuminated signs, then learn about a common techniques used to illuminate shop signs and street signs. After that, there's a choice of investigative a... Read More

Building on prior learning about simple series circuits, this lesson focuses on LEDs: how and why they are used in many electronic products. The included slides explain in simple terms how LEDs differ from traditional incandescent bulbs, including ho... Read More

In this lesson, challenge children to consider ways in which electrical components can be 'hidden' inside a product to make them safer and more attractive. The included slides go on to present your class with some design criteria for a free-standi... Read More

In this lesson, children will get making! Depending on which of the two activities you choose, they may either construct cuboid frames for a decorative, light box sign using wood box section and school woodwork tools, or they may adapt old cardboard ... Read More

If you've taught previous lessons in this Complete Series, by now your class will be ready to add an electrical circuit with a light to decorative illuminated light box signs which they've made previously. The included slides include several question... Read More

In this lesson, challenge children to consider ways in which lights, such as LEDs, are used in a range of products – and how they are programmed and controlled. The included slides show some ways in which lights (connected to microcontrollers such ... Read More

Teach your class about seasonal produce in the UK, focusing on foods available all year round. What UK seasonal foods are at their best at this time of year? What does seasonality mean? Why are so many foods available all year round? The first lesso... Read More

Teach KS2 children all about seasonal fruit grown in the UK, including how they are grown and harvested. Includes a jam tart (or fruit tart) recipe for children. With the included slides and resources, children will also discover how fruits are stor... Read More

Seasonal vegetables (and when they are at their best in the UK) are the focus of this KS2 DT lesson. Teach your class about seasonal vegetables, and develop basic cooking skills with the included easy stuffed peppers recipe. What's the difference be... Read More

Find out about seasonal meat and other sources of protein that are farmed, reared and caught with this KS2 lesson plan pack. Includes an easy meatball recipe and information about alternative, vegetarian protein sources. With this lesson planning pa... Read More

Teach your Key Stage 2 class all about seasonal fish and UK seafood. Includes information about farmed fish, too – plus an easy tuna jacket potato (or sandwich) filling recipe to make with your class. Where does the fish we eat in Britain come fro... Read More

Challenge your class to design seasonal meals with a balance of seasonal British ingredients. Includes slides packed with seasonality information, detailed lesson planning and differentiated DT activities. In this lesson, children will firstly find ... Read More

In this first lesson, the children will look at different types of pencil cases, what they are made from and how they are constructed. Read More

During the second lesson in this series, your class will practise different sewing stitches as they join pieces of felt together. They will learn running stitch, back stitch and whip stitch in this practical, hands-on lesson. Read More

Your class will think about the different ways pencil cases are opened and closed, before having a go at sewing a button, making a button hole and attaching poppers to pieces of material. Which method do they prefer? Which style of fastener is the mo... Read More

Now that your class are becoming more confident with sewing basic stitches, they will look at some different ways they can add embellishments to their pencil case designs. They will then have the opportunity to practise sewing different embellishmen... Read More

In this lesson your class will design their own pencil cases. They will have the chance to include the stitches, fasteners and embellishments they think are most suitable for their pencil case, based on the work they have done in preparation for the... Read More

In the final lesson of this series, your class will follow their designs to make their pencil cases. When they have finished sewing they will evaluate their finished product. Read More

Was the telephone one of the greatest inventions ever? Investigate and discuss this invention with your class as they are introduced to Alexander Graham Bell and the history of the telephone. Have your class develop their evaluative skills when using... Read More

What do we use the World Wide Web for? Have a discussion with your class about how and why Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web and how this may have affected people’s lives all over the world. Investigate the difference between the internet... Read More

Focus on the ideas of reinforcing structures and materials by investigating the invention of W B Wilkinson: reinforced concrete. The children have the opportunity to investigate different ways that materials can be reinforced and strengthened. They e... Read More

Children are challenged to think about the desirable properties of materials when using them in an invention. They look at how Charles Macintosh invented a waterproof fabric which was flexible enough to be made into coats. Discuss how paper can be wa... Read More

Conclude your topic on British inventors by discussing and exploring how the inventions you have looked at so far have changed people’s lives and may continue to change the way we live in the future. Reflect on how much inventions such as the telep... Read More

In this first lesson, children find out where the tradition of the Christmas stocking is thought to have come from. Before looking at any examples, children are encouraged to think about what we would expect a Christmas stocking to look like. They le... Read More

Children learn how to join two pieces of fabric together in this skills-based lesson. They look at examples of different stitches, and learn how to secure their first and last stitch with a hidden knot. In their independent activities, children explo... Read More

How can we make a Christmas stocking visually appealing? In this lesson, children first discuss the different ways in which sewing skills can be used to make Christmas stockings attractive, and compare and contrast different examples. They then explo... Read More

To begin the lesson, children discuss the importance of design criteria. They choose a user for their product, and tailor the design criteria to suit this person’s likes and dislikes. Children are then encouraged to discuss what joining stitches an... Read More

In this lesson, children use their knowledge of joining techniques and decorative sewing skills to make their Christmas stockings according to their plans and design criteria. They will be reminded that, if necessary, they can make changes to their d... Read More

In this final lesson, children understand the importance of evaluating a finished product against the design criteria. In their independent activities, they evaluate their own completed Christmas stocking by answering and asking questions. In the alt... Read More

What is a greenhouse? This is the question your children will be discovering the answer to in this lesson. They discover the purpose of a greenhouse, and how it can help plants to grow. In their independent activity they demonstrate their understandi... Read More

What does stability mean? Children first explore some of the factors that make a structure stable, and then apply this knowledge and understanding to greenhouses. In their independent activities, children investigate the best frame size and shape for... Read More

Children begin the lesson by debating the effectiveness of a mini greenhouse in comparison to a full-size greenhouse. They then share ideas for which materials they think might be suitable for the frame and the sections within the frame of a mini gre... Read More

To begin this lesson, children are split into groups and given discussion cards which encourage them to share opinions and generate ideas about the best designs for a mini greenhouse. They then use what they have discussed to design and plan their mi... Read More

In this lesson, children make their mini greenhouses according to their plans and design criteria. They are encouraged to be organised and think carefully about each step in the making process. Children are reminded that, if necessary, they can make ... Read More

In this final lesson, children discuss the importance of evaluating a finished product, and as a class generate possible suitable questions for analysing their work. In their independent activities, children evaluate their own completed mini greenhou... Read More