Design Technology
At John Hellins we teach our design technology curriculum throughout the year, where possible linking it to our classroom theme/topic.
The DT curriculum has been designed so that the children’s knowledge and skills progress as they move through the school, building on their prior learning and therefore extending their knowledge and design range. It is designed to have numerous opportunities for cross-curricular work and supports the teachers by providing them with the structure they need, and also the knowledge and skills they need to impart to the children.
The curriculum is structured so that the children’s skills and knowledge develop creativity and imagination, designing and making products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, being able to apply these skills independently using their own research, design and creative talent. It also promotes a knowledge of a healthy and balanced diet and applies practical skills in cooking. The children have many opportunities to prepare and cook savoury dishes and sweet treats. We are also lucky to be able to grow our own produce which the children are actively involved in growing and cultivating.
Here is an outline of the DT curriculum with some suggested projects and makes:
|
Year Grp |
Autumn |
Spring |
Summer |
|
EYFS |
Celebrating Me |
Animals from Around The Globe |
Traditional Tales |
|
Being able to use tools safely and for a purpose. Fixing materials together using glue and tape sculpting malleable materials effectively (playdough) Being healthy and looking after our bodies knowing foods that are healthy and not healthy |
Building 3D models using malleable materials, junk modelling and construction toys and understand how to make it sturdy. Creating 3D fish and adding other materials using playdough and clay |
Design and label a structure – build a beanstalk, build a bed or chair for the 3 bears, build a house for the 3 pigs) Knowing where food comes from and where it is grown (meat from animals, fruit and veg from trees and ground, fruit tasting). Follow a recipe to make oat cookies and make our own playdough.
|
|
|
1 |
All about Me/Me and My Shadow/We are Family |
Bright Lights, Big City |
Into the Jungle |
|
Being healthy and looking after our bodies – prepare and make healthy foods e.g. healthy dips, cutting fruit and veg, planting healthy foods. |
Creating a stable structure; bridge, houses, moving city scape |
Designing and making a pop-up jungle animal, know which foods grow in Brazil e.g. sugarcane, learn about a balanced diet |
|
|
2 |
Explorers |
Castles and Monarchs |
Who Wants to be Famous? |
|
Making boats using different materials to test how waterproof they are, food miles, farm to fork and food from around the world; prepare and have an explorer’s picnic |
Design, make and evaluate a bridge/draw-bridge, castle with moat, prepare and cook/make a medieval banquet |
Design and make clothing, healthy eating and a balanced diet; preparing and making healthy snacks/party food, create stable London houses for Great Fire of London |
|
|
3 |
Stone Age/Flintstones |
Rainforests and Our Planet |
Emperors and Empires |
|
Design and build biscuit Stonehenge, Stone Age food; what will people in the Stone Age have eaten? Where food comes from including the 5 main food groups |
Research and make monsoon proof roof, make an animal with moving parts, recycling project, food miles, how foods are grown and gathered, chocolate and coffee project – chocolate making and sale |
Design and make Roman shields and catapults, prepare and cook a Roman banquet |
|
|
4 |
Vikings. Anglo Saxons, Scots and Warriors |
Extreme Environments |
Egyptians/Walk like an Egyptian |
|
Designing, making and testing boats using different materials, making bread by hand grinding the wheat |
Diorama, de-hydrated and re-hydrated foods, making an igloo or volcano, recycling project |
Mediterranean diet including foods within season, build a pyramid, build a moving structure to hold the weight and move an obelisk |
|
|
5 |
A Taste of The Orient |
Space – The Final Frontier |
All Greek to Me |
|
A cooking project; rice and noodle dishes, designing and making kites, water powered machines |
Rocket and buggy building with moving parts, de-hydrated foods, |
Design and make temples and masks, food making and tasting: humous, feta, tzatziki, pitta bread. |
|
|
6 |
Conflict and War |
Our Changing World/Be The Change |
Africa |
|
Working armoured vehicles, WW2 recipes – preparing and cooking foods using rations (Marguerite Patten) Use technology to design a product, creating a prototype to evaluate and assess materials to stiffen or to fit a certain design criteria |
Recycling paper project; making cards, letters. Building bridges and dams for flood prevention, seasonality of foods, food miles, farm to fork, gardening and growing what we eat, preparing and cooking foods for soups, stews or curry. |
African round huts, designing and making African textiles, African inspired instruments, Benin cuisine, making cheese. |