PRIMARY DESIGN TECHNOLOGY
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Digital Decorations (Upper Key Stage 2)
Design Brief: Design and make a digital decoration for the school Christmas tree display.
Strand of Learning: Textiles & Computer Program Systems
Overview:
In this unit of work children design and make a digital decoration for a school Christmas tree. This is made by adding a BBC Micro:Bit to a felt tree decoration to create a digital decoration. Children learn about some of the traditions of decorating trees at Christmas and design a bauble as a Christmas tree decoration. They learn about the BBC Micro:Bit and know that is has a range of different inputs and outputs and consider which of these would be useful when designing a festive digital decoration.
Children design their digital decoration and apply their knowledge and skills of joining textile pieces to create a felt decoration which they decorate using a range of fabric techniques. As part of their design, they create a small frame and pouch to accommodate a BBC Micro:Bit and battery pack. Using their knowledge of block coding, they program the Micro:Bit to interact with a user and the environment to produce different outputs. As part of the project children create a marketing campaign for their product.
Product Film
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6 x Lesson Presentation Slides
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PDF: Coding the Micro:Bit
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PDF: Online shopping review
Medium Term Planning includes:
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6 x lesson overviews
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Knowledge Organiser
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Vocabulary List
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Learning statements linked to Curriculum
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Support and Challenge
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Assessment - Keeping up with the curriculum
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Teaching Pack
Curriculum Scope and Sequence
Substantive & Technical Knowledge
Children will know:
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Creating a prototype of a design is useful for checking ideas and seeing how well they work.
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How labels and annotated drawings can be used to explain and communicate how a product is made and how it will work.
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Choosing materials, tools and equipment is dependent upon the skills and techniques to be used.
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A range of different finishing techniques and choose ones that are suitable to create a quality product.
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To continually reflect on and evaluate their work throughout the stages of designing and making.
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That evaluating the whole project is an important part of design technology
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Materials/Textiles
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The different properties of materials and how they are considered when designing and making a product.
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The importance of using a template (pattern) to accurately mark out a design on a fabric.
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Electrical and Program Systems
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A sensor is a tool that monitors, detects, and responds to changes.
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Program systems have an input and an output.
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Microcontrollers are small computer processors that turn inputs into outputs and are controlled through computer code.
Practical Knowledge (skills)
Children will know how to:
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List the materials and tools that will be needed to make a product they have designed.
Drawing Skills
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Use computer-aided design software to develop and communicate their ideas.
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Work responsibly using guidelines to ensure they keep themselves and others safe.
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Write an action plan for the making process including lists of tools, equipment and materials needed.
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Accurately assemble, join and combine materials and components to ensure a quality finish to a product.
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Apply a range of decorative and finishing techniques following the product design.
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Evaluate a product against specific design specifications.
Materials/Textiles
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Measure and cut materials with precision and refine the finish with appropriate tools.
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Join textiles with a combination of stitching techniques (such as blanket stitch, back stitch for seams and running stitch to attach decoration).
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Create products by joining several fabric pieces that employ a seam allowance.
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Use the qualities of materials to create suitable visual and tactile effects in the decoration of masks and textile products.
Electrical and Program Systems
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Write procedures and/or computer code to control and monitor models or products.
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Make a product device that includes a sensor to monitor change.
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Make a product that allows the user to control and monitor the device including lights, sounds and motion.