Creative Technology

Creative Technology at KS3

Technology

In Years 7, 8 the pupils cover four elements of Design Technology, which are Food, Resistant Materials, CAD/CAM and Textiles. Each element is taught on a carousel, with each module being approximately 10 weeks long.

Year 7

All the students will be introduced to the design process. Health and Safety issues related to all areas of technology will be covered in detail along with the use of equipment. There will also be emphasis on 'making' skills and the terminology involved in Design and Technology.

Within each module the following will be covered:

Food

Skills in Food Technology

In year 7 the pupils are taught the basic kitchen skills. They will be introduced to the equipment used in food, learn how to use them safely and begin to develop their practical skills through focussed practical tasks e.g. Fruit Fusion, spicy tomato soup and pizza toast.

Resistant Materials

Pupils will complete 2/3 projects in Year 7

Pre-School Child's Jigsaw

Development of basic hand cutting techniques using a coping saw, finishing and painting. Main theory elements – material knowledge of manufactured board.

Desktop/Storage Tidy

Research into stationery items and ergonomic data. Marking out, cutting, drilling, and bending plastic sheet. Fabrication procedures. Main theory elements – material knowledge of plastics. Evaluation of finished products. This project will form the main levelling criteria for assessment.

Biscuit Cutter

Subject to individual progress this project will be offered as extension work. Basic hand cutting techniques, vacuum forming process and evaluation.

CADCAM (& Graphics)

Night Light

Pupils will design and make their own Night Light.

The unit intends to introduce pupils to Computer Aided Design & Manufacturing (CADCAM). They use a software application, 2D Design (Version 2), to design and make a net (i.e. a box) to package a circuit, as well as introducing more specialised skills such as soldering. The circuit is made of a thermoplastic base with copper track and discreet electronic components.

Throughout this unit, pupils will be expected to be creative and innovative when designing and making their box, developing their graphics skills as they do.

Key Chain

Pupils may be given the opportunity to make their own Key Chains.

This mini-project allows pupils to enhance their skills in 2D Design, to design and make a thermoplastic key chain for an end-user. Pupils are expected to make considerations towards the end-user and design and manufacture the product using the Laser Cutter. The designing and developing of Header Packaging will also be expected, to protect and display the key chain.

Textiles/Graphics Element

Softies

Pupils will design and make a contemporary soft toy

This unit will concentrate heavily on Creativity and pupils will be pushed beyond their own comfort levels explore design techniques new ways of thinking and creating.

The pupils will create a mood board, a set of designs and a final product.

Year 8

The year group will continue to develop their knowledge and understanding of the design process. Terminology used in D & T will be further developed along with 'making' skills and use of tools and equipment. Emphasis is placed on design criteria and designing skills and evaluation skills will be developed further.

Resistant Materials

Pupils will complete 2 projects in Year 8

Ball bearing maze travel game

Maze / Ball bearing game will be linked to a culture of the pupil’s choice or theme e.g. Aztec or Egyptians. Using their chosen theme they will fabricate a small hand held ball bearing game - building on the skills taught in year 7. This project will form the main levelling criteria for assessment. Main theory elements – simple wood joints. Evaluation of finished products.

Aluminium dish and stand

Focused task - a decorative annealed Aluminium dish and stand. Base design and fabrication. Main theory elements – Material knowledge of metals.

Food

Multicultural Ready Meals

Pupils extend their practical skills and learn how to handle raw meat and multi task in the kitchen. They cover diet and nutrition and produce foods such as thai green curry and fajitas.

Along side the practical skills, the pupils design and make a multicultural meal suitable for selling in a supermarket. The groups produce a number of main course meals and develop their own meals based on the research they carry out. Pupils are asked to demonstrate their development ideas by adapting recipes independently to create dishes with higher nutritional value or improved sensory characteristics.

Textiles/Graphics

Reusing packaging / Environmental campaign

Pupils will Design and make a mascot (toy) that will help to raise the awareness of the damaging effects plastic bags are having on the environment and the ocean in particular. They will also need to create additional products, such as posters, leaflets and badges that help get their message across.

CADCAM (& Graphics)

Mini-Kite

Pupils will design and make their own Mini-Kite.

The unit intends to develop pupil’s ability to use 2D Design, to design and make a mini-kite. Pupils are expected to use Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM), predominantly using a laser cutter, to create the kite and its accessories.

This unit is a lot more graphics based and pupils are expected to be creative and artistic when designing, sketching and making their product.

Blast Off!

Pupils may be given the opportunity to design their own plastic bottle rockets.

This mini-project allows pupils to revisit their skills in 2D Design, to design and make packaging for a bottle rocket. The bottle is pneumatically powered and will allow pupils to work in pairs to be creative and develop decorative packaging for their bottles.

Year 9

The students will continue to develop their knowledge and understanding of the design process in preparation for KS4 where they will have the opportunity to take Product Design or Food to GCSE level. Pupils will opt to study two of the following areas: Food, Resistant materials, Textiles, CAM/CAM.

Resistant Materials

Art Deco Box Project

The main aim of this unit is for pupils to improve their knowledge of design history and develop creativity skills. After researching the Art Deco period they will fabricate a simple box reflecting the 1920’s period. This project will form the main levelling criteria for assessment.

The ‘Shop’

The scenario (design brief) that a new local gift shop has invited local designers and craftsmen’s (the pupils) to produce a range of ‘sellable’ accessories/products to display and sell their shop will be presented to the pupils. Using a theme of their choice or an extension of the Art Deco Project, pupils will design a selection of small products; make at least one, including a form of packaging.

Food

Skills in bread, pastry and cakes

Pupils will spend the first rotation developing their skills in bread, pastry and cake production. They will carry out taste tests and product analysis, as well as developing more complex skills and understanding of food ingredients. Pupils will produce their own bread, shortcrust pastry and number of cake based products using the four main methods, which are creaming, whisking, melting and rubbing in.

Fair-trade Snacks

Pupils follow the design process to create their own ‘fair-trade snacks’. Pupils concentrate on product analysis, product development and citizenship links.

Textiles

Mosaic Art

Pupils use inspirational object or person to develop a mosaic design which is then further developed into a cushion. Pupils are given the freedom to explore shape and form producing a unique interpretation of a familiar figure.

Waste to Wear

Pupils will Design and make a good quality textiles product from items that have been thrown away (anything from old curtains and garments to sweet wrappers and newspapers) that you have collected from home or bought from a charity shop. This larger project will last until the summer and equip the pupils with the necessary skills they need for GCSE.

CADCAM (& Graphics)

The pupils are expected to apply the skills learnt in Year 7 & 8 to develop their own product using CADCAM (Computer Aided Design & Manufacturing). It is expected that pupils will be heavily independent in their approach and creativity when following the design and implementation process. There are 2 main projects that they will undertake:

Take it Away

Pupils will follow the design process to make their own Take-Away Meal Box.

Pupils will be expected to use not only conventional CAM tools to manufacture their product, but equipment or tools (i.e. Roland Plotter) that they may not have come across. The unit expects pupils to address the needs of the end-user as well as the requirements of the Meal Box. The unit intends to develop pupils knowledge of packaging and its construction methods, to give pupils a foundation from which to build on within GCSE Technology.

Field Challenge

Pupils will be expected to work in groups, to develop an solution to a specified challenged – transferring an object (e.g. an egg or chick pea) as far as possible, from one side of the field to another.

Pupils are to develop their own custom solution and are able to use any area of CADCAM they wish, including Robotics, to develop their product. This unit is intended to be a creative, team-building unit that not only develops their problem solving skills, but develops their interpersonal skills to design and produce a solution as a group.