Design Technology - Year 7

Design Technology Overview

Rotation in DT (Term 1/2 or 4/5): Design Module

Students will look at drawing techniques such as perspective and isometric drawing, as well as rendering techniques. This will include how to render an object to reflect a certain material.

Students will learn the basics of designing. They will apply this knowledge to all future designing tasks. The purpose of this is to increase confidence when it comes to drawing. This will enable students to project their thoughts and creativity onto paper.

  1. Students will be assessed at the end of the unit on the various techniques learnt, and how well they can be applied. This will be in the form of a paper assessment using drawing instruments. Work completed up to that point within the subject booklet will also be assessed to look at the progress made.
Wood Grain

The pattern seen on a cut surface of wood.

Exploded Diagram

A drawing technique that shows all the parts of a product. Each part is drawn a distance from the next, making the drawing look like it has exploded.

Drawing Techniques

Orthographic Projection, Exploded Diagram, Perspective, Isometric, Schematic Drawings.

Isometric Drawing

A common drawing technique used to show a drawing in 3 dimensions, usually at a 30 degree angle.

Render

A technique that adds texture to a drawing to make it look like a certain material, for example, wood grain.

One point perspective

A common drawing technique that creates a 3 dimensional object in a more realistic view than isometric. It uses a vanishing point to give the impression of an object getting smaller in the distance as it would look to the eye.

  • Spiritual
  • Moral
  • Social
  • Cultural
Develop the individual:

Students will develop their skills in presenting ideas through an increased ability to sketch and draw. Often an idea is hard to present on paper. Through students developing their confidence and ability to put their ideas onto paper, it will help them develop the skills needed to be successful within the subject.

Create a supportive community:

The ability to design and draw can be seen to support the local community by students being able to express themselves through specialist skills.

Rotation in DT (Term 1/2 or 4/5): Technical Making - Storage Box

In the project, students will be introduced to a heavily practical project. For the storage box, the primary material used will be a natural timber, pine. Students will learn about different types of wood; coniferous, deciduous and manufactured boards, with the opportunity to work with least two of them. Students will be given measurements, steps and demonstrations to follow to create the finger joints to assemble their storage box. The project will develop a student's ability to follow technical instruction to produce a box to specific dimensions.

At the end of this project, students will be introduced to different wood finishes to highlight the need to protect the materials for longevity and aesthetic reasons.

  1. Using the standardised measurements, each storage box will be marked against the final dimensions to assess how well the student has been able to stick to the instructions. As well as this, the quality of finger joints and the over the final finish will be assessed.
Tenon Saw

A short saw with a reinforced spine that produces a straight cut.

Chisel

A hand held tool that has a sharp edge with a chamfer, used to remove small shavings of wood at a time.

Bench Hook

A piece of equipment used alongside wood vices to make cutting a material easier to do, with less errors.

Sandpaper

Paper of varied abrasions used to remove, smooth and finish wood or plastic.

Coniferous Trees

The name given to 'softwood' trees, such as Pine wood. They often keep their leaves all year, and grow through winter.

Deciduous

The name given to 'Hardwood' trees such as Oak. These trees have big, broad leaves that they will lose in winter time.

File

A tool used to remove small amounts of material and used to smooth down surfaces.

Bench Vise

A holding device attached to a workbench which has two jaws to hold a work piece firmly in place.

Grade

A term given to different sandpapers which relates to how smooth or rough they are.

  • Spiritual
  • Moral
  • Social
  • Cultural
Develop the individual:

Students will develop their skills in following specific manufacturing instructions. This will help develop a higher quality of making throughout KS3.

Create a supportive community:

Being able to read and follow instructions and being able to confidently make something will develop broader skills useful in day to day life.

Rotation in DT (Term 3 / 6): Design and Make - Acrylic Keyring, badge and packaging.

Students will have the opportunity to design and make a key ring out of different choices of acrylic plastic. Using what was learnt in the previous project, students will be able to show their creativity through their newly developed drawing skills to produce designs to take forward to manufacture. Once confident with the design, students will be able to take their final design forward to the computer room where computer aided design will be used (CAD). Students will be introduced to the programme '2D Design' to create their chosen idea which will then be cut out using computer aided manufacture (CAM), in this case the laser cutter.

Students will then take forward some simplified design to make into a badge before designing and making the packaging to complete the project.

  1. Students will be assessed on the quality of the final product that they create. This will be based on assessment criteria which include quality and creativity.
Coping Saw

A type of bow saw most commonly used for cutting thin, detailed cuts, mainly through wood.

Wet and dry paper

Abrasive paper that is used when finishing the edge of plastic. Used with water, it produces a very smooth finish.

Quality Control

The process of checking work to make sure it is of a good quality.

Wastage Process

Includes; Die Cutting, Perforation, Turning, Sawing, Milling, Drilling, Cutting and Shearing.

File

A tool used to remove small amounts of material and used to smooth down surfaces.

Creativity

Being able to think outside of the box and produce a design or a product that looks good and unique.

  • Spiritual
  • Moral
  • Social
  • Cultural
Develop the individual:

This process will help develop confidence when it comes to using CAD and CAM as it has become such a common and essential way of manufacturing. It will also help students show, present and develop their creative side, as well as encourage them to take risks with their designs.

Create a supportive community:

The students will be able to compare their work with others in the class through group work with those around them. This will help them develop their own ideas when they socially interact.