Carousel Education provides high quality bespoke support that addresses current educational challenges and practices. Our vision is to enable school leaders and staff to provide the best possible outcomes for all their children. In addition to our resources, we aim to offer down to earth, interactive, innovative and practical solutions for school leaders.
Carousel Education provides high quality bespoke support that addresses current educational challenges and practices. Our vision is to enable school leaders and staff to provide the best possible outcomes for all their children. In addition to our resources, we aim to offer down to earth, interactive, innovative and practical solutions for school leaders.
Mini Greenhouse is a Design Technology unit of work aimed primarily at children aged 7-9.
Design Brief: Design and make a mini greenhouse to provide the right conditions for seeds to germinate and grow.
The package provides the medium-term plan, six lessons (each lesson has a MS Powerpoint presentation). Any additional resources are provided as PDFs or as Powerpoint Presentations. This unit of work fulfils the National Curriculum (England) Design Technology requirements for this age group in the following strands of learning:
Structures
Materials
In this project children learn about how greenhouses are used to grow plants and the conditions that are needed for healthy plant growth. Children learn about frame structures and the different techniques that can be used to make them stronger, stiffer, and more stable. They are introduced to using computer software to help in designing products and use this software to design a mini greenhouse to grow plant seedlings in. They further their understanding of frame structures by using their design to make a mini greenhouse using the Jinks method of constructing wooden frameworks. As part of the evaluation, they can plant, germinate and grow seedlings.
This knowledge, skills and understanding is delivered through the following six sessions:
Investigate Task 1: All About Greenhouses & Investigate Task 2: Investigating Frame Structures
Investigate Task 3: Understanding Structures & Focus Task 1: Making a Wooden Frame
Focus Task 2: Introducing Computer-Aided Design
Design & Make: Designing Greenhouses
Design & Make: Making a Mini Greenhouse
Evaluation Session
Yinka Shonibare is an Art and Design unit of work aimed primarily at children aged 9-11. The package provides the medium term plan, six lessons (each lesson has a MS Powerpoint presentation) and a knowledge organiser. Any additional resources are provided as PDFs.
Strands of Learning:
Sculpture
Textiles
Yinka Shonibare is a British-Nigerian concept artist who explore the themes of cultural identity and the colonial past of Britain and other European countries in the nineteenth pattern. His distinctive style often includes using Ankara cloth designs produced through the traditional batik method of textile design. This unit of work focuses on his art installation, ‘The British Library’ at Tate Modern (London) which explores immigration into the United Kingdom. The unit finishes with the creation of wind sculptures using malleable materials formed using an armature.
This unit of work is part of the Art Academy Scheme of Work for children aged 5-11 being developed on behalf of Carousel Education.
Cereal Snack Bar is a Design Technology unit of work aimed primarily at children aged 7-9. The unit focuses on children designing and making healthy cereal bars and also understanding the importance of eating breakfast regularly.
Design Brief: Design and Make a Healthy Cereal Snack Bar
The package provides the medium-term plan, six lessons (each lesson has a MS Powerpoint presentation). Any additional resources are provided as PDFs or as Powerpoint Presentations. This unit of work fulfills the National Curriculum (England) Design Technology requirements for this age group in the following strands of learning:
• Cooking and Nutrition
In this unit of work:
Children create their own recipe, branding, and packaging for a cereal bar for a healthy snack. This unit of work also includes learning about the importance of breakfast. Children build on their knowledge of healthy eating and preparing fruit and vegetables to develop their own design for a healthy breakfast cereal bar. As part of their learning they understand the importance of market research and conducting surveys.
This unit of work is part of the Primary Design Technology Scheme of Work for children aged 5-11 being developed on behalf of Carousel Education.
In this unit of work children learn about structures by designing and making a model of a new piece of play equipment for the local playground. They begin by visiting a local playground to look at the different types of playground equipment. their shapes and structures. Whilst at the playground they also focus on different types of movement created by the equipment, particularly linear and rotational movement. Having discussed their favourite playground activities and equipment, they draw a plan of their ideal playground. Children create 2D and 3D structures using drinking straws and pipe cleaners and are taught different ways of making these frame structures stronger, stiffer, and more stable. Using their experience of visiting the playground, children design and make a new piece of play equipment applying different skills and techniques to make the structure strong, stiff and stable.
This knowledge, skills and understanding is delivered through the following six sessions:
Investigate Task 1: Visiting the Local Playground & Focus Task 1: Making Straw Shapes
Investigate Task 2: Playgrounds in Motion
Focus Task 2: Playground Models
Design & Make: Designing Session
Design & Make: Making Session
Evaluating Session
Seasonal Tarts is a Design Technology unit of work aimed primarily at children aged 7-9.
Design Brief: Design and make a seasonal, savoury tart for your school lunch
The package provides the medium-term plan, six lessons (each lesson has a MS Powerpoint presentation). Any additional resources are provided as PDFs or as Powerpoint Presentations. This unit of work fulfills the National Curriculum (England) Design Technology requirements for this age group in the following strands of learning:
• Cooking and Nutrition
For this project children design and make a seasonal, savoury tart for their school lunch. This unit develops their cooking skills and introduces the technique of baking using pastry. Children learn about seasonality in food and how different climates across Europe mean that different fruit and vegetables are grown and harvested at different times of the year.
Children learn how to make short crust pastry when they create jam tarts. This provides an opportunity to learn more about how and why foods are preserved. Applying their knowledge of how to create sweet tarts, in the design and make activity children design and make a savoury tart for themselves having considered their favourite fruit and vegetables.
Automaton Toymaker is a Design Technology unit of work aimed primarily at children aged 9-11. The unit focuses on designing and making an automaton toy using a cam mechanism.
Design Brief: Design and make an automaton toy for the local toy museum
The package provides the medium-term plan, six lessons (each lesson has a MS Powerpoint presentation). Any additional resources are provided as PDFs or as Powerpoint Presentations. This unit of work fulfils the National Curriculum (England) Design Technology requirements for this age group in the following strands of learning:
• Mechanical Systems
• Materials
• Structures
In this project, children apply their knowledge of mechanisms and in particular cam mechanisms, to design and make an automaton toy. They learn about the key features of an automaton and will use this knowledge when designing and making their own product. They learn how cams can change movement in a mechanical system. When creating their toy, they design the automaton character and decide the movement it will make, selecting the appropriate cam mechanism to produce this movement. They make a wooden box structure for their automaton before adding the cam mechanism and the character. Children decorate the automaton to create a scene for the automaton character. They evaluate their finished product against the design brief and design specifications. Finally, they consider improvements they would make to their product and design a Mark II version of their automaton toy.
Fashion Waistcoat is a Design Technology unit of work aimed primarily at children aged 9-11.
Design Brief: Design and make a Designer Waistcoat for the Class Fashion Show.
The package provides the medium-term plan, six lessons (each lesson has a MS Powerpoint presentation). Any additional resources are provided as PDFs or as Powerpoint Presentations. This unit of work fulfils the National Curriculum (England) Design Technology requirements for this age group in the following strands of learning:
Materials
Textiles
In this unit of work children become fashion designers. They design and make a themed waistcoat to wear and showcase in the class fashion show. Having learnt the history of waistcoats they take measurements to enable themselves to create their own pattern template for their waistcoat. They use this pattern to cut and assemble the fabric pieces to create the waistcoat. They add buttons and pockets before applying a range of decorative techniques to complete their product. As part of the evaluation, they learn how to become fashion models and apply this skill in the class fashion show.
This knowledge, skills and understanding is delivered through the following six sessions:
IDEA Task 1 – What is a Waistcoat? & Focused Practical Task 1 – Fashion Designers and Mood Boards
IDEA Task 2 – Down the Catwalk
Focused Practical Task 2 – Making the Waistcoat & Focused Practical Task 3 – Adding Pockets and Buttons (These can be done over two sessions if needed)
Designing: Fashion Designer
Making: Waistcoat Tailor
Evaluation: Fashion Show
Design Brief: Design and make a tote bag to encourage people to be more eco-friendly.
Sequence of Learning for Teachers
In this unit of work children design, make and decorate a Tote Bag to encourage people to be more eco-friendly. Children learn about different types of bags and their functions and understand that designers will often design a product that has both function and is fashionable. Children have the opportunity to develop and consolidate their sewing skills and techniques when working with textiles. Each child makes an identical tote bag and through learning about graphic design, will make design decisions around the additional features to add to their tote bag and also about how to decorate their tote bag with a slogan and logo to promote an eco-friendly message.
This knowledge, skills and understanding is delivered through the following six sessions:
Investigate Task 1: Investigating Bags & Focus Task 1 – Fashion Designers and Mood Boards
Investigate Task 2: Newspaper Bag Challenge
Focus Task 2: Making a Tote Bag
Design and Make: Eco-Bag Designer
Design and Make: Adding the decoration.
Evaluation session.
Dragons! is an Art and Design unit of work aimed primarily at children aged 7-9. The unit is an opportunity for children to undertake a range of creative and artistic activities within a common theme – Dragons. The package provides the medium-term plan, six lessons (each lesson has a MS Powerpoint presentation) and a knowledge organiser. Additional resources are provided as PDFs.
Strands of Learning:
• Drawing
• Painting
• Sculpture
Within a common theme of dragons, children learn and consolidate knowledge of a range of different techniques. They learn about how to blend colours when using colouring pencils and soft chalk pastels when creating dragon eyes compositions. They use this knowledge when decorating their ceramic dragon eyes and clay models of dragons. As part of the drawing element within this unit they learn how to enlarge drawings using a simple grid method.
This unit of work is part of the Art Academy Scheme of Work for children aged 5-11 being developed on behalf of Carousel Education.
Watercolour Landscapes is an Art and Design unit of work aimed primarily at children aged 7-9. The unit deepens children’s understanding of the landscape genre within Art and Design whilst also developing skills and techniques in using watercolour paints. The package provides the medium-term plan, six lessons (each lesson has a MS Powerpoint presentation) and a knowledge organiser. Any additional resources are provided as PDFs. In addition, presentations are provided that provide knowledge about landscape paintings and watercolour techniques
Strands of Learning:
• Painting
• Printmaking
Children learn about landscape painting. This is delivered by considering some of the techniques that artists use when painting landscape compositions including creating depth by layering and the use of aerial perspective in landscape paintings. Through their studies of landscape, children develop their knowledge of the skills and techniques of using watercolour paints.
This unit of work is part of the Art Academy Scheme of Work for children aged 5-11 being developed on behalf of Carousel Education.
Photograph Frames is a Design Technology unit of work aimed primarily at children aged 7-9.
Design Brief: Design and make a seasonal, savoury tart for your school lunch
The package provides the medium-term plan, six lessons (each lesson has a MS Powerpoint presentation). Any additional resources are provided as PDFs or as Powerpoint Presentations.
This unit of work fulfils the National Curriculum (England) Design Technology requirements for this age group in the following strands of learning:
Materials
Structures
In this unit of work children learn about creating a wooden framework that is used to create a free-standing photograph frame. They investigate how frames are constructed so that they are strong and stable, and the different techniques that allow them to be free-standing. They apply this technical knowledge when designing and making their own wooden photograph frame using the Jinks method. Children learn about ideas of theming and decorating products and apply this knowledge to their own photograph frame.
In this unit of work children design and make a working model of a fairground ride that uses rotational movement and is driven by a pulley system. Applying their understanding of computer programming they use block code to control the movement and functioning of the fairground model. Using their experiences of visiting fairgrounds and theme parks and watching an animation of a theme park, children deepen their understanding of the different movements of fairground rides and how they can be themed as part of the experience. They learn how a pulley and drive belt system works and how they can be used to transfer movement, change the speed and direction of movement. Children design a fairground ride model that uses rotational movement and make a wooden box structure for their model before adding a pulley and drive belt system. They use a Crumble Kit motor as part of an electrical system and apply their knowledge of block coding to control the speed and direction of the motor. Using their designs for guidance, children decorate the fairground model. For the evaluation part of this unit of work children evaluate the overall project and the processes they undertook to create the fairground model.
This knowledge, skills and understanding is delivered through the following six sessions:
Investigate Task 1: Investigating Fairground Rides & Investigate Task 2: Investigating Pulley Systems
Focus Task 1 – Making a Base for the Model
Focus Task 2 – Fairground Ride Designer
Design and Make - Group Designing Session
Design and Make - Making the Model
Evaluation: Evaluating the product, project and processes.
Puppets is a Design Technology unit of work aimed primarily at children aged 5-7. The unit focuses on creating puppets using textiles and sewing techniques.
Design Brief: Design and make a hand puppet based on a character from a fiction book in the library.
The package provides the medium-term plan, six lessons (each lesson has a MS Powerpoint presentation). Any additional resources are provided as PDFs or as Powerpoint Presentations. This unit of work fulfils the National Curriculum (England) Design Technology requirements for this age group in the following strands of learning:
• Materials/Textiles
In this unit children make a hand puppet by marking out, cutting, and joining pieces of fabric together to create a character from a story book. Children learn about different types of puppets and some famous puppets such as Sooty and Sweep, and the Muppets. They understand that a puppeteer makes the puppet appear alive. They draw a puppet design based on a character from a fiction book in the school library. They learn how to thread a needle and the technique of the simple running stitch. They apply and practise the running stitch to create decorative stitching using Binca material. Stitching two identical templates together they create a basic puppet figure which they then decorate using a range of skills following their puppet design of a book character.
This knowledge, skills and understanding is delivered through the following six sessions:
Investigate 1 – Let’s Find Out About Puppets & Focus Task 1 – Starting to Sew
Investigate 2 – What makes a Good Puppet?
Focus Task 2 – Making a Hand Puppet
Design and Make - Designing Your Puppet
Design and Make - Making Your Puppet
Evaluation Session
Madly Monet is an Art and Design unit of work aimed primarily at children aged 5-7. The unit introduces children to impressionist painting through studying the work of the famous impressionist painter Claude Monet. The package provides the medium-term plan, six lessons (each lesson has a MS Powerpoint presentation) and a knowledge organiser. There is an additional presentation on the life and work of the artist. As part of their learning, children can complete a study of the artist (PDF template provided)
Strands of Learning:
• Painting
• Printmaking
• Collage
Children learn about the life and impressionist paintings of the artist Claude Monet. There is a particular focus on his paintings from his garden at Giverny. Children begin by learning the technique of marbling using both water and shaving foam. These techniques are a simple form of monoprinting. In creating a simple composition of the Japanese bridge at Giverny, children consolidate their understanding of colour theory, in particular warm and cold colours. Children have the opportunity to sketch real trees from observation, and them use these drawings to help them to paint trees in the impressionist style of painting. Children use wax resist painting technique to recreate the Garden at Giverny painting by Monet. Finally, they bring their learning from the unit together to create a three-dimensional garden scene inspired by the paintings of Claude Monet.
This unit of work is part of the Art Academy Scheme of Work for children aged 5-11 being developed on behalf of Carousel Education.
The Van Gogh Experience is an Art and Design unit of work aimed primarily at children aged 9-11. The unit deepens children’s knowledge and skills in using pastels for drawing and painting. The package provides the medium term plan, six lessons (each lesson has a MS Powerpoint presentation) and a knowledge organiser. Any additional resources are provided as PDFs. In addition, presentations are provided that provide knowledge about Vincent Van Gogh.
Strands of Learning:
• Drawing
• Painting
In learning different pastel techniques, children learn about the life and work of Vincent Van Gogh and his iconic style with which he painted.
This unit of work is part of the Art Academy Scheme of Work for children aged 5-11 being developed on behalf of Carousel Education.
Set of ten Knowledge Organisers for pupils from ages 7 -14 to aid recall and application of the key features of non-fiction text types. These bright and engaging publications can be enlarged from A4 (Knowledge Organiser Size) to A1 poster size for whole-class recall of learning. The ten text types covered are
Recount
Biography
Formal letter writing
Informal letter writing
Newspaper report
Report
Instructional
Explanation
Persuasion
Discussion
In this unit of work children learn how to design and make tortilla wraps as part of a healthy diet. They continue to develop their understanding of healthy eating messaging and the Eatwell Guide and use this knowledge when designing their own healthy lunchtime wrap. They consolidate their knowledge of a range of different food types and know what food group from the Eatwell Guide they belong to. They know that a wrap consists of tortilla bread wrapped around a filling and how to conduct a taste test to evaluate food taste, texture, and appearance. Children learn that food is either grown, reared or caught and apply this learning to different fillings used for lunchtime wraps. As part of their learning, children investigate the information on food labels and packaging as use this knowledge to design packaging for the lunchtime wraps that they have created.
This knowledge, skills and understanding is delivered through the following six sessions:
Investigate Task 1 – Wraps for Lunchtime, Investigate Task 2 – Taste Testing, Investigate Task 3 – Investigating Packaging
Focus Task 1: Making Tortillas & Investigate Task 4: Food Origins
Focus Task 2: Making the Wrap Filling – Making a Tuna Wrap
Design and Make: Designing the Wrap
Design and Make: Making the Wrap
Evaluation Activity – Healthy Lunchbox
This webcast focuses on how EYFS can lay the foundations for future learning in design technology
This webcast is part of a series of webcasts written and delivered by Laurence Keel for PrimaryDT that covers design technology in English primary schools. Once complete, these webcasts will cover all aspects of design technology in primary schools. These webcasts are designed to support school leaders, subject leaders and teachers in delivering high quality outcomes for children in this subject. These webcasts can be used for individual professional development or used as part of whole-school professional development in design technology.
Free resources to accompany these webcasts can be downloaded from the PrimaryDT website.
This 3-part webcast focuses on the curriculum in design technology.
This webcast is part of a series of webcasts written and delivered by Laurence Keel for PrimaryDT that covers design technology in English primary schools. Once complete, these webcasts will cover all aspects of design technology in primary schools. These webcasts are designed to support school leaders, subject leaders and teachers in delivering high quality outcomes for children in this subject. These webcasts can be used for individual professional development or used as part of whole-school professional development in design technology.
Free resources to accompany these webcasts can be downloaded from the PrimaryDT website.
This 2-part introductory webcast focuses on the nature of the subject and some of the challenges faced in developing a design technology curriculum.
This webcast is part of a series of webcasts written and delivered by Laurence Keel for PrimaryDT that covers design technology in English primary schools. Once complete, these webcasts will cover all aspects of design technology in primary schools. These webcasts are designed to support school leaders, subject leaders and teachers in delivering high quality outcomes for children in this subject. These webcasts can be used for individual professional development or used as part of whole-school professional development in design technology.
Free resources to accompany these webcasts can be downloaded from the PrimaryDT website.