Design and Technology

At the Framework Federation, Design and Technology (DT) is closely linked to the Art Curriculum but is also strongly cross curricular. Topic areas always include the opportunity to make structures, models and gadgets linked to areas of study such as history – (iron age houses, jars form Ancient Greece) and science (torches when studying electrical circuits and healthy smoothies when looking at food and nutrition). There is also a strong link to Computing when programmable mechanisms are designed using BBC microbits. 

Pupils are given multiple opportunities to design, make, evaluate and gain technical knowledge in 4 main areas:

Structures – This could include models for topic areas across the curriculum such as castles, iron age houses or Egyptian Death Masks to link with history studies

Mechanisms – This could include pop-up books or greetings cards in literacy or the wider curriculum. It could also include electrical devices designed and made as part of the studies of electricity in science (a working torch) or forces (toys which rely on magnets or pneumatics.) It could include toys made in history to look at toys from the past or in PSHE to look at people who keep us safe (fire engines). Working lighthouse models as part of studies into the seaside. It could also include programmable devices whcih monitor surroundings such as microbits which can be programmed and made in computing sessions.

Textiles – This could include tapestry work to look at pastime in the past or making puppets to support work in literacy or history (seaside holidays.)

Food and nutrition -  This could include food preparation for festivals and celebrations (pancakes, toffee apples etc.) or healthy smoothies or meals linking to science topics.