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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.

Christmas 2024 Offer

A special festive present from Primary DT. This complete unit of work can be downloaded for free until 25th December 2024. Just click on the box.

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Product Film

  • 6 x Lesson Presentation Slides

  • PDF: Coding the Micro:Bit

  • PDF: Online shopping review

 

Medium Term Planning includes:

  • 6 x lesson overviews

  • Knowledge Organiser

  • Vocabulary List

  • Learning statements linked to Curriculum

  • Support and Challenge

  • Assessment - Keeping up with the curriculum

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Teaching Pack

Curriculum Scope and Sequence

Substantive & Technical Knowledge

Children will know:

  • Creating a prototype of a design is useful for checking ideas and seeing how well they work.

  • How labels and annotated drawings can be used to explain and communicate how a product is made and how it will work.

  • Choosing materials, tools and equipment is dependent upon the skills and techniques to be used.

  • A range of different finishing techniques and choose ones that are suitable to create a quality product.

  • To continually reflect on and evaluate their work throughout the stages of designing and making.

  • That evaluating the whole project is an important part of design technology

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Materials/Textiles

  • The different properties of materials and how they are considered when designing and making a product.

  • The importance of using a template (pattern) to accurately mark out a design on a fabric.

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Electrical and Program Systems

  • A sensor is a tool that monitors, detects, and responds to changes.

  • Program systems have an input and an output.

  • Microcontrollers are small computer processors that turn inputs into outputs and are controlled through computer code.

Practical Knowledge (skills)

Children will know how to:

  • List the materials and tools that will be needed to make a product they have designed.

Drawing Skills

  • Use computer-aided design software to develop and communicate their ideas.

 

  • Work responsibly using guidelines to ensure they keep themselves and others safe.

  • Write an action plan for the making process including lists of tools, equipment and materials needed.

  • Accurately assemble, join and combine materials and components to ensure a quality finish to a product.

  • Apply a range of decorative and finishing techniques following the product design.

  • Evaluate a product against specific design specifications.

 

 

Materials/Textiles

  • Measure and cut materials with precision and refine the finish with appropriate tools.

  • Join textiles with a combination of stitching techniques (such as blanket stitch, back stitch for seams and running stitch to attach decoration).

  • Create products by joining several fabric pieces that employ a seam allowance.

  • Use the qualities of materials to create suitable visual and tactile effects in the decoration of masks and textile products.

 

Electrical and Program Systems

  • Write procedures and/or computer code to control and monitor models or products.

  • Make a product device that includes a sensor to monitor change.

  • Make a product that allows the user to control and monitor the device including lights, sounds and motion.

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