Year 7

Wind Chimes

Overview: This module is an introduction to Materials and is designed to help students to identify, classify and use safely a range of materials and tools. They design and make a wind chime which uses a variety of materials and equipment in its manufacture.

Students are shown how to identify commonly used materials and to classify them under the following headings:

General:

Organic, In-organic; Natural, Synthetic,

Specific:

	Metals - Ferrous, Non-Ferrous , Alloys.
	Woods - Hardwood, Softwood, Manufactured Board.
	Plastics - Thermoplastic, Thermosett, Ceramics

Students are then asked to look at some of the physical and chemical properties of these materials so they can begin to match these properties to the things they will be asked to design and make.

Physical properties:

Strength - tough/brittle,

Stiffness - flexible/rigid,

Weight - heavy/light,

Conductivity - thermal/electrical

Characteristics -

Natural/synthetic,

rough/smooth,

shiny/dull,

transparent/opaque,

Corrosion resistance, Bio-degradability,

After completing this unit of work students should understand:

	That materials can be grouped or classified by type
	That materials possess properties that make them useful to us.
	That material groups have working characteristics which require the use of specialist equipment in order to convert raw materials into finished products.
	That appropriate finishes need to be applied to manufactured products to protect the material's) from degradation.

After completing this unit of work students should be able to:

	Classify common materials, into familiar groups;
	Identify a limited range of materials and explain where they come from and where they go to at the end of their useful life.
	List some of the more important properties and working characteristics of these materials.
	Use as accurately and as safely as possible a range of basic material conversion tools and equipment to produce a range of simple products.
	Identify a range of basic tools and equipment and explain their use.
	Suggest and apply appropriate finishes for a limited range of materials.

Door Buzzer

Overview: This module reinforces or introduces:

	What is meant by the words 'System' and 'Control'
	Some of the basic physical and electrical properties of commonly used materials and components.
	Knowledge of the switches and components which students can use to build and control simple electrical or electronic circuits.
	Work with resistant materials and components

Both computer simulation and real components are used to develop a basic understanding of electronic components and how they can be connected to build simple electronic systems.

Students are asked to work on an individual task which demonstrates their ability to design and make a membrane switch, an electric circuit which conforms to a simple specification, and a case to enclose their electronic system and a battery.

This project provides an opportunity to build on previous knowledge of safe working practices and develop accuracy when working with resistant materials and components.

After completing this unit of work students should understand:

	That symbols can be used to represent components
	How a membrane switch works;
	That some materials (conductors) allow an electric current to flow easily;
	Using a systems approach makes complicated things easier to understand.
	That some materials (insulators) stop an electric current from flowing;
	That a voltage causes an electric current to flow in conducting materials and that current flow is controlled by resistance;
	That a complete circuit is needed for current to flow;
	The difference between series and parallel circuits.

After completing this unit of work students should be able to:

	Draw simple circuit diagrams;
	Use computer simulation to build and test simple circuits;
	Work as safely and as accurately as possible to Design and make a membrane switch and a simple circuit;
	Identify conductors and insulators;
	Identify the components used in their project;
	Work as safely and as accurately as possible to manufacture a case to hold the circuit and components.
	Recognize HIP's (Polystyrene) and understand it is a thermoplastic
	Vacuum form, cut, shape and drill a case to hold the circuit.

Structures

Overview : This introduction to Structures is designed to help students to look at familiar objects as examples of structures. This is done by looking at examples which occur in nature as well as those manufactured to solve problems or satisfy needs.

The first thing students will learn to do is to identify what structures do. This is important because although there are many different structures, designed to perform different tasks, there are a number of things which all structures must do.

They are then introduced to various types of structure, so that you can begin to classify structures under familiar headings.

From time to time structures fail, often with devastating consequences. Failure occurs because the forces acting on a structure cause internal stresses which are greater than the structure is designed or able to resist. Students will learn about the forces which can act on a structure by analyzing examples of structures in order to identify the forces they are designed to resist.

Finally students will then design and make a structure which will be tested under both static and dynamic loads to investigate structural failure.

after completing this unit of work students should understand:

	What a structure is;
	The difference between mass, shell and frame structures;
	That external loads cause stress in materials;
	That loads can be caused by tension, compression, shear, bending and torsion;
	That if external loads are greater than internal forces, a structure will collapse.
	The difference between elastic and plastic behavIour.

After completing this unit of work students should be able to:

	Identify natural and manufactured structures;
	Identify the forces acting on a structure;
	Identify struts, ties, and beams;
	Investigate the strength and stiffness of a material;
	Explain what is meant by the term triangulation;
	Design and make models of simple structures

GRAPHICS

Overview : This introduction to communicating design ideas is designed to enable students to gain experience of using graphic media and techniques to communicate ideas effectively.

Students will be made aware of the central role of graphic communication in the design process and how graphics are used to communicate ideas effectively.

Students are then introduced to different types of graphic media and techniques. They have the opportunity to practice and develop their graphic skills through a series of focused tasks that will concentrate initially on their freehand sketching skills whilst introducing them to a number of techniques for enhancing their drawings.

After completing this unit of work student's should understand:

	The importance of sketches, presentation drawings/models, and working drawings.
	The difference between graphic media and techniques.
	That variations of light and dark are called tone.
	The difference between 2 and 3-dimensional shapes.

After completing this unit of work students should be able to:

	Effectively use graphic media and materials.
	Identify and draw free-hand lines, random shapes, circles, ellipses, 2 and 3-dimensional crates and apply different line weights.
	Draw shade, texture, transparency and reflections.
	Draw an orthographic projection.
	Draw a pictorial view to presentation standard.
	Produce a graphic product.

FOOD

Overview : Students to work through a series of focused tasks followed by a short, closed design and make task, to provide a general understanding of the design process in relation to food as a material. The aim of this module is to develop skills and knowledge in the following areas:

	Management and organization : to include hygiene and safety, weighing and measuring, production schedules, critical control points.
	Handling and selection of equipment : to include use of oven and hob, use of scales.
	Research skills : to include disassembly.
	Food tasting and testing : to include ranking tests and attribute analysis to establish evaluation criteria.
	Basic nutrition work :
	Design skills : to include design proposals and product specification, presentation.

After completing this unit of work students should be able to:

	Produce a product specification for a jacket potato filling, and modify their proposals to improve the product.
	Evaluate their filling, bearing in mind the target group it was designed for and suggest further improvements.
	Select appropriate ingredients and equipment.
	Select and use appropriate methods of shaping and forming their ingredients accurately.
	Test/evaluate their practical work against the original product specification by using ranking tests and attribute analysis.
	Combine and process ingredients to produce finished products that are appealing and edible.
	"Disassemble" a jacket potato product by carrying out food analysis work in order to inform their design work.
	Adopt safe working procedures in order to conform to hygiene and health and safety regulations.
	Pinpoint H.A.C.C.P. throughout their production schedule.

TEXTILES

Overview : This module provides an introduction to textiles and textile equipment. Students will be encouraged to look to previous experience of their surroundings, their own property and clothing to appreciate the diverse nature and uses of textiles.

After a brief examination of the basic safety considerations students will be introduced to the equipment (both manual and electrically controlled) available to them. They will then consider the need to select and use the correct equipment for a particular purpose.

Students will examine a variety of fabrics in order to distinguish their origins and basic properties.

Students are then asked to work on an individual task which demonstrates their understanding of and ability to work with texile's. They design and make a wall hanging.

After completing this unit of work students should understand:

	That safety is of paramount importance when handling and using textile equipment.
	That textiles are diverse in both nature and origin and are essential in all aspects of modern life.
	That textiles can be both simple and complex in nature and origin.
	That the properties and working characteristics of textiles influence both their choice and how they are used.
	That textile equipment has been specifically designed for particular tasks and should be used appropriately.
	That wastage is expensive both financially and environmentally and should be avoided

After completing this unit of work students should be able to:

	Name the basic items of textiles equipment and explain their use.
	Identify where textiles are used in a variety of contexts.
	Thread and use sharps and crewel needles
	List four natural fibres and three manufactured fibres.
	Use both a dry and steam iron safely.
	Prepare and machine a simple hem.
	Produce a variety of hand stitches including three different embroidery stitches.
	Design and Make a wall hanging.