Year 1 - Design and technology
Exploring bridge structures
Frame structures: bridges
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Study Guides
This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
This unit introduces pupils to structures. It focuses on bridge building and introduces cutting, folding, and joining techniques. Pupils make their own bridges, applying their knowledge of structure design.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to explore making mock-ups of bridges, using a range of construction methods.
Key Notes
- Experimenting with mock-ups helps develop designs.
- Construction kit blocks can be used to create bridge mock-ups.
- Bridges are made of different shapes.
- Construction kits can be used to make and test triangles and arches for strength and stability.
- A design brief explains the problem we need to solve.
Vocabulary To Learn
- mock-up: making an example of something to test or to learn new skills
- design specification: describes what a product has to do
- shell structure: a hollow structure with a thin outer covering.
- freestanding: something standing up by itself
- brick bonding: a pattern in which bricks are laid to make a wall strong and stable
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Designers make a plan and follow this plan in the making stage.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
Experimenting with mock-ups helps develop designs. Construction kit blocks can be used to create bridge mock-ups.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'mock-up'
making an example of something to test or to learn new skills.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: Designers make a plan and follow this plan in the making stage. Correction: Designers use their design brief to create a plan. This plan is important but changable depending on success of the project, alongside tools, skills and testing points along the way.
More Lessons In This Unit
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