Sample Schemes of Work and
Lesson Plans
Engineering
OCR Level 3 Principal Learning in Engineering H811
Unit F556: Engineering businesses and the environment
This Support Material booklet is designed to accompany the OCR Engineering Diploma
specification for teaching from September 2008.
© OCR 2009
Contents
Contents
2
OCR Level 3 Principal Learning in Engineering H811 Unit F556: Engineering
businesses and the environment
3
OCR Level 2 Principal Learning in Engineering H811 Unit F556: Engineering
businesses and the environment
4
OCR Level 2 Principal Learning in Engineering H811 Unit F556: Engineering
businesses and the environment
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OCR Level 2 Principal Learning in Engineering H811 Unit F556: Engineering
businesses and the environment
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OCR Level 2 Principal Learning in Engineering H811 Unit F556: Engineering
businesses and the environment
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OCR Level 2 Principal Learning in Engineering H811 Unit F556: Engineering
businesses and the environment
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Engineering Diploma
Sample Diploma Scheme of Work
OCR Level 3 Principal Learning in Engineering H811 Unit F556:
Engineering businesses and the environment
Overview: This unit has two parts 1a and 1b which have been combined into a single topic and will be assessed by the learner producing an
assignment in the form of a structured word-processed report in two parts (1a and 1b).
This unit builds on experiences gained in other areas, particularly from the Level 2 Diploma in Engineering.
1a: Engineering businesses and career pathways
This part of the unit provides learners with the opportunity to gain knowledge and understanding of a specific business within an engineering
sector. Industrial links should be set up to enable learners to carry out an in-depth study examining the organisation of engineering businesses and
the influence of external and internal factors, which include: career pathways, employee and business registration and regulation, role of project
management, contractual arrangements, legislative requirements, and the importance and function of risk assessment.
Opportunities for teamwork, time and project management and the development of analytical skills occur within the unit.
1b: Engineering and the environment
This part of the unit provides the learners with the opportunity to gain knowledge and understanding of clean manufacturing, including the sources
of environmental pollution and the engineering methods used to control them within a specific engineering sector.
Industrial links together with classroom-based experiences (detailed below) will enable learners to carry out an in-depth study examining the
problems and possible solutions addressing: resource depletion, air and water pollution control, managing the reduction of solid, liquid and
hazardous waste and associated changes in the environment.
The problems of the management of changes in the environment, methods of land management and water supply and the associated solutions will
also be considered in depth.
Learners will undertake research activities, collection and mathematical analysis of environmental samples, data collection and analysis and simple
chemical analysis.
= Innovative teaching idea
Engineering Diploma
= ICT opportunity
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Sample Diploma Scheme of Work
OCR Level 3 Principal Learning in Engineering H811 Unit F556:
Engineering businesses and the environment
Suggested
teaching time
60 hours
Topic
Understanding structures and pathways
Topic outline
Suggested teaching and homework
activities
Suggested resources
Points to note
The learner can:

Use brainstorming to identify a range of
engineering activities.

Company websites.


SSC websites

Group discuss the possible sectors within
engineering.

Trade journals

Learners guided to condense the sectors to
those exemplified.
Both foundation and higher diplomas
explore this issue so learners progressing
from these will have a basis for
development. One lesson will act as
introduction for learners new to engineering
or revision for those progressing.

A wall chart is created showing the
engineering activities allocated to the most
appropriate sector.

Engineering activities may fall across two
sectors and learners will need to select the
most appropriate and justify their selection.
Describe and explain the
internal business (company)
structure
Investigate the roles identified
in 1.1 of the specification unit
and the career pathways
available in engineering

Learners select a sector to research.

Local employer visit and/or presentation.

Working with a local employer, Learners
explorer the way this business is structured.

Interviews with employees.

Company websites

Learners will carry out independent
research for two other businesses in the
same sector.

Manufacturing textbooks

Recruitment information from newspapers,
recruitment agents and company websites.

Professional body websites and
publications.

SSC IAG pages

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
Learners will independently compare and
contrast the structures across the three
businesses to develop a generic model for
the sector.

The choice of sector will be influenced by
the employers engaged and the sectors
they represent.

The structure must include the lines of
responsibility and reporting,
departmentalisation and inter-department
communication.

If all employer engagement is from within
the same engineering sector the group
comparison may be confined to this one
= ICT opportunity
Engineering Diploma
Sample Diploma Scheme of Work
OCR Level 3 Principal Learning in Engineering H811 Unit F556:
Engineering businesses and the environment
Suggested
teaching time
60 hours
Topic outline
Topic
Understanding structures and pathways
Suggested teaching and homework
activities
Suggested resources
Points to note

The group will work together to compare the
different models created.

Learners will record the final structure in the
work book in the form of a generic
organisational chart, including an
explanation of how the learner arrived at the
final structure.


Learners will detail, for each of the roles
within the organisational chart, the reporting
lines, areas of responsibility and the
qualifications and experience required.


Though the career pathways will be
discussed in groups, it is important that the
learners are able to individually justify the
different pathways.
Learners will use the findings of the
research to identify a range of typical career
pathways within their chosen sector.


The career pathways and the justification
behind them will be recorded in the learning
log.
This topic will require one lesson for the
comparison of the generic models and one
lesson for the creation and recording of the
career pathways.

The rest of the teaching time will involve
employer related activity and research.
sector.

Whilst carrying out this research the
learners should be gathering information on
specific roles and responsibilities within the
structures.


= Innovative teaching idea
Engineering Diploma
= ICT opportunity
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Sample Diploma Scheme of Work
OCR Level 3 Principal Learning in Engineering H811 Unit F556:
Engineering businesses and the environment
Suggested
teaching time
60 hours
Topic outline
1
Outline and explain the
internal and external factors
affecting businesses operating
within the chosen sector
Assess risks and exploring the
dimensions where Risk
Assessment can be applied.
= Innovative teaching idea
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Topic
What can influence or harm businesses
Suggested teaching and homework
activities
Suggested resources
Points to note

Learners are introduced to the concept of
PESTLE and how this can be used to
identify internal and external factors.

www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/corpstrtgy/general/pestleanalysis.htm



In small groups, learners carry out a
PESTLE analysis of a well known, example
organisation, clearly showing which are
internal and which are external factors. (The
local school or college would be a suitable
organisation).
Is a link to the CIPD web resource
discussing PESTLE analysis.

Trade journals

Newspapers

Government publications

Employer presentations

Learners individually carry out the exercise
for the engineering sector they have
chosen.

The resulting analysis should be recorded
in the work log.
PESTLE stands for - Political, Economic,
Sociological, Technological, Legal,
Environmental.
PESTLE analysis is in effect an audit of
an organisation's environmental
influences with the purpose of using this
information to guide strategic decisionmaking. The assumption is that if the
organisation is able to audit its current
environment and assess potential
changes, it will be better placed than its
competitors to respond to changes. (quote
taken from the CIPD website)

A brainstorming activity on the definition of
RISK.

Employer health and safety policy.

Employer induction

The brainstorming covers the scope and
range of RISK.

Risk assessments from the engaged
employers.

Using the PESTLE analysis of the school

One lesson should be taken on the group
PESTLE activity and one lesson on the
individual exercise.

Most learners will be aware of Health and
Safety in terms of risk but the full scope
needs to be discussed. These include:
strategic, compliance, financial, operational,
environmental risks, employee risk
= ICT opportunity
Engineering Diploma
Sample Diploma Scheme of Work
OCR Level 3 Principal Learning in Engineering H811 Unit F556:
Engineering businesses and the environment
Suggested
teaching time
60 hours
Topic outline
Topic
Suggested teaching and homework
activities


= Innovative teaching idea
Engineering Diploma
What can influence or harm businesses
Suggested resources
the group carries out a risk assessment for
the school, identifying controls that could be
put in place.

www.businesslink.gov.uk search this
government site for details the different
aspects of risk assessment.
Learners then individually carry out a risk
assessment for their chosen organisation
covering a range of dimensions including
Health and Safety.

www.hse.gov.uk HSE Website for specific
Health and safety guidance
The results of the risk assessment will be
recorded in the work book.

Centres own Risk Assessments

Employers may discuss the learners Risk
assessments as part of WRL.
Points to note
management, employee safety and up-todate skills, political and economic instability
in any foreign markets you export goods to,
health and safety risks

The Health and Safety Risk Assessments
are a legal requirement where as others are
good practice.

One lesson on defining risk and the
example risk assessment.

The rest of the teaching time will be spent
on employer activity and the creation of the
individual risk assessment.
= ICT opportunity
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Sample Diploma Scheme of Work
OCR Level 3 Principal Learning in Engineering H811 Unit F556:
Engineering businesses and the environment
Suggested
teaching time
10 hours
Topic outline
Explain the role of project
management and
responsibilities of individual
members together with time
management within the project
management team.
Topic
Suggested teaching and homework
activities
Suggested resources
Points to note

Learners explore the detailed steps of a
routine activity.



With an example project, learners discuss
and predict the steps within the project.
These are then compared with the actual
steps identified within the example project.
The roles and responsibilities within the
project are emphasised.
There are a number of proprietary project
management tools and techniques that can
be applied in this unit, these include
Spreadsheets, GANTT charts and
scheduling.
It is important that a suitable project is
identified for the learners to be involved
with. It is possible to link this learning
objective with other units to give the project
to be managed.

Specific software packages such as
Microsoft Project may be used.

The evaluation of the project management
does not require the project to be
successful.

It is possible for the project to be linked to
the work experience the learner is
undertaking with an employer.


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Project management

The consequences of the project not being
effectively managed are explored as a
group and the effectiveness of the project
management of the example project
established.

Learners are given an individual or group
project to manage using the principles
learned.


The learner evaluates the success of the
management of the project paying particular
attention to the role they played.

A detailed record of the different elements

‘Project Planner-PE 2.0’ is an example of a
freeware project management tool that may
be downloaded from freeware suppliers, this
software an example only and is not tested
or endorsed.


This topic can be explicitly linked to the topic
on risk assessment.


One lesson spent on the group work
exploring the project management.


The rest of the teaching time should be
= ICT opportunity
Engineering Diploma
Sample Diploma Scheme of Work
OCR Level 3 Principal Learning in Engineering H811 Unit F556:
Engineering businesses and the environment
Suggested
teaching time
10 hours
Topic outline
Topic
Project management
Suggested teaching and homework
activities
of the project, the role played by the learner
and the results of the evaluation should be
recorded in the work book.
= Innovative teaching idea
Engineering Diploma
Suggested resources
Points to note
spent on the project management activity
which may involve employer engagement.
= ICT opportunity
9 of 13
Sample Diploma Scheme of Work
OCR Level 3 Principal Learning in Engineering H811 Unit F556:
Engineering businesses and the environment
Suggested
teaching time
10 hours
Topic outline
Describe and evaluate
the environmental issues
linked to engineering
businesses for: air and water
contamination and its control,
resource depletion, managing
the reduction of solid, liquid
and hazardous waste together
with associated changes in the
environment
Topic
Suggested teaching and homework
activities
Suggested resources
Points to note


Employer environmental policy.


Employer environmental audit.
ISO 14001 is not compulsory but many
organisations have this system in place.

Employer induction.


Employer website.

Local government environmental response
procedures.
When evaluating environmental impact
learners need to consider: emissions,
waste, resourcing materials, transportation,
recycling, end of life, energy usage.

Environmental change includes:

Chemical safety data sheets.


ISO 14001 documentation
Global warming, resource depletion, conflict,
floods, green and brown field issues.

http://www.environmentagency.gov.uk/default.aspx is the Environment

Again the risk assessment approach from
this unit can be utilised.

One lesson spent on the group exploration
of environmental impact.

Two lessons spent carrying out research
and evaluation of employer policy.



Provided s detailed
explanations of the possible
effects of external
environmental factors and how
these are managed within an
engineering business
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Engineering and the environment

Group analysis of a chosen process,
identifying all the points at which the
process impacts on the environment.
Group analysis of how organisations
respond to environmental change. (local
government procedures should be available
for this discussion)
Learners carry out individual analysis of a
local employer, determining how the
environment is being affected and how the
employer responds to environmental
change.
Learners carry out individual research to
identify how engineering can reduce the
impacts identified. The findings are
evaluated for potential effectiveness and
compared and contrasted with the methods
employed by the employer.
Agency home page

Trade Journals
Learners will evaluate the employers
environmental response plans.
= ICT opportunity
Engineering Diploma
Sample Diploma Scheme of Work
OCR Level 3 Principal Learning in Engineering H811 Unit F556:
Engineering businesses and the environment
Suggested
teaching time
10 hours
Topic outline
Undertake and present data
and the chemical analysis of
environmental samples
Topic
Suggested teaching and homework
activities
Points to note

Link with the


science department for equipment and
techniques.
The actual analysis carried out will depend
on the equipment available.

Chemical Oxygen Demand, pH, mass
spectroscopy and organic compound
content are examples of the techniques that
may be available.

One lesson spent on practising analysis
techniques

The remaining teaching time is spent on
employer activity and practical analysis.
Learners will either justify recommendations
for improvement or justify the employer
position in respect of both environmental
impact and response, recording the
outcome in the work book.

Analysis of publicly available statistical data
on environmental issues.

Explanation and practice of water, soil and
air analysis in laboratory with the assistance
of science staff or similar at an employer
premises using standards.

Samples of soil and water obtained during
field trips.
Learners collect and analyse samples from
a variety of sites.

Equipment at partner HEIs.

http://www.environmentagency.gov.uk/default.aspx is the Environment

Engineering Diploma
Suggested resources


= Innovative teaching idea
Engineering and the environment
The data gathered is collated and used to
draw up a map of local pollution methods.
Agency home page and actual pollution
data can be downloaded.

Local government websites may have local
pollution data to download.

Employer based analysis opportunities.
= ICT opportunity
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Sample Diploma Lesson Plan
OCR Level 3 Principal Learning in
Engineering H811 Unit F556: Engineering
businesses and the environment
Risk Assessment
OCR recognises that the teaching of this qualification will vary greatly from school to school and
from teacher to teacher. With that in mind, this lesson plan is offered as a possible approach but
will be subject to modifications by the individual teacher.
Lesson length is assumed to be one hour,
Learning Objectives for the lesson
Objective 1
Learners to be able to define what is meant by Risk in a business environment
Objective 2
Learners learn how to apply the Risk Assessment procedures
Objective 3
Learners can justify the time and effort spent in carrying out Risk Assessment
Objective 4
Learners individually complete a Risk Assessment for a real business
Recap of previous experience and prior knowledge
Learners have been introduced to the concept of analysing businesses and are aware of:

factors influencing business and PESTLE analysis techniques

In a previous lesson learners will have carried out a PESTLE analysis of the school/college
Content
Time
Content
10 minutes
What do you understand by the term RISK? In what circumstances could Risk
Assessment be beneficial? Whole class or group discussion, which should
include how easy or difficult the task was.
10 minutes
Slide-show presentation: Managing Risk (based on the business link guidance)
15 minutes
Group activity: Using the previously created PESTLE analysis for the
school/college, create a risk assessment matrix for the school/college covering
health and safety, financial and public relations risks.
10 minutes
Group activity: agree one contingency activity for each of the top 3 risks
identified.
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Engineering Diploma
Sample Diploma Lesson Plan
Consolidation
Time
Content
5 minutes
Class discussion on how risk assessment is:
i) beneficial
ii) a cost
ii) a legal requirement
10 minutes
Class discussion followed by Learning Log entry - how knowledge of Risk
Assessment helps improve control and planning of the activities of businesses
Homework
Write a short one page on why a business should undertake a Risk Assessment,
followed by a Risk Assessment for a specific business, not covered in the
lesson.
Engineering Diploma
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