Design and Technology Activities
Design and Technology is a National Curriculum subject. It is
fundamentally about designing and making products that meet needs.
Three types of activity are outlined in the NC Order for Design and
Technology as follows;
Design and make assignments (DMAs)
Simply put, DMAs are the products that pupils will make. For example,
design and make a pasta based meal for a vegetarian athlete. These can
be identified by either the teacher or pupil. Through a Key Stage, pupils
should work in the three main material areas of Food, Textiles and Resistant
Materials (everything that is not food or textiles). The DMAs should be of a
technological nature, should cover the NC PoS, become progressively more
challenging and should meet a perceived need/s.
Investigating and Evaluating (Product Analysis)
Investigating and Evaluating (product analysis) is an extremely important
aspect of the design process.
Pupils engage in these activities in order to find out about existing products
similar to those they will be designing and making themselves. This
information informs them about products that they will design and make.
They learn;
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What function/s the product is to perform
About size, shape (proportion) and colour - aesthetics
Which materials have been used and why
How products are assembled – manufacturing processes and
techniques
They consider;
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How well the product meets it’s need/s
Who might use the product
Whether the product is good value for money
How the product might be improved
The knowledge and understanding gained will assist in the design of their own
products. In addition, it will develop an understanding of the made world and
enable pupils to become discerning consumers.
Focussed Practical Tasks (FPTs)
Again, in simple terms, Focussed Practical Tasks are the specific skills and
knowledge related to the DMA that pupils should be taught. For example,
how to thread a needle, how to weigh out and combine the ingredients of a
samosa casing , and how gear wheels interact to control speed etc.