Nuffield Design & Technologyworking in the curriculum

How scary shoulda calendar be?four hours work

SECTION ONE

learning context

SECTION TWO

tasks for learning

SECTION THREE

children’s decisions

SECTION FOUR

teaching the unit

SECTION FIVE

resources and links

1

2

3

5

12

primaryyear

1solutions in design & technology

© The Nuffield Foundation, 2001

SECTION 1

learning context

1

design context

learning purposes

Young children are often encouraged tomake small calendars to give to parentsand friends as gifts, but if they have neverused one themselves they don’t reallyunderstand what they are for. In this unitthey will find out how calendars workand how to make a calendar with amonster theme. Monsters are alwayspopular with children, and here they havecontrol over the design of their ownmonsters – they might like them scary orthey might like them to be friendly.Computer software becomes an excitingdesign tool for small groups of childrenworking together to develop and editdesigns for their ideal monster.

In this unit children will learn:

t to consider the appearance andfunction of calendars;

(Session 1)

t about the visual characteristics thatmake monsters friendly or scary;

(Session 2)

t to make a monster on screen using anobject-based graphics package;

(Session 3)

t to use computer software as a designtool; (Session 3)

t to work as a team in a small group.(Sessions 3 and 4)

SECTION 2

tasks for learning

the small tasksthe focused practical tasks

the big taskthe design and make task

2

1 Investigating calendars30 minutes

2 Looking at monsters30 minutes

3 Experimenting with the software30 minutes

4 Writing the specification30 minutes The big task is to design and make a

calendar illustrated with monsters, one foreach month of the year. Each monster willbe designed and produced by a team ofchildren using suitable computersoftware. The calendar will be made tomeet the preferences of the users whomight be the class themselves or someother group in the school.

60 minutes

The evaluation 30 minutes

Unit review 30 minutesOCTOBER

JULY

the designs are limited to simple shapes andbold colours but the results are two striking,scary monsters. The simple backgrounds (plainblack in one case and a simple blue sky andbeach in the other) enhances the impact ofthe monsters

SECTION 3

children’s decisions

design decisions

3

The children can decide on the following:

t where the calendar is to be used

required learning in Session 1,design decision made in Session 4;

t what sort of calendar it should be

required learning in Session 1, design decision made in Session 4;

t whether the name of the month shouldbe on the picture

required learning in Session 1,design decision made in Session 4;

t what kind of monsters they should be

required learning in Session 2,design decision made in Session 4;

SECTION 3

children’s decisions

design decisions

4

t what body parts the monster will have

required learning in Sessions 2 and 3,

design decision made in Session 4;

t what head parts the monster will have

required learning in Sessions 2 and 3,

design decision made in Session 4.

5

SECTION 4

teaching the unit

suggested timing30 mins

sessionone

investigating calendars

Teacher input

Show the class a selection of oldcalendars. As a minimum your selectionshould include a calendar with all themonths on one display sheet, one withflipover pages for the months and onewith a tear-off sheet for each month. If youcannot find commercial examples then itwould be easy to make them yourself. Forthe date section you can buy ready-madesmall calendars. Explain what the wordsmean (the months of the year and thedays of the week) and what the numbersmean. A good starting point is today’sdate. Then several children could try toremember their birthdays and you couldmark each one with a name and a redcircle on the largest calendar. Now thecalendar has become a useful birthday-finder. Explain that the class is going tomake one large calendar with 12 picturesand that now they will have a chance toinvestigate how it might be made.

Pupil activity

Working individually children shouldhave the opportunity to try out calendarideas with paper and fixings. They canuse pictures drawn or cut from magazinesand can make sample date sheets or usesheets from old calendars. Tell them thatthe important thing is to make a model ofseveral types of calendar and see if theycan come up with some new ideas oftheir own. At the end of the session eachchild should show their favourite modeland these should be kept for a display.

Resources

Stimulus: selection of calendars;Consumables: paper, card, treasury tags, magazine pages or similar for pictures, masking tape;Tools: pens, pencils, scissors, hole punch, stapler.

Health and safety check

Discuss the hazards and risks involved in using scissors, hole punches and staplers and how these riskscan be controlled by careful handling and using the correct procedures.

6

looking at monsterssuggested timing30 mins

sessiontwo

SECTION 4

teaching the unit

Teacher input

Start with a poem, story or picture of amonster. The day before this session, askthe class to bring in a picture or book aboutmonsters if they have a favourite. Ask oneor two children to try to look scary, thenfriendly. Talk about the appearance ofmonsters e.g. space monsters often haveantenna, and ask the class to guess whethera monster is friendly from just looking at it.Draw some features on the board and askthe class to spot the clues e.g. bared teeth,narrowed eyes and grabbing hands arescary; wide eyes, smiley mouth anddancing legs friendly. Tell the children thatmonsters will be the theme of the classcalendar and that now they will have thechance to try out some ideas for monsterfeatures. Write the words “scary” and“friendly” on the board. Also tell themthat they will be using computer softwareto design and print out their monsterpictures and that they will have a practicewith that another day.

Pupil activityTell the class that they will each workindividually to explore features, trying tomake them scary or friendly. Explain thatthey can use gummed paper shapes ofdifferent sizes to make eyes, expressions,different types of bodies, arms and legs.They should label those examples thatthey think are scary or friendly. At theend of the session the samples they makecan be put on display.

Resources

Stimulus: monster poem, story or picture;Consumables: gummed paper shapes, card, paper,

sticky tape;

Tools: pencils, pens, scissors.

Health and safety check

Discuss the hazards and risks involved in using scissors and gummed paper and how these risks can becontrolled by careful handling.

7

experimenting with the software

sessionthree

SECTION 4

teaching the unit

suggested timing30 mins*

Teacher input

Tell the class that they are going to learnhow to make monsters on the computer.Explain that they will make the actualmonsters for the calendar another day;today is for practice. The best starting pointis a whole class lesson to introduce childrento the software and tools available. Thesoftware used as an example is Monsters,which is a MyWorld2** module, but anyobject-based drawing program could beused (i.e. moving and changing givenshapes rather than painting their own). It isimportant that the children can understandand use the chosen software tools available.

Show the children how to choose monsterparts or shapes; flip, rotate, and re-sizethe monster parts; discard the parts theydon’t want; add text to the screen; saveand print from the screen.

Put the class into 12 groups, as there willbe 12 pictures on the final calendar. Theyshould work in those groups today and inlater sessions. Put the words “scary” and“friendly” up near the computer.

Pupil activity

A very useful starting point is to have amonster already on screen and ask eachgroup to build a new monster to match itexactly. This should involve using all thetools, and would help you to identifythose children who need more help. Thenchildren should try out monster ideas onscreen in teams – filling screen withseveral monsters to see which elementslook scary or friendly. Each group shouldbe allowed to print at least one sheet withdesign ideas on it. (If the printer is slowthe samples should be saved and printedlater.) These sample sheets can then beput on display.

Resources

Tools: computer, graphics package, colour printer.

Health and safety check

Discuss the hazards and risks involved in using computers and how the risks can be controlled bysitting properly at the correct height and not straining to see the screen.

* The ‘Pupil acitvity’ could be spread out over a few days if computer access is limited.

** MyWorld is a framework program available in most primary schools. It has hundreds ofadditional modules that can be purchased separately from educational software suppliers.

suggested timing30 minswriting the specification

8

sessionsessionfour

SECTION 4

teaching the unit

Teacher inputRemind the class about the calendar theywill be making. Point out the displays oftheir design ideas for calendars, monsterfeatures and screen monsters. Tell them thattoday they will be making some importantdecisions about the way they will make thecalendar. They will be writing twospecifications, one will be a record of thewhole class decisions about the calendar andthe other will be a record of each small group’sdecisions about their page of the calendar.

Make a large chart and record the classspecification; see the ‘Class monster calendarspecification’ in the resources section. Thedecisions to be made are: where will thecalendar be used? ( e.g. our class, the schooloffice, the library); what sort of calendarshould it be? (e.g. one large sheet with all 12pictures, flipover made of card, card on wallwith picture changed each month); should thename of the month be on the picture? (e.g.monster + April, just monster); what kind ofmonsters should they be? (scary or friendly).

If the calendar might be for another placein the school, pre-arrange for someone fromthere to come in and tell the class his/herpreferences during this session. Give eachgroup a month to go with their picture.

Pupil activityChildren will get into their design groupsto discuss the features they want for theirown monster. They will record theirdesign decisions on ‘Our monstercalendar specification’, available as aready-to-copy sheet. They will decide: themonster’s body parts (e.g. arms, legs,head, body, tail); the monster’s headparts (e.g. eyes, mouth, teeth, ears,antennae).

The sheets for each member ofa group should containidentical design decisions ifthey have made thesedecisions as a team.

ResourcesStimulus: calendar samples from Session 1, monster parts samples from Session 2,

computer design samples from Session 3;Consumables: paper, ‘Class monster calendar specification’, ‘Our monster calendar specification’;Tools: pencils.

Health and safety checkDiscuss the hazards and risks involved in working as a group and how these can be controlled by theway the children behave and treat one another.

suggested timing60 mins*the big task: making the calendar

9

sessionsessionfive

SECTION 4

teaching the unit

Teacher input

Tell the class that they are ready to makethe calendar. Have prepared the card orcards for mounting the pictures as agreedin the class specification and show thechildren what they will need to do whentheir pictures are ready. Remind them to useonly a little glue and to spread it out.Demonstrate what you mean with a pieceof paper and card. Tell them that after theyhave mounted their pictures you can finishassembling the calendar.

Pupil activity

Tell the children to work in their designgroups to build their monsters for the classcalendar. Remind them to work together asa team, and to make sure everyone takespart. They should have their ‘Our monstercalendar specification’ sheets to refer to asthey work, and should be able to see the‘Class monster calendar specification’. Thefinal design should be saved and thenprinted out. When the picture is ready itshould be mounted on card as planned.Some groups will need help with this.

Extension work

Children who finish early or who need anextra challenge could be asked to do thefollowing.

t Design and make a birthday chart withthe date of their birthdays and abirthday monster.

t Make a list of ways a calendar couldbe useful in the home.

Resources

Stimulus: prepared card(s) for calendar,‘Our monster calendar specifications’ and ‘Class monster calendar specification’ sheets;

Consumables: glue, card, fixings as required;Tools: graphics package, colour printer.

Health and safety check

Revisit the discussion about controlling risks when working in a group. Revisit the discussion aboutcontrolling risks when using computers.

* The computer activity could be spread out over a few days if computer access is limited.

10

sessionsix

SECTION 4

teaching the unit

evaluating the final productsuggested timing30 mins

Teacher inputTell the class that it is time to evaluate thecalendar they have made. Show them the‘Class monster calendar specification’where their design decisions wererecorded, and remind them of what thosedecisions were. Explain that they willneed to compare the actual calendar withthe specification to see if it turned out theway they planned. Tell them that they willbe evaluating their own monster later.Make sure everyone can see the finishedcalendar and the ‘Monster calendar classspecification’ and ask the followingquestions.

t Who is the calendar for?

t Do they think the calendar looks good?(If it is for another person or group makesure to arrange for them to see it andmade a comment on it either before orduring this session.)

t What kind of calendar is it?

t Is the name of the month on each picture?

t What kinds of monster are on thecalendar?

t Does the calendar look the way weexpected it to?

t What changes did we make? Why?

t Which bit was the most tricky?

Pupil activity

Children should each fill in ‘Our monstercalendar evaluation’, available as aready-to-copy sheet,comparing their‘Our monstercalendar specifi-cation’ with the finalmonster their groupproduced. Oneperson from each group should tell theclass about their monster and theirevaluation.

Resources

Stimulus: the finished calendar, ‘Class monster calendar specification’, ‘Ourmonster calendar specifications’;

Consumables: ‘Our monster calendar evaluation’;Tools: pencils.

Health and safety check

Discuss the hazards and risks involved in using the monster calendar and how therisks can be controlled.

11

suggested timing30 mins

sessionseven

unit review

SECTION 4

teaching the unit

Teacher input

Explain to the class that it is important tothink about how to get better at design &technology and that they can do this bydiscussing the following questions.

t What did you learn about calendars?

t How can you make a monster lookfriendly?

t How can you make amonster look scary?

t Was it difficult using the computer tomake your monster?

t What did you get better at?

t Would you choose to use the computerto design something else?

t Did you always agree with the otherpeople in your group?

t Did you work together as a team?

t What could you have done better?

Pupil activity

The class should discuss the questions intheir groups and you should ask eachgroup to say what they could have donebetter. The class should agree a target forgetting better based on their answers fortheir next design & technology unit.

Resources

Stimulus: finished calendar, any samples from Sessions 1, 2 or 3.

Health and safety check

Discuss whether the class used hazard recognition, risk identification and risk control to design andmake safely.

12

Session 1 Session 2 Sessions 3 Sessions 4–7

calendar, months of the monster, scary, friendly, computer software, screen, design specification,year, days of the week eye, mouth, teeth, antennae, save, select, drag and drop, team, make, evaluation,

arm, leg, wings, tail re-size, turn improve

SECTION 5

resources and links

vocabulary

resources summary

selection of calendars

monster poem, story or picture

calendar samples from Session 1,monster parts samples from Session2, computer design samples fromSession 3

‘Class monster calendarspecification’, ‘Our monster calendarspecification’

the finished calendar, ‘Class monstercalendar design specification’, ‘Ourmonster calendar specification’

finished calendar, any samples fromSessions 1, 2 or 3

paper, card, treasury tags,magazine pages or similar forpictures, masking tape

gummed paper shapes, card,paper, sticky tape

paper, ‘Our monster calendarspecification’, ‘Class monstercalendar specification’;

glue, card, fixings as required

‘Our monster calendarevaluation’

pens, pencils,scissors, hole punch,stapler

pencils, pens,scissors

computer, graphicspackage, colourprinter.

pencils

graphics package,colour printer

Stimulus materials Consumable materials Tools

Session 1

Session 2

Session 3

Session 4

Session 5

Session 6

Session 7

13

links to other subjects

SECTION 5

resources and links

Literacy

This unit supports the ‘Literacy strategy’objectives of reading and writing labelsand captions in Year 1.

Numeracy

This unit supports many objectives fromthe ‘Numeracy strategy’ for Year 1. Thechildren will need to use everydaylanguage to describe the position of theshapes that make the monsters and themovement needed to put them together.They will be able to talk about turningshapes and use whole turns and halfturns.

A lot of sequencing work can be coveredwhen ordering the days of the week andseasons of the year. More able childrenwill be able to move on to ordering themonths of the year.

The children will be able to develop theircounting to 31 and read and write thenumbers for their calendar.

ICT

This unit covers many of the learningobjectives in the QCA SoW 1A ‘Anintroduction to modelling’.

The children will develop anunderstanding that a computer allows theuser to make choices and that differentdecisions lead to different outcomes.They will learn to move a mouse andplace items accurately on a screen. Theywill be able to fill their monsters withcolour and print their work.

Producing a calendar will enable thechildren to create a representation of afantasy situation as in the integrated taskof the SoW.

Class monster calendar specification

Class: Date:

1. Where will the calendar be used?

2. What kind of calendar?

q q q

3. Will the name of the month be on each picture?

No q Yes q

4. What kind of monsters will we make?

friendly q scary q

Our monster calendar specification

Name: Date:

Our monster’s body will have

—————— arms —————— legs

—————— wings —————— tail

Our monster’s head will have

—————— eyes —————— mouth

—————— teeth —————— antennae

Our monster calendar evaluation

Name: Date:

We wanted:

—————— arms —————— legs

—————— wings —————— tail

Our monster has:

—————— arms —————— legs

—————— wings —————— tail

We wanted:

—————— eyes —————— mouth

—————— teeth —————— antennae

Our monster has:

—————— eyes —————— mouth

—————— teeth —————— antennae

Acknowledgements

Nuffield Curriculum Project Centre Team

David Barlex, Director Nuffield D&T Senior Lecturer Brunel University

Jane Mitra, Deputy Director and Educational Consultant

Nina Towndrow, Project Administrator

Authors and contributors

Eileen Birkenhead, Educational Consultant

Daniel Davies, Bath University

John Garvey, Brunel University

Rob Johnsey, Warwick University

Teresa Linton, Grasmere C of E Primary School

Lynne Orford, Holtspur School, Beaconsfield

Chris Purdie, Townsville Junior Grammar School, Queensland, Australia

Cy Roden, Educational Consultant

Marion Rutland, Roehampton Institute University of Surrey

Joy Simpson, Whipton Barton Middle School, Exeter

John Twyford, Exeter University

Design

Dave Mackerell, Studio Communications

Evaluation

Patricia Murphy and Marion Davidson of the Open University

Health and Safety guidance

Anna Wojtowicz and Caroline Reynolds from the Health and Safety Executive

Illustration and 2D/3D model making

Nathan Barlex

Proof reading

Joanne Jessop, Sue Byrne

The Project appreciates the efforts of all those teachers who taught trial units of work and provided valuablefeedback. The Project is grateful for all the support it has received from the Advisory Services.