Nuffield Design and Technology 11-14: Teacher's File
The Nuffield Design and Technology Teacher's File for Key Stage Three contains a large number of resource tasks which can be included in lessons. These short, focused activities are presented as instruction sheets and are intended to increase technical knowledge, skills and design strategies. The file starts with the full…
Medical Compression
In this activity, students investigate the uses of materials and fabrics in medical applications, such as pressure bandages for burns injuries and anti-embolism stockings for deep vein thrombosis. The students make their own pressure sensor using different types of fabric. They then calibrate their sensor and create a calibration…
Fabric Fires
The Fabric Fires activity for Key Stage Three students looks at how different fabrics catch fire and burn. Students are asked to first consider the commonest reasons for fires in the home. They then test and compare a fabric and a cotton wool ball, firstly when untreated and then having first soaked them in a fire retardant solution.…
Linking Textiles and Electronics at Key Stage Three
This set of course materials from the Science Learning Centre were designed to build an understanding of how electronics can be combined with textiles at Key Stage Three, starting with simple circuits and leading to more complex programming and effects. The practical sessions ran from week two to week six of the course, and each…
Nuffield Home Economics: Fibres and Fabrics
Fibres and Fabrics was one of the four topics that featured as a separate area of study in the Nuffield Home Economics course for students aged 14–16. The aim was to allow students to learn textile science in a way that would be useful to them in everyday life. The emphasis in the course was on learning about the industrial…
Fibres and Fabrics
The Teaching Primary Science book Fibres and fabrics contains many suggestions for classroom work about fabrics and paper, both of which are made from fibres. It begins with a discussion of some of the problems of teaching and organising this topic and considers how they might be overcome. There are then several chapters focusing…
LAMP Topic Brief 9: Paints and Dyes
This Topic Brief was published as part of the ASE’s LAMP Project. This unit was developed from work carried out with non-academic boys and girls in the age range 14 to 16 years. It was tried with some success on groups of between 12 and 15 in an urban comprehensive school of 1750 pupils. The average reading age of the pupils…
Coloured Things, Stages One and Two
This Science 5/13 unit for teachers Coloured things stages one and two provides suggestions for children's activities some of which relate directly to colour itself whilst others use an interest in coloured things as a springboard to other areas of investigation. Each chapter has an environmental theme rich in starting points…
Biomimetics
A Catalyst article describing how new materials can be designed by studying natural materials and how they work. In particular the development of Velcro, military fabric, swimwear and waterproofing is looked at. These products were developed by scientific study of natural products such as plant burrs, pinecones, sharks skins and…
Textiles
A Nuffield Design Hexagon task focusing on a range of textile products.The resource aims to extend understanding of how to evaluate a design by thinking how it affects people and whether it performs as expected. This resource contains a number of activities for each side of the design hexagon (student pages and resource tasks). In…
Textiles: Design Guides
A set of design guides for Key Stage Four focusing on textiles providing a straightforward way for students to become familiar with the sorts of questions they should ask when designing for a particular focus area. The design guides can act as a stimulus for students who are having difficulty in deciding on their main coursework.…
Key Stage Four Textiles Resource Tasks
A set of Key Stage Four Nuffield Foundation resource tasks focusing on textiles. Resource tasks are short, practical focused, activities designed to teach the resources for capability in a way which should intrigue and amuse students.
Key Stage 4 Textiles Chooser Charts
A set of Key Stage Four Nuffield Foundation chooser charts focusing on textiles. Chooser charts help students make decisions about approaches to take for strategy and communication. The chooser charts are particularly useful when students are tackling open-ended projects, such as capability tasks.
Key Stage Four Textiles Capability Tasks
A set of Key Stage Four Nuffield Foundation capability tasks focusing on the design, making and evaluation of textile products. For students to develop and reveal their capability longer more open tasks requiring designing, making and evaluating are necessary. Sometimes these activities are referred to as projects, or design and…
Designing and Making with Textiles at Lower Key Stage Two: Designing a Simple Sampler
One of the trial units from the Nuffield Primary Solutions in Design and Technology. In this unit, children design and make a 'simpler sampler' using fabric crayons and patterns derived from handwriting patterns. The purpose of the activity is to create modern samplers to display handwriting patterns. This could be linked…
3/5- Publication year: 2000 - 2009
- Activity sheet
Designing and Making with Textiles at Lower Key Stage Two: Designing a Printed Cushion Cover
One of the trial units from the Nuffield Primary Solutions in Design and Technology. In this unit, children design and make a small printed cushion cover. The purpose of this activity is to explore the decorative use of lettering and pattern when applied to fabric, and also to produce a useful item for the home.
Designing and Making with Textiles at Mid Key Stage Two: Fabulous Flowers
One of the trial units from the Nuffield Primary Solutions in Design and Technology. In this unit, children design and make a fabulous artificial flower from a range of materials such as card, paper, fabric, art straws, pipe cleaners. Each child's flower will be used in a class display of flowers. The flowers should provide…
Designing and Making with Textiles at Upper Key Stage Two: Design and Make a FabFix Repair Kit
One of the trial units from the Nuffield Primary Solutions in Design and Technology. In this unit, children design and make a useful resource for a home that meets all the family’s identified textile repair needs. The purpose of the task is to show the need to repair textiles when they become worn or damaged. The stimulus…
Designing and Making with Textiles at Key Stage One (Year One): the Loomfish
One of the trial units from the Nuffield Primary Solutions in Design and Technology. In this unit, children learn about woven fabrics, and to design and make a fish like construction using a primitive loom. The finished loomfish can be displayed in the classroom, so that the different designs can be discussed and evaluated as…
Designing and Making with Textiles at Key Stage One (Year One): The Classloom
One of the trial units from the Nuffield Primary Solutions in Design and Technology. In this unit, children work co-operatively to produce a large weaving suitable for display in the entrance hall of a school. The purpose of this activity is to explore weaving, and to design and make a large woven scene using a dress hanging…