DESIGN TECHNOLOGY IN THE PRIMARY SCHOOL


Go to content

RESOURCES AND EQUIPMENT

THE TEACHER

BASIC TOOL KITS FOR WORKING WITH RESISTANT MATERIALS

Plastic "Tote" Trays, for general tool storage

Either Woodwork Vices ( Bacho-Record model V150 or similar) or Metalwork Vices ( Bacho-Record model V75 or similar). Both are fitted with cramping device for fitting to table or bench and are used for holding work during sawing, filing and drilling etc.

Steel Rules, Pencils, Compasses for general marking out procedures

Junior Hacksaw, the most important tool for cutting resistant materials

Cutting Boards, for general purpose protection of tables, made from hardboard or thin plywood 40cms X 25cms (Sheet of glass paper can be glued with PVA adhesive to one surface of these for smoothing surfaces of timber pieces and for economical use of glass paper)

Bench Hook, a device that clips onto the front of the table and used for general cutting of small sections of timber

Bradawl for marking centres of drill holes, 3mm diameter X 3cm blade

Hand Drill (wheel brace) preferably pistol grip with enclosed gears and a selection of twist drills 2-8mm and 1/16" to 3/8" diameters

4mm and 6 mm Stationer’s Single Hole Punches ( Maun Industries) for punching holes in card and soft plastics

6mm "Flat Blade" Screwdriver, for inserting and removing small screws up to 3cms long and numbers 4, 6, 8 shank size

6mm "Posidrive" Screwdriver, for inserting and removing small cross headed screws

4mm "Electrical" Screwdriver, for work on electricity (maximum 12 volt battery systems)

Pair of Scissors, strong, sharp, but preferably rounded ends, for general purpose cutting of paper, card, fabrics and soft plastics

Trigger action low temperature Glue-gun, for use by teacher for a "quick fix", and upper juniors only under teacher's close supervision, to assist pupils in the assembly of project work quickly and easily

FOR TEACHERS USE ONLY
Swan-Morton Craft Knives, for cutting out shapes and holes in paper, card and thin plastics

NEVER ALLOW PUPILS TO USE STANLEY TYPE CRAFT KNIVES,
and WOOD CHISELS SHOULD NEVER BE USED IN PRIMARY DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

ADDITIONAL USEFUL TOOLS FOR WORKING IN RESISTANT MATERIALS

Coping Saws, for curved line cuts in plywood, hardboard and timber

8" Dovetail or Tenon Saw, or similar small "hard backed" saw

15cm Pliers, for holding, bending, manipulating and cutting thin metal section or wire

15cm Pincers, for removing small nails and panel pins

Wire Strippers, for cutting and removing outer insulation from electrical wiring

10" "Warrington" Hammer with flat pein

Warding File Set + selection of larger Files and Rasps, for filing and smoothing off contours of work in resistant materials

Small "G" Cramps for holding things firmly to the bench or table

Pop Rivet Kit, for holding together sheet card, plastic, thin metal

Cabinet Maker's Brace and Bit, with various larger diameter bits for boring holes in timber, plywood etc.

Staple-gun (Titan “Tacker” or similar) for fixing work together quickly

ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT FOR ART, AND HOME ECONOMICS WORK

Electric Kiln, Kiln Furniture, Clay moulds and Modelling Tools for work in clay

Sewing and Darning Needles, Weaving equipment and other items for work in textiles

Baby Belling Electric Cooker, various dishes, jugs, trays, cooking utensils for cooking and food preparation

Pails and dishes for fabric dying and papermaking

Screen Printing Equipment for posters and fabric printin

EQUIPMENT FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY

Microcomputers, Printers and Peripherals

Software packages for word-processing reports, preparing graphs and databases, simple drawing of images, computer control etc.

RESOURCES FOR WORKING IN RESISTANT MATERIALS

10mm and 12mm square section Obeche or Jelutong or softwood timber

3mm (kites), 4mm (axles), 6mm dowel, and larger diameters of timber

Various other larger sections of Obeche.or Jelutong or softwood timber

Various pieces of plywood, chipboard, block-board, hardboard (cheap off-cuts from local timber merchant, parent or joiner) Also pieces of scrap resistant sheet material such as acrylic, “Corroflute”, aluminium etc.

Selection of nails, and panel pins up to 1-1/2" maximum, Selection of slot-head and crosshead screws up to 1-1/2", numbers 4,6,8, Selection of small bolts up to 4mm diameter X up to 1-1/2" long, nuts, washers, springs, cup-screws etc.

Soft iron wire, coat hangers and steel welding rods up to 4mm diameter.

Selection of electricity components i.e. 1.5V, 2.5V, 3V, bulbs, small motors,1.5V, 3V, 4.5V, 6V and 9V batteries ( PP3, SP11, SP7, PJ996 ) 1-3V, 3-6V, 9-12V, battery clips, crocodile clip leads, switches, buzzers, bells, multi-stranded electric wire, aluminium kitchen foil.

Nylon tubing and syringes of various sizes for hydraulics

Gears, pulleys and propellers for mechanisms

Card discs with centre holes for wheels up to 3" diameter. Various plastic, wooden, plywood, MDF board or other types of wheel ( Circular tops and lids off containers including things like “party-poppers” are useful for wheels and pulleys)

Various Technical Construction Kits to suit the age of the children. New ones appear annually. Duplo, Mobilo, Technical Lego, Teko, Plawco, Mini Quadro, Meccano ( they don't always end in "O") so try Googleplex, FirstGear, Reoclick etc.

Eventually teachers will begin to realise that not only do they have many of these materials already in school, but that during designing and making the tasks can be guided or planned to deliberately use a variety of junk materials that are readily available in the resources corners of their classrooms. One further important feature may be that the Design Technology tasks should involve progressively more difficult processes across key stages one and two, and ultimately reach a stage where the young designers consider other materials that are less accessible and therefore inherently more expensive and more difficult to work

GENERAL ART, HOME ECONOMICS AND SOFT RESOURCES

A4, A3, A2 white cartridge paper and a selection of coloured papers

White and coloured card, various thicknesses, and Corrugated Card (scraps from local printers, supermarkets, box manufacturers, packaging etc..)

Pencils, coloured crayons, felt tipped pens, various types

General school powder paints and brushes, for painting, image making

PVA adhesive (Poly Vinyl Acetate) "Marvin Medium", "Arnold School Glue" "Evostick Resin W" or similar and small nozzle dispenser bottles or re-sealable containers to hold glue. ( Hairdresser salon products and "Toilet Duck" bottles are fairly easily obtainable and will dispense small quantities. The difficulty is getting the PVA from bulk storage and into these using a small funnel )

Cellulose Wallpaper Adhesive (without fungicide additive), “Copydex” and other school glues and gums

Cellotape, masking tape, brown paper tape, vinyl packaging tape and electrical insulating tape

Wide assortment of junk materials (home disposables) such as boxes, squeezy bottles, cardboard rolls, egg cartons, tubs, tops and lids

Various types of self-hardening and kiln-fired clays

Sewing, Darning, Weaving and Knitting materials, Threads, Wools, Yarns and String

Range of suitable synthetic and natural fabric materials

Fabric Dyes, inks, paints and batik wax etc.

Beads, sequins, buttons

Cookery materials and food ingredients as and when required (The Health and Hygiene rules and regulations need to be carefully considered)

Lollipop sticks, matchsticks, Paper "Art-straws" and plastic drinking straws

Clear Polythene Sheet, carrier bags or bin liners for kite making

Damp sand, Self-hardening Clay, “Play-dough”, “Plasticine”, “Flour-dough” for modelling

Balloons, rubber bands, paper clips, drawing pins, pins, eyelets, split paper fasteners


Back to content | Back to main menu