Focused Practical Task
Today we followed a recipe and learned how to work safely and hygienically. We made a basic truffle mixture and then experimented with different textures and flavours to see how the recipe could be customised.
Category : Design & Technology
Post D&T content here
Investigate
Year 6 began this project by learning about the role that chocolate played in the Mayan’s lives. Did you know they were one of the first civilisations to eat/drink chocolate? They used to add chilli to it!
We then explored the packaging of existing chocolates to see what the main ingredients in chocolate products are. We discussed allergens and different dietary requirements people may have and looked at a range of packaging to see how this has been designed with this in mind. We discovered that the main allergens were written in bold.
We had discussions about milk and why this ingredient might mean that chocolate is not always suitable for some people with allergies or who follow a vegan diet. We discussed alternatives to cows’ milk and how these can be used in chocolate recipes. We then did a mini taste test to see if we could tell the difference between chocolate containing milk and dairy-free chocolate. We discussed different flavours and textures.
We did some independent research into the process of making chocolate from bean to bar.
We taste-tested a range of chocolate products and completed hedonic sensory analysis and analysis of specific attributes. This was extremely exciting!
Over the last few weeks, Y4 have been working hard on creating their Christmas Light boxes for this term’s Design and Technology project.
Investigate
The journey started with investigating light-up Christmas items which are very popular the time of the year. The children loved taking these apart and making links between components, design and materials. They identified the key parts they would need in their boxes: a switch, wires, a bulb and batteries.
Focussed Practical Task
One tricky part of our project was creating the box which would hold all of their components and be able to display their design. We spent a lesson focussing on how to use nets to create three dimensional shapes. Children created a wide variety of shapes in varying difficulty. Some were very challenging and were tricky to assemble!
Focussed Practical Task: Making Nets
Design
The next step was to design their boxes. Children made a plan drawing of the inside and outside of their net. They also make a wiring diagram so they new how much wire they would need and where their components would go. They also finalised a design for a switch using split pins and paper clips.
Ready to make: Summer with her final design!
Making
The next step was very exciting – the children were finally ready to make their light boxes! They uses scissors to cut out their nets, used pencils, felt tip and pen to decorate it, electrical pliers to cut and strip the wires and clue and tape to fasten their materials together.
The finished product
The Light Boxes turned out fantastic! The children all worked really hard on them and we are super proud of what they have achieved. As with any process, some parts were harder from others and the children have fed back some small changes we will make for the next children who will make these, but overall it was a huge success!
Phoebe’s snowman light-box ready for Christmas!
Mr Morgan’s class were very please with their work!
Home-made switches working perfectly!
If you’d like to make one of our boxes, follow our ‘How to’ video below!
This week Year 1 completed their D.T day, looking at sliders and levers and how they operate! We explored different types of levers and sliders and researched the mechanism behind them! We then decided to design our own sliders and levers after reading ‘The Runaway Iceberg‘. This inspired us to use the Antarctica setting and create our own moving characters! We then evaluated our work and looked at what we could improve and do better next time! We had lots of fun with this D.T activity, especially using split pins for the very first time!!!
All our little ‘Hubbles’ looked amazing in their Pudsey Bear outfits today , fundraising for ‘Children in Need’.
We made some marshmallow top hats for Pudsey.
Recipe – Marshmallow Top Hats
Ingredients
marshmallows
chocolate
smarties
Method
- melt chocolate (make sure an adult helps you with this)
- dip bottom of marshmallow in chocolate and place in bun case (small cake cases fit better)
- with a spoon, drizzle a little melted chocolate on top of marshmallow
- place coloured smarties on top
Enjoy with a delicious mug of hot chocolate……..with mini marshmallows on top of course…….and whipped cream……….and a flake!!
Mmmmmm yum yum!!
In F1 we talked about Guy Fawkes and why we celebrate Bonfire Night. We also tried some traditional bonfire night food. We made our own sparklers, where we dipped our chocolate fingers in warm water to melt the chocolate and then covered them in sprinkles. We talked about how the chocolate melted. We did some fabulous blow paint firework pictures, which are now on display in our classroom. We also made some tasty treats in our mud kitchen food stall. Click on the link below to see our photos.
We had a very busy day learning all about Guy Fawkes and the reason we celebrate ‘Bonfire Night’.
- we displayed excellent teamwork skills collecting sticks and leaves to make our bonfire
- used a range of painting techniques to create bonfire and firework art
- wrote some important safety instructions for staying safe on ‘Bonfire Night’
- enjoyed making and eating edible sparklers and hot dogs whilst listening to our themed story ‘Sparks in the Sky’
- finished off our day all snuggled up watching a spectacular firework display
The children in the Hub have been celebrating Harvest by making ‘Harvest Creatures’, using fruit and vegetables. They took great pride in displaying their creations outside our Hub entrance and couldn’t wait to show their parents at the end of the day.
We were all very proud of the children for their discussions about all the things they were thankful for. They drew some lovely, detailed pictures and completed some beautiful writing.
The children loved designing their pumpkin and scooping out all the seeds.
Mr Norton carved out their design and delivered safety talk on using equipment.
Some of our children loved the sensory feeling of scooping out with their hands whilst others chose to scoop out with spoon.
We investigated our pumpkin seeds and compared sizes with other seeds.
PLEASE REMEMBER TO ALWAYS ASK AN ADULT TO HELP YOU CARVE YOUR PUMPKIN!
For sports relief this year we covered 3 elements to help us get our ‘game on.’ We learnt about the heart and the affects of exercise on the heart. We put our hearts to work during our active mile. We also looked at the body and learnt about how to be healthy. Each class designed and made a healthy meal or snack. We also spoke about our soul, and how we can be calm and happy, for this we did some yoga and a guided meditation.
Please click on the link below to see pictures of the day in each year group. It was a lovely fun day for all year groups and we really did learn a lot in aid of Sports Relief and raised money.