Year 5 DT - Structures and Mechanisms

In a recent Design and Technology lesson, pupils explored the fascinating ways structures and mechanisms can be used to create movement within books. The session focused on helping children understand how simple engineering techniques can bring pages to life.

During the lesson, the class learned that structures rely on the movement of pages to function, while mechanisms are used to control and guide that movement. This gave pupils a clear foundation before they began experimenting with their own ideas.

A highlight of the session was the introduction of the automatic pull-strip method. Children investigated how pulling a tab can cause different parts of a page to move, as they tested the technique for themselves.

Building on this knowledge, pupils then began planning their own pop-up books. Each child designed a front cover along with four pages, carefully thinking about how to incorporate a range of structures and mechanisms into their work.

In the upcoming sessions, pupils will begin constructing their pop-up books and turning their creative designs into working models.

Well done Year 5, we can't wait to see the finished product!

Year 5 DT - Structures and Mechanisms