Designing Our Torches

Overview

This is Lesson 2 in the 6-lesson unit "Brilliant Torch Designs" for Year 4 students. The focus is on helping pupils develop detailed and thoughtful design plans for their torches. They will build upon knowledge from the previous lesson by integrating specific features, creating success criteria that address functionality, aesthetics, and user-friendliness. The lesson culminates in peer presentations to foster constructive feedback and iterative improvement.

---

Curriculum Links

• National Curriculum for England (Art and Design, Key Stage 2):
  Pupils should be taught to produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording experiences. They should become proficient in drawing, designing, and describe the work of notable designers and artists.
• Design and Technology Programme of Study (Key Stage 2):
  Design purposeful, functional, appealing products for themselves and other users based on design criteria.
• PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education):
  Encouraging teamwork, respect during peer feedback.

---

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, pupils will be able to:

• Create detailed and annotated design plans for a torch.
• Develop clear success criteria focusing on key design elements: functionality, aesthetics, and user-friendliness.
• Present their design ideas confidently to peers.
• Provide and receive constructive feedback to refine designs.

---

Resources Needed

• Design plan templates or large A3 plain paper
• Pencils, coloured pencils, rulers, erasers
• Whiteboards/flipcharts for success criteria brainstorming
• Examples/photos of torches and innovative design features (optional)
• Sticky notes for peer feedback
• Timer or stopwatch

---

Lesson Structure (60 minutes)

1. Recap & Starter (10 minutes)

• Activity: Quick recap discussion of Lesson 1: Features of a brilliant torch.
  Ask students: What were some important features we discussed last time? (e.g., bright light source, easy to hold, durable).
• Visual prompt: Display a simple torch image with highlighted features.
• Teacher input: Explain today’s goal: designing their own torches with detailed plans.

---

2. Developing Success Criteria (10 minutes)

• Class brainstorm:
  Write three headings on the board: Functionality, Aesthetics, User-friendliness.
• Ask students to contribute ideas for what makes a torch work well under each heading.
• Examples to guide:
  • Functionality: brightness, battery life, switch position
  • Aesthetics: colour choices, materials, shape
  • User-friendliness: grip comfort, size, ease of use
• Compile a class success criteria chart on the board or flipchart that will guide their designs.

---

3. Design Planning (25 minutes)

• Main task: Students create their detailed torch design plans.
• Provide design templates or A3 paper with sections for:
  • Sketch front, side, and top views of the torch
  • Annotate features, including materials and colours
  • Include notes on how their torch will meet the success criteria
• Encourage pupils to think innovatively: Could their torch have extra features for safety or fun?
• Circulate and prompt with open questions such as:
  "How will users turn the torch on and off easily?"
  "How can you make sure the torch is comfortable to hold?"

---

4. Presentation & Feedback (10 minutes)

• In pairs or small groups, students present their designs briefly.
• Peers provide feedback using sticky notes with prompts:
  • What do you like about this design?
  • What could be improved?
  • Does it meet the success criteria?
• Encourage positive, specific comments related to their criteria.

---

5. Reflection & Next Steps (5 minutes)

• Whole class reflection: What did they learn about designing products today?
• Teacher to emphasise how feedback helps make designs better.
• Set the scene for Lesson 3: beginning to make prototype torches based on these plans.

---

Assessment & Differentiation

Assessment

• Observe students’ ability to articulate and apply success criteria in their designs.
• Use peer feedback quality as an informal assessment of understanding.
• Collect design plans to assess clarity, thoughtfulness, and creativity.

Differentiation

• Support: Provide sentence starters for annotations and success criteria; use pre-drawn templates for sketching.
• Challenge: Encourage some pupils to create 3D sketches or include simple mechanisms (e.g. switch, battery compartment).
• Allow additional time or scaffolded support for pupils with SEND.

---

Creative Extension Ideas (Optional)

• Introduce simple design technology language such as “ergonomics” and ask pupils to consider it in their designs.
• Use augmented reality or tablet apps (if available) to sketch designs digitally for tech-savvy pupils.
• Incorporate a role-play where students act as "designers pitching" to a panel (the class), adding presentation and persuasive speaking skills.

---

Teacher’s Notes

• Ensure a safe and supportive environment for sharing ideas. Reinforce that all designs are valued and unique.
• Be ready with prompts for pupils who struggle to get started.
• Link vocabulary to previous lesson and key terms in DT and Art to build cross-curricular knowledge.

---

This highly structured yet creative lesson supports critical thinking, practical design skills, and peer collaboration tailored specifically for Year 4 learners within the UK curriculum context.