Overview

For Year 10 GCSE 3D Design students
Duration: 60 minutes
Class size: 20 students
Curriculum: National Curriculum for England (Design & Technology – KS4 14-16 GCSE level / Art & Design – 3D Design pathway)

---

Learning Context

This lesson is Lesson 1: Introduction & Mind Mapping (AO1 – Research & Inspiration) from the Places & Spaces – Interpreting Architecture in 3D project pack. It aligns directly with the AQA GCSE 3D Design specification (Component 1 NEA) and the National Curriculum programmes of study for Design and Technology, encouraging investigative skills, understanding user context and researching inspiring sources.

---

National Curriculum Links

• Design & Technology Attainment Target: Investigate and analyse — Develop critical thinking and research skills (NC KS4 DT)
• Art & Design KS4: Develop ideas through investigations, demonstrating critical understanding of sources (NC KS4 Art and Design)
• Cross-cutting skills: literacy, annotation, visual communication, critical reflection
• Cultural capital: understanding and appreciation of architectural and sculptural forms in everyday life

---

Lesson Objectives (WALT)

• WALT: Understand the theme Places & Spaces and identify architectural places or spaces relevant to us.
• WALT: Generate a mind map to develop ideas for 3D design inspired by architecture.
• WALT: Use annotation to explain initial perceptions and connections.
• WALT: Develop observation skills to support future research.

---

Success Criteria

• Produce a detailed mind map with varied ideas (buildings, bridges, interiors, cities) linked to Places & Spaces.
• Annotate ideas to explain why they are interesting or inspiring.
• Participate in group discussion to explore different interpretations of places and spaces.
• Demonstrate engagement by generating at least 5 distinct ideas on the mind map.

---

Resources

• Printed Student Project Booklets
• Large whiteboards or flip chart paper & markers for collaborative mind mapping
• Individual A3 sketchbooks or paper for students
• Pencil, coloured pens/pencils
• Dyslexia-friendly fonts for printed word prompts and handouts
• Visual stimulus: photographs of varied architectural spaces, simple 3D forms (e.g. bridges, halls, domes)
• Digital camera / mobile phones for homework task

---

Introduction (10 minutes)

1. Starter Activity: Show images of different places and spaces (urban, rural, interior, structures). Ask: What do you notice? What feelings do these spaces give you?
2. Introduce the project title: Places & Spaces – Interpreting Architecture in 3D. Explain the Project Question: How can architectural places and spaces be transformed into a three-dimensional sculptural form?
3. Connect to AO1 (Research & Inspiration) by explaining we will soon explore artists and architectural examples.
4. Explain how today’s goal is to brainstorm ideas through mind mapping to kick-start research.

---

Main Activity (35 minutes)

Step 1: Mind Map Creation (20 minutes)

• In pairs, students brainstorm all the kinds of places and spaces they know—buildings, bridges, public spaces, interiors, even fantastical spaces.
• Teacher models mind mapping on the whiteboard, showing how to branch ideas and include examples and descriptors (light, layering, structure).
• Pairs then create individual mind maps in sketchbooks with 5+ main branches and further sub-branches.
• Encourage annotations: Why is this place interesting? What features stand out architecturally?

Differentiation:

• SEND Support: Provide pre-printed labels or icons to stick on mind maps for vocabulary support. Offer sentence starters like: "This space is interesting because...", "I think about layers when I see..."
• Extension: Ask more advanced learners to add artist references or intentional design elements they imagine applying to these spaces.

Step 2: Group Share & Discussion (15 minutes)

• Each pair presents one branch of their mind map and annotations to the class.
• Highlight common themes (such as repetition, layering, light).
• Facilitate reflective questions: How might you translate these ideas into a 3D form?
• Summarise key concepts and link to the future homework.

---

Homework (Set for next lesson):

• Take photographs of a local place or space that inspires the student (architecture, urban detail, interior, or natural environment with structure).
• Write 3 brief annotations explaining why that place or space was chosen.

---

Plenary (10 minutes)

• Recap learning objectives and revisit success criteria on board.
• Quick quiz: “Name 2 features of architectural places that you noted in your mind map.”
• Students self-assess their mind map against the success criteria using a simple traffic light system (Green = met all criteria, Amber = some gaps, Red = need support).

---

Assessment

• Formative assessment through observation of mind maps and discussion contributions.
• Annotated mind maps collected or photographed for teacher feedback.
• Use GCSE AO1 marking grid descriptors for feedback focus: clarity, depth of ideas, and personal insight.

---

Differentiation Summary

Learner Group	Strategy	Extension Activity
SEND / Dyslexic	Pre-cut sentence starters; dyslexia-friendly fonts; visual icons & colour coding	Use tactile materials to inspire later 3D work.
EAL Students	Visual vocabulary cards; paired with strong English speakers	Add a bilingual glossary of architectural terms.
Higher Ability	Add quick research of one artist (Es Devlin/Emmanuelle Moureaux) inspirations	Create a mini mood board of images to accompany mind map.

---

Dyslexia-Friendly Strategies

• Use large fonts with high contrast on all printed materials.
• Avoid dense text; use bullet points and visuals.
• Break tasks into clear, manageable chunks.
• Allow oral responses when possible during group sharing.
• Provide exemplar mind map templates to reduce cognitive load.

---

Reflection for Teacher

• This opening lesson sets the tone for student-led inquiry and multimodal research essential to GCSE 3D Design AO1.
• Focus on student confidence in expressing varied ideas linked to the project theme.
• Monitor engagement and scaffold critical thinking through careful questioning.
• Collect work to inform individual target setting for research skills development.

---

Summary Checklist

• Clear, curriculum-linked WALT and success criteria
• Balanced whole-class, paired, and individual activities
• SEND and dyslexia strategies integrated
• Enrichment for higher ability students included
• Formative assessment aligned with GCSE AO1 criteria
• Preparation for next lesson (artist research & photographic homework)

---

This detailed, structured first lesson ensures a solid foundation for ambitious exploration of architecture through 3D design in line with the GCSE national curriculum.