Year 9 Modelmaking

Year 9 Product Designers spent this weeks lesson learning about modelling techniques.

Modelling stations were set up for them to explore a range of materials from plasticine to foam board.

They only had 7 minutes at each station to make a model using the techniques shown.

They learned that some materials were quite difficult to manipulate in a short space of time and certain materials lend themselves to specific modelling ideas.

All agreed that the lesson was great fun and they can't wait until they can flex their new modelling skills on the current design project.

Here are some of their finished models:

Food Technology gets going

Our first Year 10 GCSE Food Technology students tried out the new classroom this week.  Their brief was to practise the skill of enrobing by making chicken goujons.  Students modified their recipes by adding different flavours to the goujons and by making a dipping sauce of their choice as an accompaniment.  

Josh Walker created an Italian themed dish by adding parmesan cheese to his breadcrumbs and making a roasted garlic and tomato dip.

Anabelle Taylor made a delicious guacamole dip to complement her dish. The students thoroughly enjoyed creating their dishes and were delighted with the new facilities.

Design Detectives

Year 9 Product Designers were roaming around the DT department this week. They were searching for products they could improve using an analysis tool called PMI (plus,minus, interesting)

Amazingly, when they fed back at the end of the lesson they had all chosen differen products to redesign!

Over the next few weeks they will be developing their modelling skills before redesigning these products.

Good Design

The new AS Product Designers started their course by studying Dieter Rams Ten Principles of Good Design.

They each gave a short presentation about a product they believed embodied good design.

The clear winner was Meera who had chosen the canvas tote bag - elegant and simple - well done!

I'm back!!

You've probably been wondering why there have been no posts since March. Unfortunately (or is that fortunately? ;) ) I've been off work due to a rather nasty illness. It's all fixed now and they've removed the offending organ (my gall bladder) and I'm back to full health and back at school ready for the challenges of a new year.

And there have been some changes. Mrs Hoyland is away again on maternity leave - a little boy this time. Mrs Naylor joined us in the second half of the summer term (more about her later) and the mighty Mr Pye retired after 25 years of service to the school. I still expect to see him around the department and he will be sorely missed by staff and students alike :(

Mrs Naylor is helping us to launch two new subjects at Silcoates: AS Photography and GCSE Food Technology. To that end the school has gifted us with two extra rooms, and this is what the new food room looked like the day before school started:

We have introduced food projects into KS3 and I for one am looking forward to  performing some taste testing on what the students produce!

We have also been joined by Mrs Goldby and Mr Potter who will be taking on a couple of lower school lessons each until Mrs Hoyland returns at Easter. Both are old Silcoatians who were taught by Mr Pye! The circle is now complete ! (To quote Darth Vader)

So welcome back and let's see what you can design and make this year - lets go to work!