KS1 – Design and Technology – Build Brilliant Structures

Learning Objective

To build structures, exploring how they can be made stronger, stiffer and more stable.

Resources

- Sticks

- String

- Material

- The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson

- Pictures of dens and tents

- Toy mouse or mouse puppet

Introduction

Read The Gruffalo. Ask children to think about how to make the mouse feel safer in the wood. Show children pictures of dens and tents and ask them to consider the different shapes, and what makes them an effective design.

Activity

Make a house for a mouse! Put children in small teams. Ask children to work together to plan, collect resources, and build a house for the mouse.

Extension

Show children the ‘mouse’ from The Gruffalo. Let him have a go in the children’s structures. Ask them to consider what is good about their structures, and what could be improved. Ask children how they could be made stronger, stiffer and more stable.