Themes
This unit’s theme is based on how to make a moving monster. For guidance on how to adapt the unit to the alternative theme of ‘Easter – Mechanical animals’, please visit the theme page here.
Unit outcomes
Pupils who are secure will be able to:
- Identify the correct terms for levers, linkages and pivots.
- Analyse popular toys with the correct terminology.
- Create functional linkages that produce the desired input and output motions.
- Design monsters suitable for children, which satisfy most of the design criteria.
- Evaluate their two designs against the design criteria, using this information and the feedback of their peers to choose their best design.
- Select and assemble materials to create their planned monster features.
- Assemble the monster to their linkages without affecting their functionality.
Suggested prior learning
Mechanisms: Making a moving storybook
Get started
Lesson plans
Lesson 1: Pivots, levers and linkages
Lesson 2: Making linkages
Lesson 3: Designing my monster
Lesson 4: Making my monster
Key skills
- Creating a design criteria
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Key knowledge
- To know that mechanisms
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Key vocabulary
axle
design criteria
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Related content
Unit resources
Knowledge organiser: DT – Y2 Moving monster
A summary document for pupils' use, condensing the key facts, definitions and learning from this Year 2 Moving monsters unit.
Vocabulary display: Making a moving monster
A display version of the key vocabulary from the Making a moving monster unit.
Subject resources
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Cross-curricular opportunities
None relevant to this unit.
Build on the learning
Option 2: Pneumatic toys
Pupils build on their knowledge from creating moving monsters, where they explored levers, linkages, and pivots, to apply skills in developing more complex pneumatic systems.
