Autumn 1
Project Title: How Can Data Help Us Understand the World Around Us?
This term, our Year 1 children will become young scientists and designers as they explore the properties of materials and how data can help us make informed decisions. Their learning will be centred around a practical and creative challenge: designing and making a curtain that is both functional and appealing.
What Will the Children Be Learning?
Through a hands-on, cross-curricular approach, children will:
- Science: Investigate everyday materials, their physical properties, and how these affect their suitability for different purposes—especially for blocking out light.
- Design & Technology (DT): Learn how to design, test, and evaluate a product based on a design brief. They will create a panel for a class curtain, considering factors like opacity, flexibility, and appearance.
- Art: Explore printing techniques and tie-dye to embellish fabric. They will study designers such as Orla Kiely and William Morris, and create their own repeating patterns.
- Maths: Use data collection tools like tally charts and pictograms to support decision-making and evaluate materials.
Project Outcome
By the end of the term, each child will have created a fabric panel for a collaborative class curtain. This panel will reflect their understanding of materials and design, featuring a repeating pattern created through printing or dyeing techniques.
Enrichment Opportunities
To enhance their learning, children will:
- Use data loggers to measure light levels.
- Visit a haberdashery or textile company.
- Experiment with fabric colouring techniques.
- Create their own printed textile samples.
Global Learning
Children will explore how housing and window coverings differ around the world, encouraging them to appreciate diversity and develop a sense of global citizenship.
Supporting Learning at Home
You can support your child by:
- Talking about different materials and their uses at home.
- Exploring patterns in everyday objects.
- Reading linked texts such as The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig or Everyday Materials by Ruth Owen.