Moving Pictures (Sliders and Levers)

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Concepts

This study delivers 1 primary concept and 2 secondary concepts.

Primary concept: Mechanisms: Levers, Sliders, Wheels and Axles (DT-KS1-C005)

Type: Knowledge | Teaching weight: 1/6

Mechanisms are devices that transmit and modify motion and force. At KS1, pupils explore simple mechanisms including levers, sliders, wheels and axles, learning how these can be used to create movement in their products. Pupils investigate how levers pivot around a fulcrum, how sliders create linear movement, and how wheels turning on axles enable rolling. This concept introduces the principle that mechanical systems convert one type of input into useful output.

Teaching guidance: Provide ready-made mechanical components such as split pins, card strips and wheels for exploring levers and pivots. Make simple moving pictures using levers and sliders that create movement when a card is pulled. Attach wheels to simple vehicles and investigate how the diameter of wheels affects how far they travel. Examine real products that use these mechanisms. Encourage pupils to describe the movement they observe using appropriate vocabulary. Key vocabulary: mechanism, lever, slider, wheel, axle, pivot, fulcrum, rotate, linear, movement, force, input, output, motion Common misconceptions: Pupils may confuse wheels (which rotate) with rollers or may not understand the function of an axle in keeping a wheel spinning. Practical investigation with real mechanisms is more effective than diagrammatic explanation at this stage. Pupils may not recognise that levers are found in everyday objects such as scissors, seesaws and door handles.

Differentiation

Model response (Entry): When I push the arm it moves around the split pin. The split pin is in the middle and the arm swings up and down.

Model response (Developing): I cut out a character and a separate arm. I attached the arm with a split pin at the shoulder. I added a card strip at the back so I can push it from behind to make the arm wave.

Model response (Expected): I chose a slider mechanism because it is simple and safe for a small child to use — they just pull a tab. I made a fish that slides across a sea scene. The slider is a card strip that moves through two slots. I chose this instead of a lever because the sliding movement looks like swimming, which matches the fish design.

Secondary concept: Iterative Design Process (DT-KS1-C001)

Type: Process | Teaching weight: 1/6

The iterative design process involves cyclical stages of designing, making and evaluating, where each stage informs the others and products are progressively improved. At KS1, pupils are introduced to this process in a simplified form, learning that good products emerge from planning, making and reflection rather than a single attempt. The iterative nature of design means that problems discovered during making can lead to redesign, and evaluation can trigger further improvement.

Differentiation

Secondary concept: Joining and Finishing Techniques (DT-KS1-C009)

Type: Skill | Teaching weight: 1/6

Joining techniques are methods used to connect materials and components together so that a product holds its shape and structure. At KS1, pupils explore a range of joining methods including adhesives (glue, tape, staples), mechanical fixings (split pins, treasury tags, stitching) and construction techniques (folding tabs, slots). Finishing refers to the processes applied to the surface of a product after it has been assembled, such as painting, colouring or adding surface decoration, to improve its appearance and protect it.

Differentiation

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Thinking lens: Structure and Function (primary)

Key question: How does the structure of this thing enable or explain what it does? Why this lens fits: Selecting joining techniques requires pupils to reason about how the method of joining (gluing, stapling, sewing) must match the structural demands of the product — the function of the join determines which technique is appropriate. Question stems for KS1:

What shape is it? Why do you think it is that shape?

What job does this part do?

What would happen if this part were a different shape?

Can you find something else that does the same job?

Secondary lens: Cause and Effect — Safe tool use is built on understanding that specific actions with tools produce specific consequences — applying too much force, holding a blade incorrectly, or choosing the wrong tool each has a predictable and teachable effect.

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Session structure: Design, Make, Evaluate

Design, Make, Evaluate

The core Design & Technology cycle. Pupils investigate existing products and user needs, design a solution with clear specifications, plan the making process, construct using appropriate materials and techniques, test against the design brief, and evaluate the outcome with suggestions for improvement.

investigate → design → plan → make → test → evaluate Assessment: Design portfolio including investigation findings, annotated design with specifications, making log, test results, and evaluative conclusion comparing outcome to original brief. Teacher note: Use the DESIGN, MAKE AND EVALUATE template: show children existing products and help them say what they like and how they work. Support them in drawing and talking about their own design idea. Help them choose materials and make their product with adult support. Encourage them to try it out and say what worked and what they might change. KS1 question stems:

What do you like about this product? How does it work?

Can you draw what you want to make?

What materials will you use? Why?

Does your product work? What would you change?

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Design and Technology: Mechanisms

Design brief: Design and make a picture book page with moving parts using sliders and levers. The movement must help tell a story. Materials: card, split pins, paper fasteners, cardboard strips, straws, coloured paper Tools: scissors, hole punch, ruler, glue stick Techniques: cutting to size, joining with split pins, creating slider tracks, lever mechanisms Safety notes: Adult supervision for hole punch. Ensure split pin points are flattened after insertion to prevent scratching. Demonstrate safe scissors use -- cut away from body. Evaluation criteria:

Does the slider/lever move smoothly?

Does the movement help tell the story?

Is the mechanism securely attached?

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Why this study matters

Moving picture books are an engaging first mechanisms project because the end product is immediately functional and satisfying -- the slider moves, the lever lifts, the child sees cause and effect. The project combines Art (illustration) with DT (mechanism) in a natural way. The relatively simple construction (card, split pins, paper strips) is achievable for 5-7 year olds while still teaching genuine mechanical principles.

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Pitfalls to avoid

Slider tracks too tight -- card bows and jams

Split pin points not flattened -- scratch hazard

Pupils decorate before testing mechanism -- if mechanism fails, decoration is wasted

Levers too short to create visible movement -- demonstrate lever length matters

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Vocabulary word mat

Prior knowledge (retrieval plan)

Pupils should already know the following from earlier units:

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Scaffolding and inclusion (Y1)

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Knowledge organiser

Key terms:

mechanism

slider

lever

pivot

split pin

design criteria

evaluate

Core facts (expected standard):

Mechanisms: Levers, Sliders, Wheels and Axles: Choosing and combining appropriate mechanisms for a design brief, explaining how the mechanism works and why they selected it.

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Graph context

Node type: DTTopicSuggestion | Study ID: TS-DT-KS1-001 Concept IDs:

DT-KS1-C005: Mechanisms: Levers, Sliders, Wheels and Axles (primary)

DT-KS1-C001: Iterative Design Process

DT-KS1-C009: Joining and Finishing Techniques

Cypher query:

``cypher

MATCH (ts:DTTopicSuggestion {suggestion_id: 'TS-DT-KS1-001'})

-[:DELIVERS_VIA]->(c:Concept)

-[:HAS_DIFFICULTY_LEVEL]->(dl)

RETURN c.name, dl.label, dl.description

``

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Generated from the UK Curriculum Knowledge Graph — zero LLM generation.