Technical Principles KS3

Technical Principles KS3 is a five-mission Year 9 Design & Technology activity book mapped to the DfE National Curriculum for Technical Principles. Pupils explore the forces of tension and compression on structures and how triangulation, folding and webbing make them stronger and stiffer; investigate the mechanisms that change movement and force (levers with a fulcrum, effort and load, plus linkages, gears, pulleys and cams) and the four types of motion (linear, rotary, reciprocating and oscillating); and follow simple electronic systems from input to process to output using sensors, switches, buzzers and LEDs, before comparing renewable and non-renewable energy. They then design a mechanism of their own and spot these principles in real products. Knowledge checks are auto-marked on screen, the design tasks are open, and the book includes teacher, parent and pupil notes with high-contrast and large-text SEND-friendly modes.