Furniture Prototypes

Product Design Engineering

Furniture Prototypes explores product design engineering in activities designed to support the technical skill of paper manipulation alongside the development of prototyping and critiquing skills. Pupils will learn to roll paper into strong rods during the skill builder in order to confidently and rapidly prototype during tinker time. Using a design brief, pupils will build a (model or life-sized) piece of furniture using paper rods.

EXPLORATION

Pupils playfully explore the properties of paper as a construction material by building a paper tower using newspaper .

SKILL BUILDER

Pupils develop skills of critiquing and rolling strong paper rods using the video tutorial.


TINKER TIME

Pupils design and build a (model or life-sized) piece of furniture using paper rods. A design brief is included whilst allowing pupils the freedom to develop their own designs.

MEET AN ENGINEER

Hannah - Product Design Engineer

This project has been inspired by Hannah, a Product Design Engineer. To help children better understand what engineering is and what engineers do, it is important that they have the opportunity to meet one (even virtually!) Use this video to introduce a real engineer to your class.

HANNAH.pdf
News-tower.pdf
Let's think paper construction

Paper towers

(approx 30 mins)

  1. Explore the properties of paper as a construction material by completing this paper towers activity from Maker{Futures}.


  1. Use the question prompts to reflect on:

  • the activity

  • using paper as a construction material.

Resources from school

  • Newspaper or scrap paper

  • Tape

  • Glue sticks

critique: skill builder

  1. Learning how to Critique


(approx. 0.5 hours)

Being able to critique is an important maker skill. Complete the critique activity using the digital resource slides.

2. Making Paper Rods

(approx. 0.5 hours)

Making paper rods: tutorial

Watch the step by step video which shows pupils how to create strong paper rods.

TIP: you may want to pause at each step to reinforce the stages of the process.

0 - 3.50 mins shows making paper rods3.50 - 5.30 mins shows cutting paper rods5.30 - 11.54 mins shows attaching paper rods
Paper Rods: Skill Builder

Making paper rods: guide

Pupils can create their own rods in groups using the google slides resource.


Resources from Maker{Kit)

  • Paper

  • Skewer

  • Pipe cleaners

  • reusable cable ties

  • Masking tape

Resources from school

  • Glue stick

  • String

  • Paper

Watch this clip to find out how you can be an engineer volunteer!

Be an Engineer Volunteer!

Hannah has been given an exciting engineering challenge.

But she is would like some assistance. Can you help?

Furniture Design & Prototype

(1 - 2 hours)

Tinker time activities are child lead activities aimed to deepen thinking, skills and knowledge gained through the exploration and skill builder activities (together with existing knowledge and skills). The idea is to give children little or no instruction, but let them make their own decisions to create their own design solutions. The learning objective focuses on effectively using the iterative Maker{Cycle} process rather than on the finished product. Children should aim to create several iterations by rapid prototyping their ideas in draft form and test early on in the process. This allows lots of time to see what works and what doesn't. Children will need reminding to test their prototypes along the way.

Design brief: Prototype furniture

Can you design and make a prototype piece of furniture that meets the design brief?

Use the Design Brief google slides to introduce the tinker time project

Maker cycle paper furniture

Maker{cycle}

Use the maker cycle google slides to help pupils to produce their best work

test it out furniture making

Test it out

Use this to support pupil's critiquing skills - or ask children to design their own. These could be a questionnaire, sticky notes, digitally (e.g. Jamboard, Flipgrid, Google Form)

Maker{Log}

Ask pupils to record their maker projects on google jam board like the one here

Resources from Maker{Kit)

  • Paper

  • Skewer

  • Pipe cleaners

  • reusable cable ties

  • Masking tape

Resources from school

  • Glue stick

  • String

  • Paper

  • Craft supplies to decorate furniture

  • Pens

Feeling stuck, overwhelmed or just have a question?

We understand that there are elements of these projects that may be new to you or that you feel unsure about having a go at. If there are things you are unsure about or want to ask questions, please email Alison Buxton alison.buxton@sheffield.ac.uk so we can support you.

Don't forget to take lots of photos and videos for your show reel to show at our celebration event.

When you have completed your projects - please submit your teacher and pupil feedback forms.

Have fun!

Risk Assessment

RA Furniture Prototype.pdf

Use this risk assessment to support your planning and delivery of the Furniture Prototype project