Engineering and science: 3 units to get started with

At Developing Experts, we are passionate about linking lesson content to real-life careers. Engaging in discussions about how forces, magnets, materials and electricity are used in everyday contexts is a great way to profile engineering as a career. If you’re looking to focus on engineering as a topic, here is our selection of 3 KS1 and KS2 units to use from the Developing Experts platform.

Year 1: Exploring Everyday Materials 1

As the first materials-focused unit that your pupils will come across in science, our first Year 1 Materials unit is a great topic to start with when introducing engineering concepts. In this unit, pupils will identify different materials, distinguish between materials and objects, describe properties of materials and more. As you’re teaching this unit, explain that in real life, engineers need to select the right materials for a certain job based on their strength, flexibility, durability or other properties. For example, bridges need strong materials like steel and concrete. Challenge your class to think of other examples. 

Year 3: Forces and Magnets 

In this unit, pupils continue their learning on forces. They will encounter contact and non-contact forces, magnets and magnetic forces. Explain that engineers consider friction, air resistance and gravity to make vehicles safe and efficient, while mechanical engineers need to understand gravity and friction when designing a rollercoaster. You could ask your class if they’ve heard of Maglev Trains - trains that use repelling magnets to lift off the track and reduce friction, making them faster. 

Year 6: Electricity

This is the second electricity unit pupils come across in KS2. It builds on prior knowledge by exploring electric circuits, voltage, conductors and insulators. Electricity is a great topic to discuss because it is so observable around us all the time. Engineers use electricity in almost every field of engineering, from designing circuits in computers to creating sustainable energy solutions. You could ask your pupils to research robotics engineering, biomedical engineering, or even explore how engineers are designing smarter electricity networks to prevent power cuts. 

You’ll find lots more engineering-related content on the platform. You can find out more, view sample units and find our career-related content all on www.developingexperts.com now.