Energy and the impact on designs
I can identify how the design of products can impact the environment in terms of energy.
Energy and the impact on designs
I can identify how the design of products can impact the environment in terms of energy.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Processing iron to become steel uses a huge amount of energy.
- Transporting products uses energy.
- Many companies are designing products for a circular economy.
Keywords
Circular economy - products and materials are kept in circulation and do not become waste
Life cycle assessment (LCA) - assesses the environmental impact at every stage of a product’s lifecycle
Carbon emissions - volume of carbon produced contributing to global warming
Obsolete - a product that is no longer used or useful
Common misconception
Environmental impact only occurs when products are disposed of.
Circular economy and LCA consider the environmental impact at every single stage of a product's life cycle.
To help you plan your year 11 design and technology lesson on: Energy and the impact on designs, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 11 design and technology lesson on: Energy and the impact on designs, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 design and technology lessons from the Core principles unit, dive into the full secondary design and technology curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
Content guidance
- Risk assessment required - equipment
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Starter quiz
6 Questions
cannot be replaced when they are used up
never run out and can be replenished naturally, such as wind and solar
volume of carbon produced contributing to global warming
examples include oil, coal and gas
Exit quiz
6 Questions
linear product life cycle
circular product life cycle
a product that is no longer used or useful
product in use
distribution
waste
repair and maintenance