Glossary

This glossary is based on the terms you will find in the National Curriculum Orders for Design & Technology or Information Technology in the Nuffield Primary D&T materials or in a range of other currently available texts / catalogues / websites.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W XYZ

abrasive

a material which smoothes and removes marks from wood, plastics and metal; see glass paper and sand paper

acetate sheet

a thin transparent plastic usually colourless but also available in coloured form; a useful material when transparency is needed e.g. in making a torch, or windows in a model of a building

adhesive

a substance used to stick materials together; examples include pva glue, cow gum, low temperature hot melt glue

adult-helper

an adult other than a teacher who provides support in the classroom. Make sure any adult helpers are aware of health and safety issues and also expected learning outcomes for each activity they help with.

advertisement

information about a product or service used to attract potential consumers; advertising takes place in newspapers and magazines, on hoardings, on radio and television and on the Internet

advertising copy

the form of words used in an advertisement. Pupils can learn a lot from both studying and creating such copy

aesthetic considerations

the area of design concerned with making products look attractive

allergy

unusual sensitivity to the action of food, pollens, insect bites etc. You should find out about any allergies your pupils may have to foods or materials before using them in the classroom. You should get parental approval for activities that involve tasting food.

annotations

brief notes added to design sketches to make things clearer or to give more detail

appearance

the way something looks to an observer

artefact

a made object

assembly

the way parts of a product are fitted together

assessment

a judgement of a pupil's achievement

axle

the shaft on which wheels are carried. The wheels are either fixed so that they turn with the axle or able to spin freely on the axle.