Lesson Plan

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Lesson Plan
Grade: Date: 17/01/2026
Subject: Design and Technology
Lesson Topic: Continuous improvement processes, such as Kaizen™.
Learning Objective/s:
  • Describe the key characteristics of quantity production and the purpose of continuous improvement.
  • Explain the Kaizen™ principles and the PDCA cycle.
  • Apply the PDCA cycle to analyse a simple production problem and calculate improvement metrics.
  • Evaluate the impact of a Kaizen suggestion on productivity, cycle time, and cost.
Materials Needed:
  • Projector and screen
  • Whiteboard and markers
  • Printed handout of Kaizen principles and PDCA table
  • Calculators
  • Worksheet with cycle‑time data
  • Sticky notes for suggestion board
  • Laptop with presentation slides
 Introduction:
Begin with a short video showing a factory line before and after a Kaizen change to capture interest. Review prior learning on standardised design and repeatable processes. Explain that today students will discover how small, systematic improvements can boost productivity, and they will demonstrate understanding through a PDCA worksheet and a suggestion activity.
Lesson Structure:
  1. Do‑now (5') – Examine a brief case study and list any visible waste.
  2. Mini‑lecture (10') – Present Kaizen principles and the PDCA cycle using slides.
  3. Guided practice (15') – In pairs, complete a PDCA table for the machining example and calculate new units per hour.
  4. Whole‑class debrief (10') – Discuss results, highlight metric calculations, and address misconceptions.
  5. Suggestion activity (10') – Teams generate a Kaizen idea for a classroom or workshop scenario and post it on a sticky‑note board.
  6. Exit ticket (5') – Write one key takeaway and one remaining question.
Conclusion:
Recap the Kaizen principles, the PDCA cycle, and how the calculations demonstrated measurable gains. Collect exit tickets to gauge understanding and clarify any lingering doubts. For homework, ask students to research a real‑world Kaizen case and prepare a brief report describing the problem, the PDCA steps taken, and the results achieved.