Lesson Plan

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Lesson Plan
Grade: Date: 17/01/2026
Subject: Design and Technology
Lesson Topic: Cutting, shaping and forming of materials using appropriate tools and methods.
Learning Objective/s:
  • Describe the three stages of material processing: cutting, shaping and forming.
  • Compare appropriate tools and methods for different materials and processes.
  • Calculate key parameters such as material removal rate and forming stress.
  • Apply safety procedures when using cutting, shaping, and forming equipment.
  • Select suitable processing techniques based on material type, tolerance and production requirements.
Materials Needed:
  • Projector or interactive whiteboard
  • Lesson handouts (process tables and worksheets)
  • Sample materials (soft wood, metal sheet, aluminium sheet)
  • Cutting tools (hand saw, band saw, access to laser cutter and water‑jet cutter)
  • Shaping equipment (milling machine, lathe, grinder)
  • Forming equipment (rolling mill, press brake)
  • Personal protective equipment (safety glasses, gloves, hearing protection)
 Introduction:
Begin with a quick demonstration of a laser‑cut steel fragment to spark curiosity about how different tools shape materials. Review students’ prior knowledge of basic tool safety and the three processing stages introduced in previous lessons. Explain that by the end of the session they will be able to identify the most suitable method for a given material and calculate key process parameters.
Lesson Structure:
  1. Do‑now (5'): Quick quiz on cutting vs shaping vs forming displayed on the board.
  2. Teacher input (10'): Overview of cutting methods with slides and sample tools.
  3. Guided activity (15'): Small groups analyse a material‑selection table and decide the optimal cutting method for given scenarios.
  4. Shaping demonstration (10'): Live milling/turning demo; discuss speed, feed and depth of cut.
  5. Forming exploration (10'): Show rolling press and press brake; calculate forming stress using provided data.
  6. Safety review (5'): Checklist of PPE and machine guarding.
  7. Formative check (5'): Exit ticket – write one appropriate process for a supplied material and justify the choice.
Conclusion:
Summarise how cutting, shaping and forming each serve distinct design purposes and the importance of selecting the right tool. Collect the exit tickets to gauge understanding of process selection. For homework, students complete a worksheet matching materials to processing methods and calculate a material removal rate for a given milling scenario.