HOW TO

SECONDARY

TEACHER GUIDANCE

The Operation Spitfire Secondary Curriculum has been designed for KS3 students but could be adapted for some KS4 students. Its aims are to improve pupils understanding of why the Spitfire is important to people in Stoke-On-Trent and to give them an understanding of basic engineering principles so they can access a career in engineering in the future. Our guiding principles are creativity, curiosity, inclusion and relevance.

HOW TO

Video coming soon.

Take Off

The curriculum begins with a Take Off session. This 30-minute session gives the students an introduction to the history of the Spitfire and the Operation Spitfire 4 Schools Curriculum.

Curriculum Planning

The lessons are designed so they can be co-ordinated and taught by staff in the Science or Engineering department of your school, perhaps with help from a member of the Design and Technology team to run the extra-curricular project. The lessons could be delivered over two days off timetable/ drop down days or during the Science or Engineering lessons over two weeks in school as part of a Local History week or British Science week. Alternatively, you may choose to incorporate the lessons into the curriculum you already teach over the year. The lessons are accompanied by two self-guided lessons in the form of booklets which you could choose to set as homework or to use during form time.

Each lesson is linked to the National Curriculum.

Each lesson is linked to the Stoke-On-Trent and Staffordshire Employer Competency Framework and Gatsby Benchmarks.

The mapping documents are provided as part of the programme.

TEACHING THE LESSONS

To teach the lessons you will need access to the curriculum online. The lessons are in the section named Secondary Navigation. The starting point to access all the resources is the Hangar page available from the top menu when logged in.
There are nine lessons in total which will take nine hours to deliver: History: The Spitfire (1 Hour), Science: Forces in Flight (1 Hour), Science: Flight Variables (1 Hour), Science: Forces in Flight Investigation (1 Hour), Science: Forces in Take Off and Landing (1 Hour), Engineering: The Merlin Engine (1 Hour), Engineering: Powerful Propellers (1 Hour), Engineering: Tilly Shilling Systems Engineer (1 Hour), Engineering: Tilly Shillings’ Engineering Challenge (1 Hour).
Each lesson is in it’s own folder. The folder contains teacher notes, an accompanying slidedeck and any worksheets you may need.

SELF-GUIDED LEARNING

There are two self-guided lessons, a History lesson called The Role of Women and an Art Lesson called Iconic Design. The lessons are in the folder named Reconnaissance: Home Learning.
Each lesson has a student booklet which you should print out on one A3 sheet or two sides of A4 and student guidance in the form of a slidedeck which you could place on your schools online learning platform.
The lessons could be set as homework or used during form time.

EXTRA-CURRICULAR STEM PROJECT

There is an extra-curricular project included in the project called ‘Why do Engineers have to be excellent at failing?’.
The objective is to create a solar-powered propeller car. In this STEM project students will take part in an engineering competition where they will learn why failure is an important part of the design process.
This project is designed to be delivered by a Design and Technology teacher in an extra-curricular STEM club at lunchtime or after school.
You could deliver the project alongside the Operation Spitfire 4 Schools Secondary Curriculum or you may choose to deliver the project after.
The project gives you an opportunity to target pupils who may have low Science Capital. These pupils are unlikely to participate in Science and Engineering careers post 16 and may see a career in Science and Engineering as being not for them.
You will be provided with a project kit.

Meet a Member of the Operation Spitfire Team

Your students will meet a member of the Operation Spitfire team and have the opportunity to ask them questions. The Operation Spitfire team comprises of individuals with links to the Spitfire such as a current Spitfire pilot, an RAF engineer, engineers who have worked to create the Spitfire simulator in the museum, a relative of a female Spitfire Pilot and a relative of Reginald Mitchell. This can form part of your museum visit or the speaker can visit your school.

MUSEUM VISIT

The Operation Spitfire Secondary Curriculum includes a visit to the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery.
At the Museum your students will take part in a Spitfire Heroes and Flight School Workshop.
This visit should be booked at the beginning of your curriculum as this will ensure that the museum can accommodate you.