Introducing CAD/CAM into primary schools, part 1 of a case study – developing the curriculum

This paper describes the first part of a small case study in which a secondary school works with three partner primary schools to develop computer assisted design and computer assisted manufacture (CAD/CAM) expertise in primary school children in Years 2, 4 and 5. Three secondary school teachers developed units of work incorporating CAD/CAM, taught these units to small groups of primary school children who will then act as peer mentors to the rest of the pupils in their class when the entire class is taught the unit. The nature of the work produced by these small groups is discussed in terms of the design decisions made by the pupils.