Spring 2026 — Tinkercad Term: Curriculum Links

This page summarises how the Spring 2026 Tinkercad term connects to the KS2 curriculum.

KS2 Computing

Creating Media (3D and Digital Content)

  • Learners use Tinkercad to create and edit 3D content with a clear audience and purpose (name tags, characters, towers, vehicles).
  • They select tools (move, scale, rotate, align, group, holes, Sketch, Revolve) appropriately and explain what each does.

Programming & Logical Thinking (through SimLab and structured design)

  • SimLab activities introduce simple ideas from programming and modelling: cause and effect, rules, parameters (e.g. ramp angle) and outcomes.
  • Pupils learn to predict what will happen, test it, then update their design based on the result (a basic form of “debugging”).

Problem Solving & Computational Thinking

  • Across the term, learners break problems into smaller steps (e.g. build base → add details → test).
  • They use repetition and symmetry tools (duplicate, mirror) as manual equivalents of loops and pattern generation.

KS2 Design & Technology

Design

  • Pupils work to simple design briefs:
    • Week 1: a readable name tag / keyring.
    • Week 2: a simple character token.
    • Week 3–4: stamps, patterns and symmetric creatures/rockets.
    • Week 5: a revolved product (cup, rocket body, pendant).
    • Week 7–10: car bodies and towers with constraints (motion, stability, simulated earthquakes).
  • They consider users (self, friend, classroom) and real‑world context (tag size, strength, readability).

Make

  • Pupils select virtual tools and techniques to shape, join and refine their products.
  • They practise measuring in millimetres, aligning parts, creating holes and mirroring components.

Evaluate

  • After testing in SimLab, learners describe what worked, what failed and what they changed.
  • In Week 10, they present a final design and reflect on improvements made over the term.

Technical Knowledge

  • Basic understanding of how shape and material thickness relate to strength.
  • Simple mechanical ideas: wheels, axles and how friction affects motion (Weeks 6–8).
  • Structural ideas: wide bases, bracing and centre of mass for tall towers (Week 9).

KS2 Maths

  • Number & Measurement:
    • Use millimetres as standard units in Tinkercad.
    • Compare lengths, heights and thicknesses (e.g. ramp length, wall thickness).
  • Geometry – Properties of Shape:
    • Explore 3D shapes (prisms, cylinders, spheres) and nets indirectly through modelling.
    • Use symmetry and rotation (mirror tools, revolve profiles).
  • Geometry – Position & Direction:
    • Interpret movement in 3D space using x, y, z axes and camera controls.
  • Statistics & Reasoning (informal):
    • Compare outcomes in SimLab experiments (which car went furthest, which tower survived longer).

Science & Engineering Links

  • Forces & Motion (Weeks 6–8):
    • Gravity pulling objects down ramps.
    • Friction helping or hindering sliding/rolling.
    • Collisions and simple observations of speed and distance.
  • Materials & Structures (Weeks 3–5 & 9):
    • Thinking about wall thickness, brittle vs sturdy shapes.
    • Towers with wide vs narrow bases; the effect of bracing triangles.
  • Working Scientifically:
    • Making predictions, running tests, observing outcomes and suggesting improvements.

Art & Design

  • Visual Communication:
    • Using shape, colour, pattern and symmetry to make designs more readable and appealing.
  • Identity & Personalisation:
    • Name tags, characters and pendants that reflect learners’ interests, roles or favourite themes.
  • Iterative Making:
    • Encouraging rough ideas first, then refinement (e.g. rocket or car over multiple weeks).

PSHE, Teamwork & Oracy

  • Collaboration:
    • Learners often work in pairs or small groups to share ideas, give feedback and debug designs.
  • Resilience & Growth Mindset:
    • SimLab experiments make “failure” safe and visible; pupils are encouraged to treat it as information, not a problem.
  • Speaking & Listening:
    • Weekly quick “show and tell” moments help pupils practise explaining their work and listening to others.

Overview: Where Things Happen

  • Weeks 1–5: Core CAD skills — navigation, shapes, holes, symmetry, Sketch & Revolve.
  • Weeks 6–8: Motion and vehicles — ramps, friction and simple car designs, tested in SimLab.
  • Weeks 9–10: Structures and final projects — stable towers, earthquake simulations and improved best‑of‑term designs.