Main Focus:
This lesson is clear Evidence of Lessons Planned to Promote Pupil Ownership and Independence. Students go beyond technical know‑how to take responsibility for their learning: they plan, test, and critically evaluate their own designs while giving and receiving peer feedback.

What Students Do:
Using ultrasonic sensors and LEGO driving bases, pupils design a device to guard a “treasure.” Teams then evaluate the performance of competing devices by attempting to “steal” the treasure, recording results and deciding the level each team achieved. Because the models are tangible and the abstraction is low, even younger KS3 learners can meaningfully judge performance and iterate with purpose.

Why it Works:
The lesson structure builds an engineering mindset—prototype, test, reflect, refine—within a culture where peer feedback is valued and reflection drives understanding. Independence grows naturally as learners own the process and aim for higher expectations in a supportive, inclusive environment.

Referenced Lesson Plan:
Download the full lesson plan (PDF)