Following last week’s session, the children were tasked to make a mechanical system independently.
KS1, using a photograph of the outdoor classroom as the background, the children designed and made their own sliders. They were given a selection of outdoor elements in picture form and the criteria was to design their slider using an animal as the subject. They could include any added details such as flaps or hand drawn elements.
Which part of this task did you find the trickiest to do?
Would you be able to explain the process to someone else?
What would you do differently next time?
KS2 years 3/4, their aim was to design and make a mechanical system using their knowledge of levers and linkages. They could choose what ever system they felt confident with or could challenge themselves by making a more complex system.
Which system did you make?
Where were the linkages?
Can you explain which pivots are loose and which pivots are fixed?
How could you improve your design?
Ks2 years 5/6, had a selection of gears, pulleys, bands, dowels and clamps. Working in groups of 4 the children had to make a pulley system using all their knowledge of how gears and pulleys work, then put this information together to connect the two systems.
What were the bands used for?
Did you succeed in making a working pulley?
how would you change your design?
