STEP 3 Engineering

 Investigate and develop an understanding of how everyday items work:

 3rd class 

STEM Activity: Pushes and Pulls, Forces, Making things Move. - Link to Engineer's Week

Strands: Energy and Forces 

Strand Unit: Forces 

Content of Lessons/Learning Activities:  

The children will be enabled to:   

explore how objects may be moved by pushing and pulling by twisting and stretching by machines (e.g. rollers, wheels, pulleys) design and make a machine that moves by pushing/pulling.  

We revised Magnetism - with a powerpoint to revise how the magnet attracts and repels. Next we  looked at other Forces. We watched a powerpoint, during a live online lesson that included a video that showed different Pushes and Pulls. The children had to identify everyday items that move because they are pushed or pulled. We discussed how different objects moved, example a buggy, a boat, bells in a church, a sled and the forces that moved them.

Activity: 

The children had to design and build something that involves pushes/pulls.

Textbook reference: Earthlink p86/87, gave a few different options to design and make. 

I also attached an idea for making a magnetic powered car and suggested that they could come up with their own idea to design and make themselves.  The object had to involve some element of pushing/pulling, in order to make it move. 

Differentiation: Each child worked to their own ability - some children made a lego car that moved with a push from a hand, other children made a magnetic car, others used different methods to make an object move. 

The children shared their creations on a live online class and were able to demonstrate how they moved. 

Design and Make Activities 

While working from home 5th and 6th class were asked to design a wind powered car, here is an example of the fantastic work done on this project!