Our Year 1 & 2 children have begun a new design and technology project this week. Their project is to design and make a moving monster.

We began by looking closely at a variety of mechanical and non mechanical toys and answering these questions…

  • Can you name any components (for example, wheels, buttons, handles)?
  • Can you identify which products are mechanisms/mechanical and which are not mechanical?
  • Can you explain what a mechanism is?
  • Can you identify specific types of mechanisms within the objects (such as a slider, wheel and axle)?

Through our different activities we explored these key questions…

  • What is a mechanism? A collection of parts that work together to create a movement – for example, a bicycle
  • What is an input and an output?
    • Input: something which starts a system, for example: pushing a bicycle.
    • Output: the result of the input – for example, bicycle wheels turning.
  • What is a lever?
    • Lever: something that turns on a pivot – for example: door handle
  • What is a linkage?
    • Linkage: a system of levers – for example: skeleton
  • What are levers and linkages used for?
  • Can you identify a lever or a linkage?
  • Can you name any products that use levers and linkages? (Scissors, seesaw, wheelbarrow)
  • What is a pivot? A central point from where something can turn, like your elbow.

The children are very excited to create a moving monster and drew a variety of designs for their monster before deciding on their favourite. 
 

Levers and Linkages LS