How wheels work - design a car

Topics Reception/Year 1
This unit is part of Changes within Living Memory Transport

Objectives

Design and Technology

  • Design purposeful, functional, appealing products for you and other users based on design criteria.
  • Generate, develop, model and communicate ideas through talking, drawing, templates, mock-ups and information and communication technology.

History

  • Learn about changes within living memory.
  • Understand where different cars fit within a chronology of the history of last century.
  • Recognise significant historical events (invention of internal combustion engine).

Lesson Planning

How axels and wheels work is described and demonstrated. Children use their new understanding to help them design their own cars which they will make in the next session.

Teaching Outcomes
To begin to understand some of the mechanisms of a working automobile and to design a car.
To begin to understand the history of the internal combustion engine.

Children can:

  • Understand how wheels work by turning on an axel.
  • Look at how cars are designed to fit their purpose, e.g. police cars and pick up trucks look different as they have different jobs to do.
  • Design a simple car, with wheels and axels.
  • Begin to appreciate the history of cars and the internal combustion engine.

Provided Resources

  • PowerPoint presentation from session 1 (cars section)

You Will Need

  • Non-fiction texts on cars including how the car works
  • Design and technology equipment to make wheels with axels
  • Junk modelling equipment
  • Lego or other construction toys with wheels and axels

Weblinks

There are no weblinks needed for this session.