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The wheel

Topics Year 4/5
This unit is part of Earliest Civilisations: Ancient Sumer Inventions

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Objectives

History

  • Know and understand significant aspects of the history of the wider world: the nature of ancient civilizations; characteristic features of past non-European societies.
  • Achievements of mankind.
  • Understand historical concepts such as significance.
  • Gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts, understanding the connections between economic and social history.

Science

  • Recognise that some mechanisms allow a smaller force to have a greater effect.
  • Identify the effects of friction that acts between moving surfaces.

Design and Technology

  • Understand and use mechanical systems in their products.
  • Generate, develop and communicate their ideas through discussion and cross-sectional and exploded diagrams.
  • Select from and use a range of materials and components.
  • Evaluate their products against their design criteria.

Lesson Planning

Learn some theories about how the wheel was developed over time, both in Sumer and in other geographical locations. Explore the impact of the wheel and learn how to make a modelchariot based on the Ancient Sumer wheel.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To know that the wheel was invented in Ancient Sumer (and possibly other places concurrently).
  • To understand how the wheel reduces friction when pulling (or pushing) a heavy load.
  • To make a model Ancient Sumer chariot based on original images and clay models.

Children will:

  • Discuss possible theories for the development of the wheel.
  • Appreciate that the wheel may have been invented in more than one place at about the same time.
  • Understand the importance of the wheel in Ancient Sumer and today.
  • Make a model Ancient Sumerian chariot based on Ancient Sumerian contemporary images.

Provided Resources

  • The development of the wheel
  • The oldest known wheel
  • Ancient Sumerian evidence

You Will Need

  • World map
  • Card, wood dowelling and 1cm square strips
  • Wheels (card or wooden)
  • Matchsticks, lolly sticks
  • Glue gun and glue (adult support)
  • Hacksaws
  • Steel rules

Weblinks

There are no weblinks needed for this session.

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