4DFrame Activity Tips:

11. Water wheels and windmills

 

Can you build a simple water wheel and get it to rotate under a stream of water? Build a windmill and get it to turn with the help of the wind.

 

KomTek in Järfalla is a Swedish science- and technology-oriented activity centre that regularly uses 4DFrame materials in its programs both in-house and with local schools. Anna Nytomt Kristensson is one of their staff who works with this and she shared this set of activity tips KomTek developed (thank you, Anna!) for using this educational teaching tool.

 

 

 

11. Water wheels and windmills

Can you build a simple water wheel and get it to rotate under a stream of water? Build a windmill and get it to turn with the help of the wind.

 

Main concepts 1-3 technology:

- Some common objects where simple mechanisms, such as levers and links, are used to achieve a particular function, such as objects in playgrounds and household goods of all kinds.

 

- Some of our common technical solutions mimic nature, such as a cupped hand as a model for storage containers.

 

- Materials for your own design work, their properties and how they can be connected.

 

- A few simple words and terms used to name and discuss technical solutions.

 

- Examine how some everyday objects are constructed, operate, how they are designed, and how they can be improved.

 

- Own designs applied to simple mechanisms.

 

- What are some items in the student’s everyday life, and how they are adapted to human needs?

 

- How objects in the student’s everyday life have changed over time.

 

Main concepts 4-6 technology:

- Everyday objects consisting of moving parts and how the moving parts are joined together using a variety of mechanisms to transmit and amplify forces.

 

- How common solid and stable structures are built, such as buildings and bridges.

 

- The different phases of Technology Development: identification of needs, investigating, propose solutions, construction and testing.

 

- Own designs with applications of the principles of solid and stable structures, mechanisms.

 

Preparation:

- Discuss what a waterwheel is, and what it has/had as its function.

 

Build with 4DFrame:

- See pages 101 and 102 in the 4DFrame activity book.

 

-- Examples of waterwheels build out of 4DFrame from Fredrikshovs slotts school:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeuYfSw-3Co

 

Follow-up:

- Energy and how it can be made to perform work.

 

 

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