Term 5
Design Technology - Moving toys and cam mechanisms
In this unit of work, pupils investigated cam mechanisms and how they convert rotary movement into linear movement. Then, they designed their own moving toy. When making their toy, pupils had to measure accurately and cut the dowel with a saw to make the axle and slider. After that, they needed to build the frame structure and then put together the internal mechanism, making sure they lined up the cam and the follower.
We encountered a couple of problems and had to think of how to solve them. Firstly, the cams kept slipping on the axle and the followers were not securely attached to the slider. As a result, we secured the cam and follower with a hot glue gun (an adult did this!). Secondly, our backgrounds would not stand up so we used the leftover dowels and attchahed them to the back of our piece of card. This helped the background to stand up without support.
The final toys looked impressive and the cam mechanisms worked really well!
Sevington Victorian School
Last week, Year 5 pupils travelled back in time to the Victorian age. Everyone became a Victorian day when they dressed as a Victorian, were given a Victorian name and attended Sevington Victorian School. They experienced what it was like to be a poor Victorian child by attending lessons such as the 3 R's (reading, writing and arithmetic). They were surprised by the fact that they had to be separated (girls from boys) and that they even did different lessons! Th boys made their own beeswax candles and the girls made lavender bags. They all enjoyed their authentic Victorian packed lunches and recreation when they could play with the Victorian toys. Finally, they learnt about the Articles of Correction and the punishments used in Victorian schools. A fun day was had by everyone but we were all mightily glad to return to the 21st Century!
A massive thank you to all parents and carers for providing the costumes and packed lunches and to Sevington Victorian School staff.
