Lesson 1: Gears
Exploring the history of gears, understanding how and why they are used and making and evaluating gears from different materials.
Learning objective
To create a working gear system and explain its function.
Success criteria
I can give examples of mechanical systems that use gears in everyday objects.
I can describe how gears allow us to increase the output of a mechanism.
I can make a simple gear.
I can connect gears in a gear system.
Before the lesson
Watch
- 2847 views
Watch
- 2847 views
Lesson plan
Before undergoing this unit, check that the children understand the following:
A mechanical system can allow something to move more efficiently.
Mechanical systems have more than one mechanism that moves to make them work.
Either wheels move around the axle or with the axle.
Before undergoing this unit, check that the children understand the following:
A mechanical system can allow something to move more efficiently.
Mechanical systems have more than one mechanism that moves to make them work.
Either wheels move around the axle or with the axle.
Optional: provide each child with a copy of the Knowledge catcher (see link: Assessment – D&T: Y5: Mechanisms: Gears and pulleys) and ask them to complete it to the best of their ability. Explain that at the end of the unit, they will revisit it, adding more information in a different colour.
Play the Pupil video: Gears, which introduces gears, how they work in gear systems, their function, some interesting historical examples (including the Antikythera mechanism, medieval tower clocks and Archimedes screw) and some modern examples (including wind turbines).
Optional: provide each child with a copy of the Knowledge catcher (see link: Assessment – D&T: Y5: Mechanisms: Gears and pulleys) and ask them to complete it to the best of their ability. Explain that at the end of the unit, they will revisit it, adding more information in a different colour.
Play the Pupil video: Gears, which introduces gears, how they work in gear systems, their function, some interesting historical examples (including the Antikythera mechanism, medieval tower clocks and Archimedes screw) and some modern examples (including wind turbines).
Pupil video: Gears
3250 views
Ask the class to discuss with a partner the following questions:
- What is a gear and how does it work? (A gear is a wheel with teeth that fits into another gear's teeth. They work by turning each other and they can change the speed or direction of movement.)
- Can you explain the terms 'input' and 'output' in relation to gears? (The input is where the force or motion starts and the output is where the force or motion ends after passing through the gears. For example, when turning a handle (input), the gears turn and can make something else move (output).)
- Why are gears like wind turbines essential in modern technology? (Gears in wind turbines help increase the generator's speed, making producing electricity from the slower turning blades easier.)
- How do gears make work easier in machines? (Gears make work easier by changing the input movement's speed, force or direction.)
Take feedback from the class.
Inform the class that they will make gears with different types of teeth and compare and evaluate how well the teeth work.
Play the Pupil video: How to make gears, which shows how to make gears with teeth made from three different materials.
Explain that the children will now test, compare and evaluate their gears. Display the Presentation: Evaluating gears, which shows some keywords to consider when comparing and evaluating. Ask the groups to discuss the keywords and suggest questions they could ask to learn more about each one in relation to their gear system.
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