This Kapow pupil video is part of the Kapow Design and technology scheme of work. It is designed for pupils and explores the role of gears in mechanical systems, beginning with everyday questions such as how the hands on a watch move or how wind turbines generate electricity. It introduces gears as wheels with teeth that mesh together to transfer movement and force. The video demonstrates how gears work in pairs or systems, changing the speed, direction, or force of movement. Real-life examples such as bicycles, clocks, and car windscreen wipers help pupils understand how gears can make machines work more efficiently. It explains how large gears turn more slowly than small ones and how using different-sized gears can increase speed or force depending on their arrangement.

The narrative continues with everyday and historical applications, from pasta machines and wind-up toys to the ancient Antikythera Mechanism and medieval tower clocks. Pupils learn how gears enable force input and output, such as winding up a toy or spinning the blades of a wind turbine to generate electricity. The video finishes by showing how gears are used in modern technology like car engines, washing machines, and printers, highlighting their importance in transmitting power.

The video is designed to be shown to pupils as part of Design and technology, Upper key stage 2, Year 5, Mechanical systems, Option 1: Gears and pulleys, Lesson 1: Gears