We have had a great week exploring scientific discoveries in the afternoons. On Wednesday year 6 were set the challenge of designing and making a wind turbine that could lift a bucket from the floor to the level of a table. It was a tough challenge and there were some great designs. We came up against difficulties in making our turbines operate - we found that the 'blades'needed to be all the same size, they couldn't be too heavy and that the pencil had to be able to turn easily to wind the string and lift the bucket. There are lots of changes we could make if we were to attempt the challenge again - this is why evaluating is a very important part of the design process.
On Thursday we looked at accidental discoveries. We looked at how nature has influenced discoveries. For example Velcro was discovered in the 1940s by a Swiss engineer who was walking his dog. When he returned from his walk he discovered that seeds from a plant were stuck to his clothes and the dog. When he examined the seeds more closely he found they were covered in tiny hooks allowing them to grip to his clothes. This led to the design of Velcro as a fastening device. Year 6 investigated Sycamore seeds and how the design allows them to float gently to the ground. We investigate if the size of the 'leaves' affected the speed at which the seed fell to the ground.
We had a great week discovering and inventing!
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