No problem is too hard for Year 2. Popcorn anyone?

Posted on December 9, 2012 by Jennifer Garlick

Dear Bloggers,

Year 2 has been working with wheels, axles and gears.

This lesson they were given the challenge to design a Popcorn cart that was:

stable
had a moving sign operated with a handle
mobile
able to hold popcorn

Kynan and Dominic pictured below, in one short hour, produced the most amazing results.

Their cart could steer as the steering wheel moved the front axle, had a mechanism using a crown and spur gear to turn the sign, the gearing ratios turned the sign slowly for ease of reading, the turning handle was easy to access, there were multiple trays to hold the popcorn and the drivers had a seat. The sign was double sided, clear and only contained significant words -‘ popcorn’ … the product , ‘delicious’ …. an enticing adjective and ‘a smiley face’ … an inviting and happy graphic.

WOW boys – well done.

Side or oblique view

other side

cart from behind

Needless to say the other students in Year 2 also produced brilliant models and worked very well.

Have a look in the gallery below.

Thanks for calling by

Mrs Garlick

Year 2 were ‘Wheely’ working well

Posted on November 27, 2012 by Jennifer Garlick

Dear Bloggers,

2AF and 2S were experimenting with wheels and becoming familiar with words such as axle, rotate, hub and tyre. They built model cars that could be steered by a turning a steering wheel moving the front axle.

Thanks for calling by

Mrs Garlick

2S ‘Gear Up’ to use the Not So Simple ‘Simple Machines’.

Posted on October 23, 2012 by Jennifer Garlick

Dear Bloggers,

Year 2 are now using the ‘Simple Machines’ lego. We are currently doing a unit on ‘Gears’ and the children made simple machines with two gears the same size (direction change only), two different sized gears to gear up and down and they used an idler gear.

Thanks for calling by

Mrs Garlick

2S – the inaugural users of the new system ‘Simple Machines’

Posted on September 18, 2012 by Jennifer Garlick

Dear Bloggers,

Last week in class 2S cut open the boxes and unpacked the brand new lego from the new ‘Simple Machines’ kit. They were the inaugural uses of these kits and they were very excited.

Thanks for calling by

Mrs Garlick

2S give those pesky birds a real ‘fright’

Posted on September 14, 2012 by Jennifer Garlick

Dear Bloggers,

This week was 2AF’s turn to design and make a ‘scary scarecrow’ that was stable and had at least one moving part. There were not any birds on the cherry tree by the end of the lesson!!!

Thanks for calling by

Mrs Garlick

2S Scare the Birds Away

Posted on September 9, 2012 by Jennifer Garlick

Dear Bloggers,

2S were given the design brief – make a stable scarecrow- with at least one moving part- that is as scary as possible.

Thanks for calling by

Mrs Garlick

2AF Canine Capers

Posted on September 8, 2012 by Jennifer Garlick

Dear Bloggers,

2AF made a dog for ‘Sam’ a boy in the stimulus story. This wasn’t just any dog – this one had eyes operated by a set of pulleys and belts. The students investigated how to make the eyes move the same and opposite ways and how to move the eyes at the same and different speeds.

The children designed clothes and accessories for their pooch who went for a week long visit to their classroom.

Thanks for calling by

Mrs Garlick

2S get into the ‘Swing Of Things’

Posted on September 7, 2012 by Jennifer Garlick

Dear Bloggers,

2S were given the challenge to design and make a swing that: was stable, had a safe balanced seat for one and the period of the swing, that is the time taken for it to swing backwards and forwards once, was as long a possible. We used stop watches to time the duration of 10 complete backwards and forwards motions and compared results.

Students discovered that the swings with the longest strings or side arms took the greatest time to swing backwards and forwards.

Thanks for calling by.

Mrs Garlick

2AF know how to cool down

Posted on September 7, 2012 by Jennifer Garlick

Dear Bloggers,

The last few days have been quite warm but 2AF knew how to cool themselves down. They had to design and make a fan that: used gears or pulleys, moved a large amount of air and was stable. Lots of experimenting and design modifications occurred but by the end of the lesson all students had a wonderful fan. The secret: large propeller blades to move lots of air, a broad flat base for stability and a large driver gear with a small follower gear so that the blades move as fast as possible. It was a breeze really!!! (pardon the pun – I couldn’t resist).

Thanks for calling by

Mrs Garlick

The Well Balanced Year 2

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Jennifer Garlick

Dear Bloggers,

Year 2 designed and made a seasaw and investigated ‘balance’ and levers. What creates balance?? Equal weight on both sides you say – yes as long a both weights are the same distance from the pivot point. Year 2 investigated how to have a ‘balanced seasaw’ when people were different weights and when there were odd numbers of children who wanted to play. Ask them how they achieved the ‘perfect balance’. See the great photos.