Making your farm visit a success

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Curriculum area: Knowledge and understanding of materials and components

Activities:

Stages for extended projects:

Brainstorm, activating children's prior knowledge. What is the item for? What might happen without it? What will the limits be of what it can do?

1. Provide a range of materials. Allow children to investigate the materials. Discuss
   which might be suitable.
2. Draw or model design ideas.
3. Look at each other's designs in a small group and discuss possible strengths and weaknesses. Make adjustments.
4. Suggest necessary tools.
5. Mark out and cut the parts and assemble.
6. Choose a method of finishing.
7. Test and evaluate.

Ideas for projects:

• Design and make a seed dispenser that drops only one seed at a time.
• Design and make a scarecrow that moves. Include a circuit with a buzzer, motor or bulbs lighting up.
• Design and make a potato grader.
• Design and make a hen house with an egg-catching device and comfort for the chickens.
• Design and make a humane slug trap.
• Design and make a humane mousetrap.
• Design and make a farm vehicle using an axle.

Resources needed:

Basic resources include:

• A range of paper and card
• Boxes
• Material, cotton wool, wool
• Wooden doweling
• Plastic bottles, bottle tops
• Wire, string
• Paper fasteners, glue, sellotape, staplers etc

Specific resources, depending on project, include:

• Selection of larger seeds such as beans
• Wire, batteries, buzzer, bulbs, motor
• Selection of potatoes
• Eggs
• Cotton reels or bottle tops for wheels
• Junk boxes