Year 3 - Design and technology
Make things move with air
Pneumatics: moving toys
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
This unit introduces pupils to creating movement with air using pneumatic mechanisms. They will then apply this knowledge to develop a moving toy.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to analyse familiar objects that use air to make them work.
Key Notes
- Air is invisible and all around us.
- Some things need air to move and work.
- We can force air to move and use this to make things work.
- Blowing up a balloon involves forcing air from your lungs into the balloon. The balloon expands and inflates.
Vocabulary To Learn
- expand: grow in size, take up more space
- inflate: fill with air to change the shape, as with a balloon
- deflate: remove or release air, causing something to shrink in size
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Air is empty because we can't see it.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
Air is invisible and all around us. Some things need air to move and work.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'expand'
grow in size, take up more space.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: Air is empty because we can't see it. Correction: Air takes up space and can make things move or change shape, such as when we inflate a balloon or a bike tyre.
More Lessons In This Unit
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