Year 2 – Mechanisms Moving Vehicles

Year two have been very busy designing, making and evaluating a moving vehicle. The children made links with their learning in history from the beginning of the Autumn term and The Great Fire of London. They designed their own fire engine which had to move using wheels and axles. 

Year two had a look at modern day fire engines compared with how they would have put out the Great Fire of London in 1666. They then set about designing their own moving vehicle and considered what features their fire engine would need. 

The children used lots of materials including cardboard, paper, paint, pens, dowelling, wheels, wheel supports and masking tape. Throughout the project the children helped each other as they found they often needed an extra pair of hands.  Lots of skills were practised including fixing, fastening, cutting, measuring, placing and testing.

It was definitely an iterative process as some children discovered that parts of their vehicles didn’t work the first time and they had to go back and change things and the re-test.

What The Student Says

” I am pleased with my fire engine. It worked well going down hill outside.”

” It was tricky fixing the axles in the right place. I needed help from my friend.”

” I had to fasten my wheels into place. They kept coming off the axle until I fixed them.”

“I love how my fire engine looks!”.

What knowledge and skills have been developed?

  • developed their measuring skills
  • practised their cutting skills
  • developed their fixing and fastening skills
  • Communication skills – they needed to help each other
  • aesthetic skills – consider how they wanted their final product to look and stick to their design
  • painting and drawing skills were practised

What the Teacher says

Year two were excited to make their own moving vehicles. The children worked brilliantly to help each other throughout the project. They developed lots of skills and had opportunity to apply them to their own vehicle. When things didn’t work the first time, they didn’t give up and they showed real resilience to the end of the project.

Finally, year two were very excited to test their fire engines outside both on a gradient and on a flat surface.

Well done year two!

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