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Can you design a moving vehicle?


Core National Curriculum links

Science, DT

Main engineering principles

  • Pupils embrace and learn from failure


A series of lessons


System thinking, Adapting, Problem finding, Creative problem solving, Visualising, Improving

EDP stages

Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create, Improve

Resources required

  • Manufactured moving vehicles
  • Sellotape, masking tape, glue, hot glue, blue tack 
  • Dowling, various types of wheels, (cardboard, plastic, wood, rubber)
  • Cardboard and junk modelling resources
  • Circuit components, motors, propellors, ballons, elastic bands, glue gun stick

Summary of activity

Pupils were involved in designing, making, adapting and evaluating a moving vehicle.

To open the activity

Show the pupils you tube clips of 'Red bull soap box' challenge.  Then show the pupils a clip of an Audi engineered sport car and make comparisons.  Are the components the same for both vehicles?  What similarities and differences can you see? Introduce the challenge to the pupils. Can you make a moving vehicle?

The main activity

Lesson 1 - Pupils to explore manufactured vehicles.  To look at the different moving parts.  Do they all move in the same way?  Are there any unique design features?  Are they designed differently for specific age ranges?  Take the vehicles apart, what do they look like inside?  How do they work?  Is there a compartment for a passenger?  Pupils to record their findings and further questions that may need answering by problem finding, investigating or experimenting.

Lesson 2 - Pupils to revisit the manufactured vehicles and make comparisons between the materials available to them and the vehicles already explored.  This is enabling pupils to visualise and able to move from abstract ideas to concrete, by manipulating materials and mentally rehearsing their design solutions.  Pupils are then to design three suggestions for their moving vehicle, allowing them to put their ideas into words as they rehearse possible lines of thoughts or actions.  

Lesson 3 - The making of the vehicle. Leave pupils to make and source resources independently, allowing a systems thinking approach and creative problem solving.  Encourage pupils to adapt, think critically and promote deliberate practising eg able to work at the had parts and be resilient.

Lesson 4 - Evaluating their design - Pupils are encouraged to make honest and accurate judgments  about how they think their design works.  This is the stage where they can make their final judgments and improve their vehicle.  Pupils to record their evaluations and say how they could improve their design and why? 

Challenge and support

Differentiation shown by the amount of support given and questioning ( higher order) throughout the whole process.

To finish the activity

In class have a 'showroom exhibition' pupils to give feedback to each other (star and a wish).

Learn from me (what worked well for us)

Make sure the manufactured vehicles are available throughout the 4 lessons, so the pupils can refer back as and when needed.

© The University of Manchester