A bank of resources created during the first Covid-19 Lockdown in 2020.

Have a go at as many of these activities as you can! We've tried to break them up and indicate what you could do each day but you can pick and choose which activity you want to do and on which day.

 

MONDAY

• In Kenya, a 9 year old boy called Stephen has just received a presidential award for making a wooden hand-washing machine to help curb the spread of Coronavirus.  Read the news report here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-52898797 Write a letter to Stephen with your thoughts on what he has done.

• Can you design your own hand-washing machine like Stephen's? What materials would you need? Create a list and draw the equipment you would use as well as the finished design.

• Can you make your own hand-washing machine like Stephen's? Try it out on your family members and send a photo or video into school.

• A man in England has invented a plastic hug curtain so he can hug his grandma!  See here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wX8W_KZAK0 Can you design your own cuddle curtain and maybe even make it?

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TUESDAY

• Lots of the games we play in school involve physical contact. We play Duck Duck Goose, Heads Down Thumbs Up, Tig etc. Can you change these games so that we can play them without contact? Or can you invent your own game?

• Thousands of scientists all over the world are conducting experiments to find a vaccine for Covid 19. What could you invent to help people at the moment? 

• Why don’t you research some inventors and find out how their inventions have changed over time?  Maybe you could create a lockdown quiz and test your family’s knowledge?

• Alexander Bell invented the telephone. Make your own version with two paper cups and string.

• Thomas Edison invented the light bulb. Can you count the number of light bulbs in your house and draw a picture of the most interesting object that contains a light bulb? 

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WEDNESDAY

• Watch this video called 'Proud to be an Inventor'. https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/class-clips-video/pshe-ks1-ks2-proud-to-be-an-inventor/zrf76v4 Imagine you have just received an award for inventing something. What is your invention? Write a speech explaining how you feel to be recognised.

• Although less well known, there are lots of female inventors. Write a fact file or a biography on one who interests you:  https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=12223 http://www.takepart.com/article/2015/06/14/10-female-inventors-you-need-to-know

•  The self-propelled cart, the flying machine, the parachute, the robot knight, the diving suit, the armoured tank  – some of the many inventions made by the Renaissance scientist and artist, Leonardo da Vinci. Which ones are close to what we use today? Which ones didn’t work? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwOlIGGDVjE

• Leonardo designed a self-supporting bridge with an arch – what kind of bridge could you invent?  Can you draw your design and label it, then try and make it using junk modelling?

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THURSDAY

• Paper engineering is another word for pop-ups – why don’t you make a pop-up book telling the story of an invention or inventor?  There are lots of videos that show you how to make pop ups.  Here is one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mFxlbqUb0g

• William Heath Robinson was a children’s book illustrator but also known for his madcap inventions – it’s where we get the phrase ‘That’s a big Heath Robinson’ meaning a bit wacky.  Discover his ideas by visiting https://www.heathrobinsonmuseum.org/  Can you create a piece of artwork in the style of Robinson?

• Many inventions were made in Lancashire during Victorian times as part of the industrial revolution. You might have seen the amazing collection of cotton looms and spinning machines at Blackburn Museum. Can you invent a different sort of material?  What special qualities might it have or what could it be used for?

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FRIDAY

• Find out all about the problem of pollution in our oceans by looking through the PowerPoints and then complete some of the activities. It might inspire you to create your own invention to protect our oceans!

• Monday 8th June is World Oceans Day. The theme this year is 'Protect our Oceans' and the challenge is to invent something to help solve a problem in our oceans. Look at the Challenge Presentation, then complete the activities and your final invention design using the activity sheets.

• Discover the history of some everyday objects at Blackburn Museum with Steve Irwin by watching these films. Create a fact file or create a concertina book with your own illustrations. If you've got a question for Steve, email him!

   The Biro - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65V75i89uzg

   The egg box - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cy_sqIaQff8

   The Polypropylene chair - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fn5jnyLG1h8

   The top hat - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCQwfL2FalQ

 

INVENTION CHALLENGE!

Get creative and invent absolutely anything at all that you or someone you know would find useful!

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