Work = Fun and Games --- Lewis

I teach Design Technology at the Amman Baccalaureate School. It can, at times, be a very exciting job. I get the chance to teach kids how to design stuff, how to draw in perspective and, hopefully, look at the world around them in a different way. I like to get my students to think about how things are made and how they work. Someday my group of 6th graders will be professional designers and architects. That's the general idea. Currently I am teaching my group about mechanical systems. We got the chance to visit a local children's museum. I know I had a good time and in the process I got the chance to teach my students a thing or two. Here's the write-up I did after the trip to the museum. I hope you enjoy reading about my latest teaching adventure!

The morning of Wednesday, February 11th was a very exciting morning for the Grade 6 students. Currently, in their Technology class, Grade 6 is learning about Mechanical Systems. To help the classroom lessons come alive, the students took a trip to The Children’s Museum of Jordan located near Al Hussein Park in Amman. There were plenty of exciting exhibits for the students to, not only look at, but actually get involved with; to touch, to learn, to inquire about.

Some of the exhibits at the museum included The Energy Lab, Up and Away, The Human Body, Communications, Robotics, The Ancient Times, and Express Yourself. One particular exhibit that was of special interest to the students was the Mechanisms exhibit which showcased examples of the very reason for the exhibit, Mechanical Systems. By the end of the trip the students were able to identify seven different simple machines (Gear, Pulley, Lever, Inclined Plane, Screw, Wheel and Axle, Wedge), which make up mechanical systems. The students were also able to identify four different types of motion used by these simple machines (Rotary, Oscillating, Reciprocating, Linear). With their newly acquired expertise in Mechanical Systems, the Grade 6 students will have no difficulty working on their future technology projects because “Mechanical Systems make our every day life easier!”