In DT over the last half term, we have been learning about Viking longships and the features of them that made the Vikings such successful explorers.
This links to our History topic – Vikings – and their lives, journeys and raids.
The children have designed a Viking sail and then created a pulley mechanism to raise and lower it. We looked at the ways pulleys work to help lighten a load and distribute the weight and effort needed.
The children were given a bag of equipment and had to explore ways to create a pulley mechanism using two axels and wheels. They had a great time testing different ways to make the pulley work, using different combinations of wheels, rod, string and their sail.
