Weald & Downland Open Air Museum Teachers Notes Building Materials Key Stage I An interactive science and

technology project funded by The Clore Duffield Foundation

Teachers notes prepared by Katherine Stanton & Victoria Lesley from Kingsham Primary School, Chichester

Trolley 1
Aim: To distinguish between raw materials and finished building materials used for houses. Look and talk about the upstanding panel which depicts raw materials. Can the children identify the stone quarry/field of wheat/trees/clay pit and sandy beach? Look at and touch the timber/brick /thatch/glass and clay - can the children name them? What do they feel like? Explain that these objects are made from the raw materials from the areas pictured on the panel. Can the children link the objects with the correct picture? Children to place the objects on the correct picture. Think about what they feel like. Read/ get a child to read the descriptive words. Place them on top of the appropriate object

Extension:

In the box beneath the trolley are more complicated examples of building materials: Clay floor tile, roof tile, stained glass, clay drainage pipe What are they? What are they used for?

National Curriculum: History: chronological understanding/ knowledge and understanding of events Design Technology: knowledge and understanding of materials Science: Grouping materials/ changing materials Early Learning Goals: Observe, find out about and identify features in the place they live and the natural world Investigate objects and materials by using their senses as appropriate Find out about and identify some features of living things and objects they observe What to do after the activity: In the museum: Visit the saw pit. As you walk through the woods, explain to the children that the trees around them can be turned into useful building materials. Tell the children that in the past, when the trees had been felled and cut into shorter lengths, the logs were taken to saw pits like this and were rolled over the top of the pit. Two men sawed the wood: One person stood in the pit while the other stood on top and guided the saw. The long saw they used is called a pit saw. At school: Can the children identify the materials used for the school building or their own homes?

Trolley 2
Aim: To recognise the materials used in a building. To recognise the differences between materials used in old and modern houses Task:

Look at the upstanding panel. Can the children match the photographs of the different houses to the pictures on the panel? Look at and touch the different materials - timber, wattle and daub, clay and concrete tiles, bricks, glass, flint, brick quoins, thatch, plastic window frames. Can the children say what the materials are made from? / Explain what the materials are made from. Children place the relevant materials on to the correct photograph of a house.

North Cray - timber, wattle and daub, clay tile Lavant - brick, glass, clay tile Walderton - flint, brick quoins, thatch Modern house - brick, concrete tile, plastic window frame

There is also some binding used for holding the thatch together. The children should not touch this and it will need to be shown by an adult due to the sharp ends.

Extension: To identify the tools that are needed to build the different houses. In the box underneath the trolley are the pictures of the tools - saw, trowel, hammer, screwdriver, chisel, shovel, axe, bucket, hod, wheelbarrow, cement mixer, lorry, ladder, horse and cart, hard hat, drill. Which tools would be used to build which houses? Are different tools needed for old / modern houses? National Curriculum: History: historical enquiry Science: grouping materials Design Technology: working with tools, equipment and materials / knowledge and understanding of materials Early Learning Goals: Find out about past and present events in their own lives, and in those of their families and other people they know. Investigate objects and materials by using all of their senses as appropriate. Express and communicate their ideas, thoughts and feelings by using a widening range of materials and suitable tools. What to do after the activity: In the museum: Visit the different houses - North Cray. Lavant and Walderton. At school: Go on a walk near your school. What materials have been used to build any modern houses?

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Aim: To recognise the different ways in which brick walls can be built. To recognise why brick walls are laid in patterns. Task:

Look at the upstanding panel and discuss the pictures of the different types of brick wall Flemish bond, English bond, garden wall bond. Look at the foundations of the brick walls which are painted on the working surface of the trolley. Can the children use the wooden bricks to build different walls? The wooden bricks are painted blue on the ends to show how the bricks go together. They can use the felt as mortar. Which patterns have been created? Do they all work? Why do we need these patterns? Experiment building a wall without a pattern. Does it work? Is it as strong?

Extension: Can the children build their own house using the wooden bricks? Which pattern should be used to build the walls? National Curriculum: Design Technology: working with equipment and materials Art and Design: investigating and making craft and design / knowledge and understanding Early Learning Goals: Explore colour, texture, shape, form and space in two or three dimensions. Express and communicate their ideas, thoughts and feelings by using a widening range of materials and suitable tools. What to do after the activity: In the museum: Walk around the museum to see the different wall patterns used on each building. How many different patterns can you see? At school: Go on a walk near your school. How many different wall patterns can you see? Are the patterns different depending on what the building / wall is used for?

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Aim: To sequence the way in which timber can be changed. Look at the upstanding panel which shows a fully grown tree, timber joint and chair. Can the children name the objects? Ask the children which object comes first. Do they notice a connection between the objects? Ask the children which order the objects go in. Look in the tray. There is a slice of a tree trunk which needs putting together. Ask the children how they know which piece goes where (ring growth). Children to put the tree trunk together and adult to secure with elastic bands. Look at the timber joints which are in the tray. Ask the children to put them together using the pegs. What could they be used for? Discuss with the children which comes first - the sawn timber or the tree trunk. Children to explain their answer.

Extension: With the children, look at the different objects under the trolley. Discuss what they are all made from (wood). Can the children name the objects and explain what they are for? Discuss with the children the different uses of wood, e.g. functional and items of beauty. National Curriculum: History: Chronological Understanding Design Technology: Working with tools, equipment, materials and components to make quality products Science: Grouping materials Early Learning Goals: Find out about and identify some features of living things Select the tools and techniques they need to assemble and join the materials they are using What to do after the activity: In the museum: Can the children identify the different types of uses of wood as they go around the museum, or in a certain area? At school: Discuss the differences between functional pieces of wood and objects of beauty. Go on a 'treasure hunt' around school, looking for items made from wood. What are they used for? Are they functional items or objects of beauty?

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Aim: To identify the uses of different rooms in an old house. To recognise the differences between the past and today. Task:

Look at the upstanding panel which has a painting of North Cray house on it. Discuss its outside features - how many windows / doors does it have? What colour is it? In the trolley there is a model of North Cray house. Can the children put the house together.

Extension: Can the children place the furniture into the house? Which room would you put a piece of furniture in and why? What do you think the room was used for? National Curriculum: History: chronological understanding / knowledge and understanding of people and changes in the past / historical enquiry Early Learning Goals: Find out about past and present events in their own lives, and in those of their families and other people they know. What to do after the activity: In the museum: As extension activity, looking at and discussing North Cray house. Walk around some of the other houses. Are they different from North Cray house? If they are different, why is this?

Trolley 6
Aim: To discuss and suggest reasons how and why buildings are located on a farm.

Look at the separate panel which shows a country landscape of downland hills, woodland, streams, fields and farmhouse. Talk with the children about their journey to the museum. Did they notice these features on their journey? Have most of the children visited the countryside? What did they see?

Activity A Tell them that they are going to arrange the farm buildings on the panel. Show them the windmill. Ask the children where they think it should go. Discuss where it would be best to catch the wind (on a hill) and get the children to place accordingly. Watermill - near large river for power Barns - near arable fields to collect harvest easily Granaries - near the mills Animal sheds - near the farmhouse for the farmer to look after them Activity B Show the children the painted map of the farmyard. The children now need to arrange the farm buildings on the painted landscape in the most sensible locations. Ask the children which building they need to start with (farmhouse). Why? If the children can justify a different building, allow them to continue arranging their farmyard. If they do become stuck on which is the most sensible building to begin with, ask them questions such as Who runs the farm? Where do they live? Where should their house be? Suggested order of buildings from farmhouse: Barns Byres Hen houses Ask the children to talk about what they are doing and justify their reasons, i.e. cows need milking everyday and therefore need to be near the milking parlour, eggs need collecting everyday, sheep can be left to graze. Ask the children when the farmer would want his sheep close by (lambing time). Talk about making the farmer's life easier and saving time when arranging the buildings. Allow the children to place the animals around the farmyard and play with the farm. National Curriculum: Geography: Geographical enquiry and skills/ knowledge and understanding of places/ knowledge and understanding of patterns and processes Early Learning Goals: Find out about their environment and talk about those features they like and dislike What to do after the activity: In the museum: Look at the watermill from Lurgashall, near Petworth. Where is it? What is it close to? Why is this? Or, look at the charcoal burner's camp. Charcoal is partly burnt wood and was used to make gunpowder and in iron making and was very important. Charcoal gives about twice as much heat as wood when it is burned. Where is the charcoal burner's camp? (in the woods) Why is it here? (lived near his work).