Year 3 began their exciting, new DT topic last week, with a challenge. They were given a balloon, a straw and some masking tape and challenged to find a way to move the balloon along a piece of string, set up in the classroom. The only clue they were given was that their new topic was about pneumatic systems.

The children discovered that pneumatic systems use the pressure energy of compressed air. They worked in pairs to see if they could devise a way to sue the pressure energy of compressed air in their balloons to complete the challenge. 

A lot of fun was had, and the children showed great team work skills and higher order thinking. They were also great at sharing their ideas and experiences with other groups. Once all of the pairs had a working prototype, they tested them to see whose was the most effective.

During the challenge the class learnt lots about how air can be use to provide power, and this will stand them in good stead for the rest of the topic, as they design and make their own working pneumatic systems. Well done Everyone!