Shape Sleuths for (Australian 20th C) Farm Machinery Developments
(from enviroed4all in Australia)
Domains: Mathematics, Science, History, English, Communication
Year levels : primary focus – middle and upper mainly, but can be used with lower
Have you ever considered the long-term development of the methods and machines we use for sustainable activities, e.g. for farmers today. They are continually evolving.
This set of materials is to focus on some key equipment used in crop farming where I live in the Wimmera of Victoria, Australia – and in many parts of Australian and the world, for farming ideas are shared and spread and improved upon.
This set of materials were also designed to celebrate the farmer-Scientists who made these developments (inventions) as activities for Australia’s National Science Week in August 2013.
“Shape Sleuths” is the focus I have created for MPE2013 whereby the Maths concept of shape is used to start an exploration of something, then other Mathematical concepts are added to that. To understand where the Maths fits in, there is also other links to Communication and other Science, History or English domanins.
The general materials for Machinery Shape Sleuths are found on two pages on my website, and how you could apply it to any machinery that you were interested in.
start here This covers the general ideas of Shape Sleuths Machinery
then move to here . This links the farm machinery to sustainability, then has some examples of 20th C Australian Farm Inventions, followed by specific pdfs for 7 of these with the Shape Sleuth Machinery activities following the resource materials in each pdf.
These machines are:
Alston’s Geerless Windmill
Avery’s Econ Fodder Roller.
Bandt’s Ford Ute
Fuss’ Gyral Air Seeders
Hannaford’s Seed Pickling/Grading
Mailler’s Beehive Navigator Auto-Steering System
Taylor’s Sunshine Self-Propelled auto-header
I am a freelance environmental educator, and the work involved in developing these resources is unfunded, so your feedback is ‘my payment’ for creating materials for gaps I see and topics I think are of value to education. So, please acknowledge me – Jeanie Clark, enviroed4all, Warracknabeal, Australia – if you use my materials. ….. and I would love to hear back from you how they go with other communities than mine.
Enjoy your “Shape Sleuthing with Farm Machines”
thankyou
Jeanie Clark
