Lesson video

Hello and welcome to your design and technology lesson.

I am Mrs. Mee and I'm going to be your design and technology teacher.

I'm really delighted about that.

So today we're going to be exploring lesson two of reactions control in design and technology.

And we're going to be looking at exploring electrical systems and mechanical systems. And we're going to be exploring the need for control in design and technology.

And if you were with us for lesson one, you'll remember that we covered electrical systems, and we looked at the different parts of an electrical systems. We explored components, electrical insulators, electrical conductors.

We looked at where the input, the process, and the output is on an electrical system.

And we actually built a simple circuit.

So hopefully you joined us for that lesson.

If you didn't, don't worry, we'll soon catch up.

So shall we have a go at exploring today's lesson? Brilliant.

Come on then.

So in today's lesson, we're going to explore electrical and mechanical systems and the need for control in design and technology.

So let's have a look at what we're going to need for today's lesson.

So we're going to need to follow the rules first of all.

So you're going to have to fun.

You are going to have to explore and experiment.

So what I mean by that is when Mrs. Mee shows you what to do today, you might want to try different ideas and experiment with your ideas, because actually that will help you to develop new ideas.

But be confident and make sure you play safe.

So today during the lesson, we are going to do a practical activity.

It's really important that you have an adult supervising you during that activity.

So in this lesson, you are going to need a paper and a pencil.

You are going to need some specialist materials if you want to take part in the making of a mechanical system.

So this is an option.

So if you would like to make a mechanical system, you will need to find some corrugated cardboard.

And you don't need to go and buy that.

Hopefully you'll have some old cardboard boxes, maybe leftover from packaging.

So find some packaging.

And if you can't find corrugated cardboard, don't worry, you can use normal cardboard.

It just might not be as strong.

But hopefully you can think about how you can improve the strength.

We need wooden skewers or an alternative to wooden skewers.

We need some string.

And then you need something to combine all of the materials.

So glue, if you've got a glue gun, that would be brilliant.

But don't worry if you haven't.

So glue or tape, anything that you can find around the house to combine those materials.

You will need some scissors.

You will need an elastic band, and you will need a ruler.

So the electrical components you may not have at home, so don't panic.

But I'm going to show you.

So that is a complete option.

So if you working in school, for instance, you may have access to these electrical components.

But if you're working at home, it's not necessarily something you have around the home.

So specialist materials, paper and pencil, off you go, collect all those materials.

And like Mrs Mee, I've got a desk to work on.

So I've got a clear desk and I've tidy it all up ready to start today's lesson.

So pause the video, once you've got your materials, resume and we will continue today's lesson.

Excellent, so let's have a look at what we're going to explore in today's lesson.

So you should have already done the intro quiz.

And what we're going to look at now is we're going to look at inputs, processes, and outputs, and how that links to a mechanical system.

We're also going to look at exploring mechanical systems in more detail.

And then we'll go into look at putting electrical systems, and we're going to integrate them into a mechanical system.

And then finally, we're going to look at and reflect on the need for control technology in design and technology.

So we are going to be using some keywords today.

We're going to be looking at the word input.

So an input is a component or action which, when operated, initiate the mechanism's movement.

So we're going to explore that in more detail.

We're going to look at the term process.

So that is the transfer of force from an input and an output to make the output work.

We're also going to look at the word output, and this is where a component or action that works or functions after the process is activated.

And then we're going to explore mechanisms. So we'll look at what a mechanism is.

So a mechanism is a component part that is used to create movement.

And then we'll compare that to a mechanical system.

So mechanical system is the use of one or more mechanisms that are working together to create movement.

So let's begin.

Okay so now we're going to look at input, process, and output.

Now if you remember, we looked at this last lesson in relation to electrical systems. So can you tell me, in an electrical system, which of the following is an input? Is it the component or action that gets the circuit working? Is it the component or action that will be activated after the process? Is it the transfer of power from the inputs to the output? Or is it the parts that makes it work? Have a little think which is the input and point to the screen.

I'll reveal on that.

It is indeed option one, the component that gets the circuit working.

So if you remember, on the circuit that I modelled in last lesson, we had lots of different components.

Which component did Mrs. Mee use to get that circuit working? That's right, I used a switch.

Well done.

So in today's lesson, what we're going to be looking at is we're going to explore how we can integrate an electrical system and connect it to a mechanical system to make it work, to make it move.

So before we look at making a mechanical system, can we define the difference between a mechanism and a mechanical system? What's the difference? Do you know? So here I have a mechanism.

That's right.

A mechanism is one mechanism working in isolation.

And to create a mechanism, I need to use materials and components, and I need to join them together and it has to move.

For it to be a mechanism, it needs to move.

So this moved.

Do you know what mechanism this is? That's right, it's a lever.

Now a mechanical system, if you remember, is one or more mechanisms that are connected together to make something move.

So Mrs. Mee is just going to reconnect her other lever to show you her mechanical system.

So I have joined one lever to another to make, no, I have joined it upside down.

Give me one minute.

It doesn't really matter.

So a mechanical system is taking one or more mechanisms and connecting them to make something move.

So let's have a look out at this.

So what we're going to explore in today's lesson is how we are going to connect electrical system to a mechanical system.

So let's have a look.

So here is my mechanical system.

So you can see I've connected it to two.

Now, let's look at this mechanical system.

Can we define if it has an input, process, and output, similar to an electrical system? Does it have a part that I can move to activate something moving? Do they have a process? Does it have an output? Well, yes, it does.

A mechanical system has an input, process, and output, just like an electrical system.

So the input on a mechanical system is the component or action which, went operated, initiates the mechanism's movement.

So what is the input on this? Have a little think.

The process is the transfer of force from the input to the output to get the output working.

And the output is the component or action that will be activated after the process.

So here is your input.

Here is your process.

Here is your output.

Let's just demonstrate.

So what does Mrs. Mee have to do to get this working? Let's just pull it to that level.

What do I need to do? That's right, I need to apply a force, or I need to push that together.

And look that actually then moves all of these levered arms, and then the output, if you look, is the bit at the end.

So we've got the input here at the start where Mrs. Mee pushes the levers together, and that activates that process.

And then the output is at the very end.

So you may have explored this previously in your lessons.

So let's take a look at another mechanism that we might explore in today's lesson and identify the input, process, and output.

Now hopefully you've made one of these previously in school.

So this is called a wheel and axle.

So I've got one here.

So if I put my wheel and axle down, what do I need to do? What is the input? What do I need to do to actually get that mechanism working? Yes, that's right.

So the input is the action or the action that activates that movement.

So what has Mrs. Mee got to do? Yes, she's however got to push it, or I've got some string on the end of this one, I could pull it.

So there is the force that is applied onto that mechanism.

The process is what happens when Mrs. Mee pushes it? That's right, these wheels and axles start moving around.

And then what's the output? What happens? So I give it a push, the wheel an axle starts moving, and then yes, the chassis starts to move.

So that is an example of another mechanical system and its input, process, and output.

Should we have a look at another mechanical system? Brilliant, so let's take a look at this mechanical system, and I've got an example I made earlier.

So this is a pulley system.

So this is a different type of mechanism.

So Mrs. Mee has got one here, a pulley system.

So where is the input? How do I get this moving? What part of that system? Okay, that's right.

So here I'm turning the handle.

So the input is the push force applied to turn the handle.

So I'm pushing at a handle, and what's happening to that string? Yeah, it's lifting up.

So the process is the string moves around the pulley.

See, I try that again.

So the string moves around that pulley.

Let me show you.

It's really hard to show you in this camera again.

See that string moving? And what's the output, what's happening? What's happening to that string? Whoop, there we go.

So the output is the end of the string lifts the object.

So I can use this piece of string to lift something.

And this is the one mechanical system we're going to explore today.

Now can we add an electrical system to this to a mechanical system to make it move? Is it true or false? Point to the screen.

Can we add an electronic circuit to this to make it move? True or false? That's right, it's true.

You can indeed add an electrical system.

And that's something that we're going to explore in today's lesson.

So we can add an electrical system to activate its input.

So we can add an electrical system to a mechanical system to get it to move.

And we'll think about where we might add it.

The electrical system can apply the power and convert it into a force.

So rather than Mrs. Mee using a force here, who can use a system, an electrical system to actually get that moving on its own? And we can, the electrical system can activate the output or action.

So that is true.

We can do that.

So what electrical output would we need to make the mechanical system move? Would we need a lamp? Would we need a motor? Or would we need a buzzer? Point to the screen, which one do you think, which component do you think we're going to need to make it move? That's right, we're going to need a motor.

So a motor is the key component to make our mechanical system move.

Okay so now we're going to explore mechanical systems. We are going to explore making a mechanical system that we can activate using a simple circuit.

So you are going to need some materials and equipment.

So we're going to make a pulley system.

So you are going to have a go at making this crane.

And this is where Mrs. Mee really wants you to really explore and experiment with how you make it.

So you're going to need some cardboard, corrugated cardboard, if possible, which you can find on old boxes.

You're going to need some skewers or some wooden skewers.

But don't worry if you can't find them.

Have a little think about what else you could use that's in your house as an alternative.

I know people have made this before and they've used a pencil, pop to pencil for.

You could use, we need string to actually lift an object, so string.

We also need something to join the materials together.

So some sort of glue.

If you have got a glue gun, brilliant.

But if you haven't, glue or tape.

Anything you can find to join the materials.

You're going to need some scissors and you are going to need a ruler and pencil.

So I am going to show you how to make this, and then you're going follow.

So I'm going to do a short demonstration on how you might make this crane.

But again please make sure you explore and experiment with the sizes, the angles, and the shapes.

And if you make one and it doesn't work, don't worry because you can make it again.

So do you want to join me for that demonstration? Brilliant, let's go.

Okay so now we're on Mrs. Mee's desk.

And I'm just going to show you how to make your crane.

So here's the one I showed you earlier.

Here's the one I demonstrated on the screen.

I'm now going to demonstrate how you could replicate that.

So you've got to make a base.

You've got to make a frame.

And then you've got to add your two pulleys, so your two skewers.

And you would need to add your strings.

I'm just going to demonstrate how to do those things.

So you will need a pencil, a ruler, and some scissors and some skewers.

You will need some string, which we'll use in a moment.

And something to glue.

So Mrs. Mee has got a glue gun, but you could use any type of glue or tape.

So let me move my things out of the way and show you how to measure and mark out the first part.

So the first part is the base.

Now you can make it whatever size you want.

So please do not follow this exact size that Mrs Mee does.

You can change it.

So I'm going to work in millimetres because I am working now on making a mechanism and I want it to be precise.

So I'm making a mark at 150 millimetres.

That is also 15 centimetres.

And I'm making a mark at the top of my card, I'm making a mark at the bottom.

And I'm going to measure a line.

And that line that I mark out will indicate where to cut.

So I need to now cross that line with my scissors.

Now I do have things like craft knives.

Obviously you do need to use those with an adult.

So you need to cut that.

So here's one Mrs. Mee cut earlier, just to make things a little bit quicker.

So here is one that she cut earlier.

So once you've measured that, that is your base.

Once you've measured your base and cut your base, you now need to measure the frame.

So you need to measure two rectangles that will make up the frame.

So those rectangles I've measured them exactly the same way.

I've measured them.

So the thickness of the rectangle is 40 millimetres, also known as four centimetres.

And the length is 260, 26 centimetres.

That's my choice.

You could choose something different.

Now if I was to stand those up on my cardboard, it wouldn't act as a great crane because a crane needs to sit at an angle.

So what you need to do is you need to take your pieces of two strips of cards, you should have a base, two strips of card, and you need to take them and you need to measure and mark out a line at an angle.

Now that angle needs to be enough to allow the crane to sit.

So it's hanging over the edge.

And when you've done that, you can cut it, and the just pace it on the card to see if it sits at the right angle.

I will show you that, okay? Perfect.

Okay.

You need to do the same with the other piece of card.

So to make sure that the angle is measured correctly on the other piece of card, you can place that on top of the other piece and use it to trace a line so you know it's exact.

I'm going to cut again with some scissors.

Now before you actually attach this to your base, what you do need to do is you need to make sure it's stable.

So if you stick them, so they are close together like so, it might not be as strong as if you stick them.

So they are spread out like that.

So they are standing.

So think about how you stand up.

Do you stand up with your feet close together or do you put your feet further apart? So we're going to stick them so that they are at an angle.

Let's put that like so.

So not close together like that, at an angle like that.

But before we stick them down, we need to keep them together like so, and we need to make sure we pierce our holes where our skewers are going.

And if you remember, looking at this one, the skewer here needs to be a lot lower, so I can connect my electrical system to it.

So you need to take the skewer, and we are using the sharp end of the skewer, and Mrs. Mee is going to use a rubber.

So I don't, in fact never won't, I will use some scrap card, so I underneath, so I don't pierce the table.

So we need a hole in the middle at the top, and it needs to go through both pieces of card, and you need to make sure your hand is not near the sharp edge as you go through both pieces of card.

And then you need a hole near in the middle near the bottom, and you need to pierce it through both pieces.

And then that skewer needs to be pierced through the card, really gently making sure you do not cut your hands.

Okay so you need to know cut the skewer.

Now to cut the skewer, you can use your scissors to cut the skewer.

I'm going to use these scissors because I don't want to use my new scissors.

And what you can do is you can create a small indentation on the skewer and then snap it away from your eyes.

Note how you can cut a skewer safely.

Now for the top, I need a short piece.

So I'm going to use the scissors to create an indentation, and I'm going to snap away from my eyes.

I've got a small piece, and then I want a long piece at the bottom.

So I wouldn't be left with that.

So the short piece goes in the top like so, and the long piece will go in the bottom.

Now that short piece at the top, we will need to glue and fix firmly in a moment.

Let's just finish.

Pierce first, pierce through first.

Okay, here we go.

So here is the skewer that goes at the bottom.

So I can turn that around for you.

It needs to be narrow at the top and wide at the bottom.

And then you need enough skewer to be able to turn that skewer around at the bottom.

And then what we need to do is we need to add a little bit of glue onto the skewer at the top to stop the skewer from moving.

So I'm just going to add a bit of glue.

Where is my glue gun? Add the glue at the top.

If you're using a glue gun, you need to make sure you do not touch the hot glue, and you need to have an adult supervising when you're using a glue gun.

A little bit at the top as well on the other side.

So here we have it.

So there we have the frame and the base.

What we need to do now is stick the frame to the base by popping some glue or tape at the bottom here and here, and sticking that to the base like so.

So I'm just going to pop some glue onto the bottom of the base.

A little bit of glue there and a little bit of glue here, being careful not to touch that hot glue.

And then I'm going to turn that over and place it and press it down.

I'm going to wait for it to cool.

Here we go.

So this is my crane.

So let's try and turn that around so you can see my finished crane.

Okay, so what we need to do now is we need to add the string to your crane.

I'm going to turn it around, so there, okay? So you need to add a length of string.

So measure a length of string and cut it.

And then what you need to do is you need to lay the string over the two pieces of skewer.

And on the bottom skewer, if I show you, you need to tie it to the bottom skewer and you need to tie it tightly.

If you don't tie it tightly, there won't be enough friction to get that piece of string moving.

So tie it really tight and then give it a test.

And that string should wrap around that skewer and the other piece of string should lift up.

And that is your crane.

Well done.

So let's test it using something here.

Okay let's see if it lifts my rubber.

Brilliant.

Okay.

So can we now have a go at making this mechanical system? Why don't you have a go at exploring with making your own.

So hopefully you've got all of these materials at home.

And if you haven't, think about alternative materials that you could use.

So I'm just going to tie my rubber to there, nice and tight, and then see if we can lift it.

There we go.

Fantastic, so it lifts up my rubber.

Brilliant.

Okay, so why don't you have a go at home at doing that mechanical system? Fantastic, so we've now explored how to make a pulley using key materials, knowledge, and skills.

So hopefully now you've got a model of a crane.

Can you use your model to demonstrate where the inputs, processes, and outputs are? Can you have a go? Where is the input? Which part do I need to actually move to get the system moving? Have a little think.

I'll hold mine up for you.

Which part? That's right, you need to get the handle moving.

So you need to apply a force to the handle.

That is your input.

What is the process? What's happening when I turn that handle? That's right, the string is turning around that skewer, isn't it? And where is the output? That's right, that is a piece of string on the end.

So the piece of string on the end that lifts is the output.

And I could use that to lift an object, couldn't I? Let me grab my pair of scissors and just tie my scissors to the end of my crane that I've made earlier and see if it lifts it.

So here is a pair of scissors.

Will it lift that pair of scissors? Let's have a look.

Yes, it does.

Well done.

So the output is that the string get lifting an object.

So have a go at pointing out those three things.

What part might we need to connect the electronic circuit to to get it working then? Should we add it that the electronic circuit to the input, the process, or the output? Point to the which one you think.

That's right.

We need to add it to the input.

Now Mrs. Mee, her input is quite high at the moment.

So if I want to add an electronic circuit, I might make a change to where my input is.

What component might we connect to the input to get it working? Are we going to connect the battery pack to the handle? Are going to connect the motor to the handle? Or would we connect the switch? Which part? That's right.

We would actually connect the motor to the handle.

And how we do that I will demonstrate in a moment.

So the motor is the output of the electrical system, and that will get the input of the mechanical system working.

Okay so now let's explore how we might integrate the electrical system into the mechanical system.

So think about how we are going to connect that simple circuit to the mechanism to make it move automatically? So what I'd like you to think about is I'd like you to build your circuit like we did last lesson.

So if you've got access to the components, if you're working at school, you might get the components and you might build your electronic circuit.

If you don't have access to the components, that's fine.

Have a go at illustrating how those components would go together to create a simple circuit and to get that motor to move.

So pause the video, have a ago at building the circuit.

When you're ready, press resume.

Brilliant, so hopefully like Mrs. Mee, you've had a go at building your simple circuit, or you've had a go at drawing illustration of that circuit.

Now Mrs. Mee is going to switch it on to check if that circuit works and she hasn't done this before.

so, oh, it doesn't work.

I wonder why.

There you go, it works now.

So the reason it wasn't working is because it wasn't connected properly on the insulators.

My circuit is working.

Shall we now have a look at how we might connect this circuit to our crane to get it moving on its own? Brilliant, let's do that.

So I'm going to show you now using my different camera how we might do that.

So I'm going to use my desk to demonstrate to you how we're going to integrate that circuit into the system.

Hey, so now let's explore how to get the electrical system to make the mechanical system to work.

Now Mrs. Mee has already connected the motor for the electrical system to the inputs, the handle on the mechanical system.

But I've added two things to it to make it work.

Yes, I've added here a wooden pulley.

Now it looks like a wheel, but it's got a groove in the middle.

And Mrs. Mee has glued that to the skewer.

And I've connected that with an elastic band.

And if you hear, it's quite, okay? It's quite tight to a plastic pulley here on the motor.

So we're going to look at this piece of string now.

I'm going to switch it on top of my switch here which you can't quite see.

There we go.

There's a switch and I'm going to switch it on.

So I'm going to activate the inputs on the electrical system.

And then you're going to have a look at what happens to the output on the mechanical systems. I'm going to try and do that here, so you can still see that string.

Are you ready? Okay off we go.

Three, two, one.

Wow! Did you see what happened? That's right.

So it pulled that string really, really, really fast.

It was too fast, wasn't it? And it's wrapped it around that.

Now I've got a little trick for you of what we can do to reverse the direction of a motor, 'cause I'm going to need to do that to pull my string back.

So you can do this, and it will reverse the direction of a motor.

But then we can unravel, oops, the string.

Did it work? Did it? It was too fast for me.

So let me just unravel it by hand then.

And now what I'm going to do is I'm going to add a pair of scissors here the next.

Let me just cut that off.

Let's see if it will lift these scissors.

Okay, so I'm going to put a heavyweight here.

Let me just unravel a little bit more, and then you can see what will happen.

Okay, let's go again.

So this time I need to reverse it back.

So that is how you reverse the flow of electricity, which will reverse the direction in which the motor goes.

Are you ready? So let me activate that input again.

Okay, off we go.

Oops, there we go.

That didn't work because the wires have disconnected.

Patience with electronics.

Ready? Three, two, one.

See, ooh.

You see what happened? Now Mrs. Mee need to be careful as she flip those scissors right over the top.

So the speed of that is far too fast.

Would you agree? So what we need now, we've got our electrical system, it's connected to our mechanical system.

But what we are lacking in is control.

We need the ability to control the speed and the power of that motor.

And that's where we'll explore that when we explore control.

Okay so now that we've looked at that electrical system and how it got that mechanical system working, let's reflect and review on how it works.

What's the problem? Yeah, it moves too quickly, doesn't it? Yeah.

There's no control is there.

So what we're going to do is we're now going to look at the need for control technology.

Now, before we do, let's remind ourselves of what control technology is.

Is control technology the use of a component that's used in an electrical product? Or is it a method of using a product? Or is it a microprocessor that's used to programme and control how a system works? Or is it an innovative way to present a product? Which statement relates to control technology? Have a look point to the screen, which option? Well done.

So if you picked option three, well done.

Control technology is where we use micro processes to control how an electrical system works.

Now, a microprocessor is an integrated circuit that contains all the functions of a central processing unit of a computer.

It can be programmed, so we can programme it to allow you to control key components like the motor, or a light, or a buzzer.

But with the motor in mind, how could we use the microprocessor to control and programme this electronic circuit? So how could we use a microprocessor to control the motor in particular? So is it option one, could it control the light? Could it control the speed? Could it control turning it on and off? Could it control the direction? What would our microprocessor potentially do? Have a little think and either say it out loud or point to the options.

That's right, there are free options, aren't they? You can't control the light because it's not a light, it's a motor.

It can control the direction.

We can control turning on and off.

And we can control the speed.

So this brings us on to the need of control technology.

Now we're going to explore control technology next lesson.

So next lesson, we're going to look at how we would add a microprocessor to that electronic circuit to actually slow that motor down.

So I'm going to demonstrate that to you next lesson.

So hopefully you've enjoyed today's lesson and you've enjoyed getting involved in the focus practical task.

You've had a go at the intro quiz.

You've looked at input, processes, and output in relation to a mechanical system.

And we've looked at how we can build in a mechanical system.

And we've explored other mechanical systems. We've looked at how we can integrate an electrical system to a mechanical system to make it move.

And then we've looked at the need for control technology, which brings us on nicely to next lesson.

So next lesson will be focused on the use of microprocessors.

So I really hope you've enjoyed today's lesson.

If you would like to share a picture of what you've done today, ask an adult, a parent or carer within your household, to share a picture @OakNational and using the #LearnwithOak.

But thank you for joining me during today's lesson.

I hope to see you next lesson.

Goodbye.