During the visit

The LEOTC educator linked the visit with pre-visit activities by exploring tools that might be used to pick and carry apples. The group discussed the use of wheels and simple gears and how these work. The educator challenged the group to make a machine to lift a container of apples. The students worked together to build a ‘see-saw’ lever. Other levers were also explained to the students, in simple terms. The students explored objects in the Discovery room and related these to the introductory discussion. They identified wheels, gears, and levers on small machines and participated in a sorting activity.

Each group followed self-guided trail cards round the museum exhibits. The students related these exhibits to what they had learned from the LEOTC educator. Adult helpers used the facts and focus questions on the cards to talk to their student group about what they could see. The group stayed with their helpers as they moved around the museum.

In the Victorian Village there were also opportunities to find out how people used to live in the past. Students looked at the kitchens in the historical cottages and explored other buildings in the village. The group then rode on the Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT) tram and explored a broader use of wheels and levers in transporting not just apples but people.

After the session, students also had the opportunity to explore the mirror maze. Many of them had experienced it before and were keen to have another go.

The document below describes student behaviours or conversations during the visit that show evidence of learning.