Lesson by Rhian Bruce
Learning Intentions:
- To design and make a functioning water wheel.
- To introduce hydropower as a form of renewable energy.
- To introduce the concept of forces and energy transfer
Step 1: Activity overview for parent, carers and pupils
In this activity you will be making a water wheel. There is a short two-minute video to watch to help you understand the task.
For this activity you will need the following resources.
Equipment for 1 water wheel:
- 2x sturdy paper plates or cardboard discs
- Ruler and pencil
- Plastic tub
- Length of dowel or a plastic straw longer than the width of the tub
- Scissors
- Sticky tape
- Recycled plastic cups, pots or paper cups
- Permanent marker
- Stapler
- Jug or watering can
- Water
Step 2: Introduction to the activity and additional information
Watermills have been used through history and the kinetic energy of the water has been harnessed and/or transferred to grind corn, supply drinking water to villages, irrigate crops and power textile mills. Modern hydropower uses falling water often retained by a dam to generate electricity. In this activity you will learn how to create your very own Water Wheel.
In this activity you are going to make a functioning water wheel.
Watch this video clip below to help you to get started:
The picture below shows a water wheel made out of paper plates and cups. Look closely at the picture as this will help you with making your own.
Step 3: Tasks to carry out for this activity
Activity 1 – To make the water wheel
- Check you have all the resources you need
- Measure and mark the centre of the two paper plates or cardboard discs.
- Make a hole in the centre of the paper plates or cardboard with a pencil at the marks.
- Push the dowel or plastic straw through the two plates or cardboard discs.
- Staple a minimum of three cups snugly between the two plates or cardboard discs.
- The cups should be evenly spaced and all facing the same direction.
- Mark one of the cups prominently with a permanent marker.
- Balance the wheel width-ways across the tub, bucket, sink etc.
Investigation
- Steadily pour the water from a jug into the top cup of the water wheel and watch it begin to rotate as the water flows.
- Count how many rotations the wheel makes using 1 litre of water.
- Use the marked cup to keep track of rotations.
- Experiment by changing the height and speed of the flow of water.
- What difference does a faster flow make?
Record your results on paper and try to explain what you have found out.
Once you have completed the task you can email anything you create (photos, documents, screenshots etc.) directly to your teacher or directly upload it to any of the available places in Step 6.
Step 4: Look over the success criteria for this activity:
Success criteria #1: I can design and make a functioning water wheel
Success criteria #2: I can introduce hydropower as a form of renewable energy.
Success criteria #3: I can introduce the concept of forces and energy transfer.
Step 5: Extension and follow on activities/challenges (optional)
Activity 2
As an extension you could attempt to harness the energy from your wheel attaching a string and a small weight to the shaft to see how much weight the mechanism can lift.