Oil for Beginners
The activities in this book tell a simple story of oil, beginning with its recovery from beneath the sea bed, to its use as a lubricant and fuel. They are written for use with 5-7 year olds, though can be adapted for use with other children, and can be incorporated into topic work on liquids or materials. The number of activities, and their sequence, can be varied according to the needs of the teacher, children, and areas of the curriculum being studied.
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Oil
Science topic: Materials
Type of enquiry: Grouping and classifying
Keywords: oils, sustainability, pollution .liquids, materials, properties of materials, everyday materials
Children’s knowledge about oil is established and they are introduced to an ‘oil rig’.
A Model Platform
Science topic: Materials
Type of enquiry: Problem solving
Keywords: Design & Technology, properties of materials, everyday materials, construction
Children build a model platform which must be a stable and rigid structure.
Sinking in sand
Science topic: Materials
Type of enquiry: Comparative/fair tests
Keywords: oil, sand, Design & Technology, properties of materials, everyday materials, construction
An investigation into the effect of the size of feet on the stability of the platform.
Hard or soft?
Science topic: Materials
Type of enquiry: Grouping and classifying
Keywords: Design Technology, soft , hard, materials, properties of materials, everyday materials, working scientifically, rocks, soil, cardboard, sand, wood
Classification of objects and materials according to their properties.
Making holes
Science topic: Materials
Type of enquiry: Comparative/fair tests
Keywords: soft, hard, materials, tools, recording, prediction, Design & Technology, everyday materials, properties of materials, sand, wood, plastic, cardboard
Children explore the effectiveness of a variety of tools to make holes in different materials.
Move that water!
Science topic: Materials
Type of enquiry: Comparative/fair tests
Keywords: water, properties of materials, everyday materials
A problem-solving approach to moving water from one place to another.
Pouring oil
Science topic: Materials
Type of enquiry: Comparative/fair tests
Keywords: liquids, properties of materials, everyday materials, oil, water
Children observe the ‘runniness’ of different liquids and investigate shapes for ‘oil pourers’.
So, what’s it for?
Science topic: Materials
Type of enquiry: Research/using secondary sources
Keywords: forces, oil, friction, materials, everyday materials, properties of materials
Children carry out a ‘squeak hunt’ in school and hinges and other squeaky things are oiled; they also observe the use of oil as a fuel.
Partners
Supported by the ExxonMobil Chemical.