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THE PUNCHBOWL
Worksheets 25-27
Audio Cassette References:
- Clive Budden
- Jackie Kettle
- Michael Ryle
- Charlie Stevens
- Ann Le Bas
- Vernon Rush
- Mike Leach
Teacher Notes - The Punchbowl
The Punchbowl is a popular beauty spot in the Lychford area.This unit includes activities to create a car park and an electronic signboard.
Beauty Spot or Black Spot?
Pupils, individually or in small groups, can use Work sheet 26 to construct a plan for a new car park.They can also be encouraged to consider the environmental issues related to tourists and 'beauty spots' in the countryside.
Electrifying Information
This activity (Work sheet 27) encourages pupils to use simple circuits and components to create a stimulating information board for erection in the Punchbowl car park.Pupils will learn about the need for a complete circuit for electrical devices to work; selecting appropriate components to match a power source and how to construct circuits containing a number of components in which switches are used to control electrical output devices.
This activity could serve as an extension activity after the introduction to basic electrical circuits, or serve as a context in which to deliver the whole topic.The basic circuit will allow a visitor to select a feature from a list by closing a switch.This will then light a lamp alongside that feature on a map.
Designing the Signboard
Each group of pupils could use a box lid or other suitable materials to construct the board.They will need to consider what the front of the board will look like and remember that they are trying to promote the area of the Punchbowl, to protect the area and to help visitors to make the most of their visit.It would be useful to have spare photocopies of the map of the area since groups may decide to use amap of the area as a basis of the design.
Assembling the Circuit
Each pupil in a group could assemble the circuit for one feature and the group will then need to work together to connect their circuits together.
The circuits show a 'push to make switch' but pupils could use one of the simpler switches shown, in which case the circuit symbol would be:
A Single Circuit
Combined Circuits
Component Notes:
Bulbs:You could use normal MES type of, say, 3.5 volt rating with a 3 volt battery supply, thus removing the risk of the bulbs blowing.Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) may well give you a neater result, particularly if the information board is small. They have the advantage that although they need a minimum of 3 volts to activate them, even a dozen wired in parallel will not wear out your batteries.Remember that LEDs will only work one way round and the longest leg must be connected to the +ve side of the circuit.
Possible design for switches
You may have some available already, or pupils could make their own. These are possible designs:
