Great Inventions The wheel and axle How well

Great Inventions The wheel (and axle) How well can I explain why the invention of the wheel in the Bronze Age was so important?

Dug up by archaeologists…. . Bronze Age wheel At Flag Fen, Peterborough, in 1982 Iron Age wheel Wetwang in the East Riding of Yorkshire in 2001

What difference do wheels make? Expt A Before wheels were invented Expt B Have wheels- will travel • Place a heavy book/bag of potatoes/ some cans into a carrier bag or pedal bin bag. Attach a handle to pull it along a rough surface such as the lawn or patio. • An elastic band or piece of elastic is best. Otherwise use some string. • Pull the bag 1 m along the ground. Notice how much the elastic stretches or how pulling it feels. • Tie your heavy pack to a skateboard/ a roller skate/ a large toy on wheels or whatever you can find. Pull the bag along for 1 m along the ground. (I know this is not a fair test because you are now pulling the skateboard as well- but observe what happens to the elastic anyway. )

What difference do wheels make? • Another way of doing the experiment is: • Test A : Push your heavy weight down a slope. • Test B : Tie your heavy weight to a skateboard or roller skate and now push it down the same slope with the same amount of push. • What difference do you notice?

Wheels were used on chariots and carts. .

Answer these questions in your book: • 1. Where did archaelogists find evidence of Bronze Age and Iron Age wheels in Britain? • 2. What difference does it make to be able to carry goods in a cart on wheels? Challenge : year 6 need to do this question and some of year 5 may like to have a go. • Find out some of the things carts and chariots were used for in the Bronze Age and Iron Age. • Evidence needed: • You can either send me a photo or video of your experiment or a photo of your answers (or both).