Plastic bins or containers (to represent the water source and plants)
Various building materials (e.g., cardboard, plastic tubes, wooden sticks, string, wheels, etc.)
Water
Measuring cups or containers (to measure the water moved)
Simple machine components (e.g., pulleys, levers)
Tools (e.g., scissors, glue, tape)
Guide to ancient irrigation systems (with examples such as the Rahat system)
Introduction to Ancient Irrigation Systems:
Begin with a brief lesson on ancient irrigation systems, focusing on the Rahat (Lever System).
Show pictures and diagrams to illustrate how these systems used wheels turned by animals to lift water.
Introduction to the STEM Challenge:
Explain the challenge: students will design and build a model of an ancient irrigation system that uses a lever or pulley to move water from one bin to another.
Highlight the criteria for success: the system must move the most water efficiently with minimal spillage in the shortest amount of time.
Forming Groups:
Divide the class into small groups and distribute materials.
Provide each group with the guide to ancient irrigation systems and explain that they must incorporate either a lever or pulley in their design.
Planning and Design:
Have each group brainstorm and sketch their design before building.
Encourage them to think about how to minimize water spillage and maximize efficiency.
Building the Irrigation System:
Allow groups time to build their models using the provided materials.
Monitor progress and offer guidance as needed, ensuring they incorporate either a lever or pulley system.
Testing the Systems:
Once the systems are built, have each group test their design by moving water from one bin to another.
Measure the amount of water moved and the time taken for each group.
Evaluating the Designs:
Compare the results to determine which group’s system moved the most water efficiently in the shortest amount of time.
Discuss the various designs and what worked well or needed improvement.
Reflection and Discussion:
Gather students to reflect on their experiences.
Discuss the importance of ancient irrigation systems and how simple machines played a crucial role.
Talk about the challenges faced during the project and how they were overcome.
Extension (Optional):
Challenge students to improve their designs based on what they learned from the first round of testing.
Introduce more complex constraints or additional simple machines to further enhance the challenge.