Making Fire Engines - The Complete Series (6 lessons)

This scheme of work is also part of a Topic Bundle. Perfect if you are teaching 'The Great Fire of London' as a cross-curricular topic.

In the first lesson in this series, children will explore modern fire engines and their features, looking at what features are common to all vehicles and which are specific to fire engines. There is also the opportunity to look at a 17th century fire engine to compare how they are similar and different to modern fire engines.

In this lesson, children will explore how wheels, axles and chassis work together to create the base of a fire engine. They will explore different ways of attaching the chassis to the axles using different methods and materials.

Children will investigate different ways of creating the body of a fire engine, using materials such as cardboard boxes, lolly sticks and other craft materials. They will explore how to create features such as ladders and fire hoses, considering which materials and tools are best suited for different tasks.

Now that your class have investigated some of the different materials, tools and methods they will use for constructing a fire engine, they will have the chance to complete a design. Children are challenged to either design a modern fire engine or a 17th century fire engine.

And now for the fun part! Using their designs from the previous lesson, children work to design criteria to create their moving fire engines using a variety of materials, tools and techniques.

In the final lesson in this series, children will evaluate their own fire engines, as well as fire engines made by their peers. They will consider what went well, what could be improved upon and what they could do differently if they were to make their fire engines again.