Primary technology - using stories from history

Produced by the Association for Science Education (ASE), this book looks at technology from an historical perspective and through a series of engaging stories, each of which is linked with possible design-and-make projects. The stories in the book are:

Children of the Grasses In ancient Egypt, children collect papyrus to make paper, watch gangs of workers building the pyramids, and have a scare. Projects: paper-making, pyramids, spirit levels.

The Old Greek Potter Children visit a potter in Athens about 350BC, to learn about wheels and astronomy. Project: making a clay pot.

The Roman Bridge Following the Roman invasion of Britain, Celtic children hide in a hill fort and watch a road and bridge being built in their village. Project: building a bridge.

Bertha's Water Wheel In Anglo-Saxon Britain, Bertha and Cuthbert talk about their food. They take grain to have it ground by a water mill in the next village. Project: making a water wheel.

Diego's Story In the 16th Century, Diego sails to the West Indies through bad storms. He sees the Arawak culture and meets a girl who shows him their houses and hammocks. Project: pulleys, sails, making a hammock and a compass.

Geoffrey Goes to School In Tudor times, Geoffrey and Anne learn to read from an itinerant monk. Geoffrey goes to school and both children visit a printing works. Project: using metal to make type and print, a printing press.

The Railway Twins Victorian times see Albert and Daisy go on a train excursion. They see Brunel at Paddington station and watch a thief being caught, thanks to a telegraph message. Project: making railway signals.

The Gigantic Greenhouse Liza and George live on a Victorian farm and are taken to the Great Exhibition. They see lots of new inventions and trees growing inside the Crystal Palace. Project: building a greenhouse/cloche.

Cars and Horseless Carriages In 1935, Shirley and Tony go with their parents and grandfather to the seaside in their new Austin 10 motorcar. Grandfather talks about the early days of motoring. Project: building model cars, steering, pumps.