Oil for beginners

The activities in this book tell a simple story of oil, beginning with its recovery from beneath the seabed, to its use as a lubricant and fuel. They are written for use with five- to seven- year olds, though can be adapted for use with other children, and can be incorporated into topic work on liquids or materials.

The number of activities, and their sequence, can be varied according to the needs of the teacher, children, and areas of the curriculum being studied. The activities are:

1. Oil: Children’s knowledge about oil is established and they are introduced to an ‘oil rig’.
2. A model platform: Children build a model platform which must be a stable and rigid structure.
3. Sinking in sand: An investigation into the effect of the size of feet on the stability of the platform.
4. Hard or soft?: Classification of objects and materials according to their properties.
5. Making holes: Children explore the effectiveness of a variety of tools to make holes in different materials.
6. Move that water!: A problem-solving approach to moving water from one place to another.
7. Pouring oil: Children observe the ‘runniness’ of different liquids and investigate shapes for ‘oil pourers’.
8. So, what’s it for?:  Children carry out a ‘squeak hunt’ in school and hinges and other squeaky things are oiled; they also observe the use of oil as a fuel.