101083 - Upper KS2 High Ability
101082 - Upper KS2 Mid Ability [THIS DOCUMENT]
Students can explore the steam elements of the locomotive and how the water changes into steam, identifying the basic elements of the process. They can see the water being added at the station, witness the coal fire being stoked, and the resultant expansion of the steam being harnessed to provide traction.
This resource is for upper key stage 2 students who are covering ‘Properties and Changes of Materials’ in Year 5 as part of the compulsory science element of the National Curriculum. It allows students who visit Isle of Wight Steam Railway to engage with the scientific concepts and the engineering aspects of these within the railway environment.
Students could learn the basics of heating and cooling, and the effects of these on materials, to allow them to engage with the resource at Isle of Wight Steam Railway most effectively.
Completion of Science KS2 Properties and Changes of Materials / Changing Materials at Isle of Wight Steam Railway resource linked to this document
Follow-up tasks could include: Class discussion, Q&A etc. of how they saw the water become steam, and how they think this powered the train; Completion of labelled diagrams, PowerPoint slides, or animations showing these examples; Finding other examples of where water becomes steam in the everyday world
Students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of how water is converted into steam and then harnessed to move the locomotive and train at Isle of Wight Steam Railway. They will be able to understand that steam trains need water, fuel and fire to be able to move, and that this is a complex process.