Methods of obtaining water

Design a treadle pump

This is one of a series of GCSE DT resources designed to support teachers to deliver high-quality, inspiring lessons. Each resource covers a key topic from one or more of the specifications for these subjects. This resource focuses on designing ideas to solve the problem of water supply faced by people living in remote villages.

One challenge that many people living in dry, remote areas face is the sourcing of water to irrigate crops and therefore grow food. A treadle pump can be used to make this much easier and far less time consuming.

Activity info, teachers’ notes and curriculum links
How does a water pump work? In this activity, learners will produce design ideas for a treadle pump that can raise water from wells. It will develop their ability to design products that meet a social need. It will also develop their skills in the drawing techniques used by designers and engineers to communicate their ideas.

The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

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All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.

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