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Current page navigation: Two famous ‘Ernies’ | Jet boat jives | Make a hovercraft | Paragliding | Golden spiral | Design a game full of inventions | Antarctic ice-vehicle | The moment of discovery – re-enact the event

Two famous ‘Ernies’

Meet ‘Ernie Rutherford’ and ‘Ernie Godward’ both famous New Zealanders.

Ernest Godward invented many useful household items around 1900. One of his first inventions was the eggbeater.

Ernest Rutherford was a science inventor. He made three discoveries that shaped modern science; his major one was splitting the atom.

1. Read about Ernest Godward
2. Read about Ernest Rutherford
3. Open a Word document
4. Design a poster about Ernest Godward or Ernest Rutherford.
5. Include the following:
   1. Where he was born.
   2. What he invented.
   3. Choose one of his inventions and describe how he invented it.

Send in your answers to ed@tki.org.nz.

Jet boat jives

The Hamilton Jet is one of New Zealand’s most famous inventions.

Go to this page to find about the Hamilton Jet. Click on ‘Hamilton Jet” to read about this invention.

1. Look carefully at the diagram then give it a try, fill a balloon with some water, blow it up and let it go.
2. Take a number of photos or draw pictures of your experiment and send it in to us so that we can include it in the student gallery

Make a hovercraft

This clever invention, the Balloon Hovercraft is very handy.

Make your own hot air balloon

1. You will need:
   • a lightweight plastic bag
   • paper band
   • thread
   • sticky tape
   • paper clips.
   1. Inflate the bag with hot air from a hair dryer (ask an adult to assist and take care).
   2. When it's full, release it, and try to measure how high the balloon flies, and time how long it stays in the air before returning.
   or
2. You will need:
   • a helium-filled balloon
   • a small bag of sand
   1. Get a helium-filled balloon and tie a small sand bag to the bottom.
   2. Adjust the amount of sand in the bag until the balloon floats just off the ground.
   3. How does the size of the balloon compare to the weight of sand in the sand bag?

Record your results on a word doc and send into ed@tki.org.nz

Paragliding

Paragliders are another clever air transport invention. Read about them here.

They rely on ‘thermals’. Click to find out what a thermal is.

1. Look for thermals around the house. Make a little pinwheel and look for thermals over light bulbs, your toaster, even the oven vent when dinner is cooking.
2. Open a Word document and record the answers to the following.
   • How is your house or apartment heated?
   • Does it use hot air?
   • Heaters – where are the hot air vents placed and why?
   • Can you detect warm air rising from the heater?

Golden spiral

Fibonacci was an Italian maths inventor who studied patterns in numbers. He recognised that there were lots of spirals in nature and worked out a mathematical formula to explain how spirals were a perfect form.

1. Open this link to see examples of spirals in nature
2. Open this Word doc (Word 475KB)
3. On the same Word doc record five examples of the golden spiral around you now? They can be found everywhere, for example, in buildings, gardens, plants and animals.
4. You can record your spirals on the Word doc using images, drawings, or video.

Send your golden spirals to ed@tki.org.nz.

Design a game full of inventions

In Harry Potter’s world there are some weird and wonderful games.

1. Open a Word document. Invent your own game aimed at your own age group.
2. Make sure you include the name of your game, the rules, the number of players, and how to play. It must include at least two inventions.
3. Now test your game by inviting some friends to join you to play.

Antarctic ice-vehicle

Invent a vehicle suitable for travelling to the South Pole to undertake environmental studies in the Antarctic.

It needs to be able to withstand up to -80 and contain supplies for two people for six weeks. You need to consider fuel, water, food, heating, comfort, and practicality.

Take a photo of your exterior and interior design.

Extra for experts

Now build a prototype. You may use any recyclable materials. Take a few photos and send them in to ed@tki.org.nz to go in the student gallery.

The moment of discovery – re-enact the event

Ed really wants to show some exciting re-enactments of famous inventions that have happened in New Zealand’s history on wickedTV

1. Choose one of the following events to re-enact.
   • Lord Ernest Rutherford splitting the atom.
   • Richard Pearce on his first flight.
   • Bert Munro preparing then riding his Indian motorbike.
2. Choose some costumes but keep your props imaginary or simple.
3. Practice your act
4. Perform it for some family or friends
5. Take some images, either photos or a video and send to ed@tki.org.nz to add to the student gallery.

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