Take one object
Butter Churn - Curriculum Links
Some sample questions to trigger investigations in different curriculum areas:
Studies of Society and the Environment
Time, Continuity and Change
When this object was new, many people made their own butter. Why is this no longer common?
The owner of this churn probably made other things at home too. Can you find out what things your parents & grandparents made that we now buy ready-made?
Place and Space
Most Australians buy butter rather than make it. Would there be parts of the world where it is still common to make your own?
Are there equivalent foods in countries where dairy cattle are less common?
Culture and Identity
This object came from England. How might it be different if it was designed in China, Turkey or some other country?
Systems, Resources and Power
In the 19th and early 20th Century, many of our manufactured goods (like this one) came from England, but no longer. What has changed? Why?
Science
Science and Society
What are some of the inventions that made this machine possible? (Think about the materials it’s made from, as well as the mechanism) Can you find out about the origins of glassmaking, metalwork, gears?
Earth and Beyond
This object is made from glass and metals. What minerals and raw materials were needed to make it?
Energy and Change
What forms of energy are used in this machine? What sort of work is done?
Life and Living
Find out about how mammals provide milk. How is the milk of different animals different?
Which non-mammals feed their young?
Natural and Processed materials
Investigate the process that separates the fat solids out of cream to make butter.
Examine other milk processes that make cheese, yoghurt, ice cream etc. Which are physical and which are chemical changes?
Technology
Systems
This machine is a simple system. Can you identify its inputs and outputs?
Draw some diagrams to show how it works.
What is the function of the cogs? What other systems use this type of mechanism?
Materials
Different parts of this object are made of glass, wood and metal. Can you tell why the designer chose these materials? What materials would be used if a butter churn was designed today?
Technology Practice
Could you design your own gadget for making butter from cream?
You could have a competition to see which design works best.
What’s another tool or machine you could design to help a dairy farmer?
Health and Physical Education
Promoting the Health of Individuals and Communities
Butter is a simple natural food, but people often replace it with low-fat alternatives.
Is butter an OK part of your diet? What about other dairy products?
Mathematics
Number
The large cog has 60 teeth, the small one has 12. For each turn of the handle, how many times will the paddle turn? (60÷12) Try comparing the number of teeth on the cogs of a bike and working out how much faster they make the wheels turn. Can you find other examples of gears and calculate how much they make things faster or slower?
Measurement
Internally, the jar is 15cm high and the base is 10cm square. Can you calculate how many millilitres of cream it holds?
Spatial concepts and visualisation
What geometric shapes can you see in this design?
The Arts
Dance
Some English Morris Dances replicate the movements of factory machines. Create a group movement piece based on the way this machine’s cogs move together.
Drama
What are some of the roles in dairy farming and milk processing? Act out some scenes that might happen in the dairy.
Media
Create an advertisement for this machine in the style of its time (around 1930).
Music
Make up a simple rhythmic song you could sing while churning the butter. You might also write a song to sing while milking the cow.
Visual Arts
How do you paint or draw clear glass? Try some sketches and paintings of transparent objects.
Disclaimer. Copyright The State of Queensland (Department of Education) 2004.