Bicycle History.

Wednesday (18/07/2012)

a)      Racing Car.

l       Rei brought 6 racing cars and kids got so excited that we decided to have race in the classroom. I used masking tape to draw starting and ending lines. They were little mechanical car race. This means that they have got little springs within the toy car. Kids would have to pull the toy reversely or backwards before waiting for my cue to release the car. The force in the spring causes the toy car to race forward. The car which reaches the Ending line will be the winner!

b)      Wei Lok’s Proton Book.

l       Wei Lok shared with his class his thick “Proton” book. It introduced the founders and important people behind this successful company. It introduced our ex-Prime Minister, Tun Dato’ Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. Kids could remember him from our Merdeka lesson. The book introduced the factory and assembly system in Proton. There were doors attched to the car body. Some used human skills while some using robotic skills. It introduced the ranges of Proton cars from early 1990s till today.

c)       Bicycle.

l       Kids differentiate types: Unicycle – a wheel, Bicycle – 2 wheels, Tricycle – 3 wheels and Tnadem Bicycle consisting more than a cyclist. It could have 2 / 3 / 4 seats and even more.

d)      Bicycle History.

l       It was really interesting as we learnt about this history.

1)       The Walking Machine – totally wooden. The purpose was just to stroll in the garden and couldn’t go far.

2) The Velocipede or Boneshaker – metal wheels but still didn’t go far.

3) The High Wheel Bicycle – The front wheel was much bigger than the back because it allowed bicycle to go further. However, people fell off easily and hit their head. It introduced brakes.

4) The High Wheel Tricycle – This was introduced to allow ladies to ride as they wore dresses. This bicycle introduced gears and steerings.  

5) The High Wheel Safety – This time, the back wheel was bigger than the front. Yet it caused problems.

6) The Pnuematic-Tired Safety: This would look similar to today’s bicycle. It introduced the soft tyres to absorb the pressure; thus ensuring a more comfortable ride.

8) The Kid's Bike- A kid’s bike which also introduced battery to allow kids to ride easier.