Kids are fascinated by the world around them. However, because of the different ways in which they learn, many kids might disengage from a topic like cranes. If it does not immediately interest them, kids are likely to ignore what you, as their teacher, are saying about this and other topics. There are actually ways for you to get kids interested in cranes and what they do, and you might even learn a thing or two yourself.
Visit a Facility That Offers Bare Rental Cranes
Crane companies that offer bare rental cranes have dozens of different types of cranes for rent. While you are not intending to rent a crane any time soon, the crane company may be willing to offer a tour to you and your class. Call the company and ask if a company or manufacturing plant tour is available.
Visit a Quarry to See Different Cranes in Action
Another tour you may be able to take is with a nearby quarry. There are crawler cranes, boom cranes and lift cranes in action at many quarries, and being able to touch the cranes, see the cranes working and maybe even sit in the cab to check out the controls helps engage children's minds and imaginations on what might be an otherwise uninteresting topic. Kids always love to see and touch real life things, and being able to introduce cranes to them in these ways helps them connect to the real world. It also helps their imaginations as they begin to see the possibilities of future careers and what crane operators do.
Check out an Industrial Plant Where Overhead Cranes and Gantry Cranes Are in Use
Overhead cranes and gantry cranes are quite unlike many of the construction cranes your students could see in a quarry or in a bare rental crane shop. They introduce students to a whole new idea about cranes and what can be called a crane. If there is an industrial sector in your city, and it produces something of interest, such as cars, a tour of that may also be useful and helpful. The factory employees can show kids how these cranes operate, and what they are used for in the factory. Kids may be surprised to learn that these cranes are very similar to the ones used in a favorite arcade game of theirs--the claw machine. They can relate and understand by comparing these cranes to other cranes they have seen in use.
