Summary
The story of how the bicycle went from a clumsy wooden 'running machine' to the smooth, chain-driven bikes we ride today — an invention improved step by step.
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All ages
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Discussion
The story of how the bicycle went from a clumsy wooden 'running machine' to the smooth, chain-driven bikes we ride today — an invention improved step by step.
- What were the very first bicycles like?
- How did each new version fix problems with the last one?
- Why do inventions usually improve little by little instead of all at once?
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: invention, improve, design.
Try it: Draw the 'next' bicycle. Add one improvement that would make riding easier or safer.

