Meet
The Banu Musa brothers
Machines & teamwork
Notice. Sketch. Try.What will you make?
Their story. Your next idea.
The Banu Musa brothers were Muhammad, Ahmad, and al-Hasan, sons of Musa ibn Shakir. They were associated with the House of Wisdom in ninth-century Baghdad.
1001 Inventions, p. 52
mechanismparts working together to make something happen
collaborateto work on something together
YOUR TURN · 10 MINUTES
Design with a partner
Paper, pencils, and a partner.
- Choose a small everyday job an imaginary machine could help with.
- Each person draws a different idea.
- Find one useful part in each drawing and combine them.
- Add arrows to explain your shared design and ask what might need testing.
Let’s wonder
How could three people improve the same design together?
My next question: __________________________________________________