Building with a variety of materials
CURRICULAR OUTCOMES
- Students use a variety of tools and simple techniques to build things for specific purposes. Their tasks may require that a bridge be built between two desks.
- Investigate a practical problem, and develop a possible solution.
- Identify the purpose of the object to be constructed: What is to be developed? What is it for?
- Use, safely, a variety of tools, techniques and materials in construction activities.
- Recognize the importance of good workmanship, and demonstrate growth toward good workmanship.
- Apply procedures to test the strength of construction materials, in particular, different stocks of papers, plastics or wood.
- Identify and apply methods for making a structure stronger and more stable e.g. by adding or joining parts to form triangles.
TEACHING APPROACH
As with learning any topic, it is important for students to be engaged in hands-on learning, using real-life scenarios whenever possible. Keeping this in mind, I began this unit with a short discussion on bridges. By engaging prior knowledge of students, I asked them questions in order to facilitate a discussion. What allows a bridge to hold up so much weight? What is the best material for building a bridge and why? What is the best way to construct a bridge? This gets students thinking. I then show them some real-life examples of bridges, using a Power Point presentation.
The hook I used for this topic was a letter I drafted from the mayor, enclosed in an envelope. I opened the envelope and had a student read the letter to students in the classroom. Students were given the task of building a bridge model for a new town (Cowville) that popped up near Calgary, across the Bow River. The bridge was to span 30 cm and be able to hold up one text book. Supplies were limited to 100 popsicle sticks.
The hook I used for this topic was a letter I drafted from the mayor, enclosed in an envelope. I opened the envelope and had a student read the letter to students in the classroom. Students were given the task of building a bridge model for a new town (Cowville) that popped up near Calgary, across the Bow River. The bridge was to span 30 cm and be able to hold up one text book. Supplies were limited to 100 popsicle sticks.
Students began building their miniature bridge models with popsicle sticks. Some of them used the triangle shapes they saw in photos from the Power Point, while others used their own design. They used a glue bottle with fasteners to hold together the sticks while drying. For students who were struggling with the glue, I brought a glue gun to help fasten their bridges. They soon realized that this substance was much stronger than the bottle glue. It was great to see how students progressed with this type of experiential learning, without giving away the answer that triangle structures hold stronger.
I included a follow-up letter from a resident of Cowville, asking the students why their specific bridge design should be used. Bringing in Language Arts (Persuasive Writing), students were asked to write about what made their bridge so unique or well-suited for construction. They were to conduct strength tests to ensure that their bridge could withstand the weight of one text book. Surprisingly, one bridge surpassed this weight durability, as children watched in astonishment, while the bridge was holding up several books! Children soon realized that the bridges designed with triangular support were the strongest. |
BuildingBuilding the bridge according to requirements and specifications is important. Students realize that this is something that is expected in the real world, whether you are a civil engineer or a city planner. Some students even drafted up a blueprint of their design.
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TestingTesting is a part of quality control and assurance, and students realize how important it is to test out their design. During this phase, they can make slight modifications and improvements to their design. As a result, this can train children to revise their work.
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WritingAs with any profession, students learn to appreciate the importance of writing. Whether they are engineers, technicians, or doctors, they will often times be expected to deliver some form of writing. This is a great way to combine science and Language Arts, in an interdisciplinary fashion.
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