Mousetrap racers
Final build day for racers is on Friday 31/10/14. Students have been told regardless of where they are up to their racer/materials need to come in on this day to best utilise the time being given to them.
Racers along with all project materials (marking rubric, team poster, build diary) are due on Friday 7/11/14. Failure to bring in a racer on this day will result in a fail grade.
Racers along with all project materials (marking rubric, team poster, build diary) are due on Friday 7/11/14. Failure to bring in a racer on this day will result in a fail grade.
mousetrap_racer_brief.docx | |
File Size: | 18 kb |
File Type: | docx |
t__e_mousetrap_rubric.docx | |
File Size: | 60 kb |
File Type: | docx |
Spaghetti bridge testing
Students have been investigating what makes a stable bridge. This involved the integration of a number of learning areas; Mathematics, English, Technology and Science. Students researched different bridge designs and identified advantages and disadvantages of each type. From their research they were required to construct a Spaghetti Bridge using only packet pasta and glue, over a specific span, that could sustain a load. There were many designs with varying degrees of success! Students were required to give their peers effective feedback on their designs and outcomes of the experiment. After the testing students reflected on their own experience and came up with ways that they could make their bridge more successful if they were to build it again.
Great fun was had by all with lots of learning happening. A big thank you needs to go to my husband, who added the weights (buckets of water) and a few times wore most of the water!
Prizes were on offer for the bridge that held the most weight, best design and best looking bridge. The winners were:
Most weight held ($20): Melissa Trinh with a total weight held of 26kg.
Best design ($20): Kim Ho. Kim's bridge consistently followed her design brief and reflected the brief she handed in.
Best looking ($10): Levi Di Toro. Levi's bridge was a masterpiece and would have taken a lot of time to build.
Special mention has to go to Ethan Trinh, whose bridge came in a close second, holding 24.7kgs. Pouya Soufi Nejad, whose bridge held 19.4kg and Teneille Jeffree whose bridge held 13.9kgs.
Great fun was had by all with lots of learning happening. A big thank you needs to go to my husband, who added the weights (buckets of water) and a few times wore most of the water!
Prizes were on offer for the bridge that held the most weight, best design and best looking bridge. The winners were:
Most weight held ($20): Melissa Trinh with a total weight held of 26kg.
Best design ($20): Kim Ho. Kim's bridge consistently followed her design brief and reflected the brief she handed in.
Best looking ($10): Levi Di Toro. Levi's bridge was a masterpiece and would have taken a lot of time to build.
Special mention has to go to Ethan Trinh, whose bridge came in a close second, holding 24.7kgs. Pouya Soufi Nejad, whose bridge held 19.4kg and Teneille Jeffree whose bridge held 13.9kgs.
spaghetti bridges
This semester's T & E project will require students to research, design and build a bridge made out of packet spaghetti. These will then be put to the test (to destruction) to see how sturdy their bridge is and how much weight it can hold. Beware Room 11, my husband thinks he is a pretty awesome spaghetti bridge engineer so he will be building one too :-)
The project outline will be distributed in Week 2. Students will then receive a small amount of time in class for research, with some required in their own time. Bridges will be due in Week 6 (day TBA) for judging. This project will form your grade for T & E, so no project, no grade.
Spaghetti Bridge competitions are huge across the globe from junior primary through to engineering students at university. I completed this project with my year 6/7 class last year and they loved it. Below you will see some photos from worldwide events as well as some from my class last year.
You can also read a bit about a competition held last year in America here.
The project outline will be distributed in Week 2. Students will then receive a small amount of time in class for research, with some required in their own time. Bridges will be due in Week 6 (day TBA) for judging. This project will form your grade for T & E, so no project, no grade.
Spaghetti Bridge competitions are huge across the globe from junior primary through to engineering students at university. I completed this project with my year 6/7 class last year and they loved it. Below you will see some photos from worldwide events as well as some from my class last year.
You can also read a bit about a competition held last year in America here.