Design and make Viking Catapults
2nd and 3rd Class made Viking catapults for Engineering Week. The children had great fun designing, researching and creating their catapults. They then tested their catapults to see how far they could launch their counters. They repeated the launch three times to make it a fair test. They measured each launch and compared each others’ results to see if their designs were successful and how they could be improved. Well done to everyone for such excellent engineering!
Building Brilliant Boats
Excellent Engineering going on this week in senior Infants and first class. Children were challenged to design and make their own boats at home using junk materials. Children were sure to use waterproof and buoyant materials when designing their boats. Today we tested them to check if they could float and move. We were able to make our boats move using sails, propellers, balloons and magnets. It was so lovely getting to show and tell to other classes again. Thanks to Mr. O’Connor’s and Ms. Russell’s classes for being such a supportive audience! And massive thanks to our families for helping us all become little engineers!
Home-made Houses
Children in Ms. Brennan’s Class were assigned a design and make challenge to make their own home out of junk material as part of homework. Children made structures that looked like their own house and others made one from their imagination e.g. cottage, castle, semi-detached, detached, caravan, apartments, bungalow etc. When making these structures children discussed the 3D shapes that they used and their properties eg stack, corners, edges, faces. Children developed the functionality of their structures eg open and close door, shutter windows with postits, steps etc. Children coloured and painted their materials however they liked. This was also a great way to get the children to explore the properties of the materials they used eg flexible, rigid, hard, soft, waterproof, transparent, opaque.
Ms. Noonan’s Class had been reading the fairytale, The Three Little Pigs. Inspired by events in the story, the children were tasked with the challenge to build a sturdy house for the three little pigs that served various functions. Children built their houses using Lego. Check out the video of the wonderful house below.
Engineer’s Week Engineering Trail
During Engineer’s Week, Mr. O’Connor’s 6th Class were given a set of clues about different types of engineers. In groups, they had to go to our school engineering display and figure out the specific engineering jobs that matched the clues. They completed the trail using Keynote on the ipad.
During Engineer’s Week Ms. Twohig’s Class also explored the different types of engineering. They picked their favourite type of engineer and coloured it in a matching colouring page. They also learned about women in STEM and wrote reports on them.
Super Structures
Children in Ms. Twohig’s, Ms. Noonan’s and Ms. Brennan’s classes buil.t super structures using different materials. Ms. Twohig’s used spaghetti and marshmallows to build pyramids, with one child even building a functioning swing.
Ms. Noonan’s class built super structures using sticks and raisins. They made lots of different 3D shapes!
Ms. Brennan’s Class were learning all about different types of home. Following this learning they were tasked with the challenge to build these different types of homes such a boat house, pyramid, terraced house, detached house, apartment etc.
Participate in the STEPS Young Engineers Award
Ms. Twohig’s 3rd and 4th Class participated in STEPS Young Engineers Award competition. This project-based competition encourages 3rd and 4th class pupils and their teachers to explore the world of engineering by developing an engineering project that would help improve their local community. The class was divided into teams up to 6. The students followed a structured STEPS Project Book comprising a series of worksheets. The class then had a virtual meeting with civil engineer Donal Brennan. During this zoom meeting the engineer listened to the students’ presentations and to gave encouraging feedback.
Check out a video of one of our projects being presented and showcased to another class. https://youtube.com/shorts/u4W0FbeUNDc