Roofstructures-GlowBlogs.doc

Project Brief Tasks Using the PowerPoints provided as a starting point, students will be guided through a series of simple starter activities to help them understand how structures work. These simple activities will build towards the main task, which is to design and make a structure to span a specific area, using specific materials and construction techniques. This project is aimed at technology classes as an introduction to ‘structures’. Discussion around roof structures and the forces applied to different members of a structure. In pairs design and make a simple paper structure In pairs design and make a more complex structure using spaghetti as the main construction material Interdisciplinary Ideas Testing and Evaluation Identifying prior learning early on in the learning process allows for pupil input from the start of the project. Establishing the Interdisciplinary design brief of making a complex structure would allow the learner to understand the main out-comes for the project. It is suggested that learners collate evidence of their learning journey through a portfolio approach. Using a Glow Blog would provide learners with a way to do this in a chronological order, it would also allow for learners to comment on each others work. Work could be shared with parents and the wider community. Having a central area, such as an ePortfolio or a paper-based journal can help to join up the interdisciplinary learning between different classrooms. Using an approach that gives autonomy to the learner will be reflected in the assessment progress where success criteria and achievements have been established by the learners. When reflecting on the learning that has happened, the learner should be able to draw from genuine experience that is rooted in decisions that they have taken and not a prescribed path set by the teacher. The solution should be presented and placed in the test rig, the only criteria is to span the given area, hence it is a simple pass