Learning to Be Engineers in Spark
In Spark this semester, our Year 1 students have been stepping into the exciting world of engineering. Through hands-on challenges, students are learning how engineers design, build, test and improve their ideas to solve real world problems.
Students are becoming mini inventors as they explore how different materials behave and how designs can be improved.
One of the first challenges has been to design and build boats that could float while holding as many rocks as possible. Students carefully tested their boats in water and learned that engineers often need to adjust their designs when something does not work the first time.
As the unit continues, students will take on new engineering challenges, including designing parachutes to protect a falling water balloon and creating balloon powered cars.
Our young engineers have been reflecting on what they have learned so far.
“I love having fun building boats and testing them with rocks. My boat had no holes in it and I built my sides high to protect it from the water. It didn't sink even with lots and lots of rocks. I was really proud of my boat.” - Abby, 1P
“I can't wait to make and test our parachutes. We are going to drop a water balloon off the balcony and try to protect it.” - Hudson, 1J
“I love making things and testing things like the boats and other floating things. I learned that it's okay if you make mistakes because you can always try again.” - Marley, 1H
“I have learned about how to make things. I learned why some things sink and some things float. We are learning to be engineers that fix and make stuff and make plans.” - Bodhi, 1H
“I have learned how to make things float. We had a boat competition. We placed it in the water and put rocks in it. When things didn't work, we didn't get upset. We had to try again. Sometimes simple boats worked better than fancy ones.” - Luca, 1P
“We are learning to be engineers and make stuff. We made houses and boats and are now going to learn about how parachutes work. In Spark we always have to be better together.” - Bridget, 1J
Through building, testing and improving their designs, our Year 1 students are discovering that engineering is not just about making things. It is about thinking creatively, solving problems and learning from mistakes. We look forward to seeing the incredible inventions they create next.
Bianca Ravi
Learning Leader