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Towering high: Technology unit

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Joanne Villis
Joanne Villis

This technology unit called 'Towering High' was designed for Year 1 or 2 students. It is linked directly to the Australian Curriculum and integrates many open ended methods of making.

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Towering High Created by Joanne Villis Based on the work of Dannielle Spears
AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM (DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGIES) F-2 • Explore the characteristics and properties of materials and components that are used to produce designed solutions (ACTDEK004) • Explore needs or opportunities for designing, and the technologies needed to realise designed solutions (ACTDEP005) • Visualise, generate, develop and communicate design ideas through describing, drawing and modelling (ACTDEP006) • Use materials, components, tools, equipment and techniques to safely make designed solutions (ACTDEP007) • Use personal preferences to evaluate the success of design ideas, processes and solutions including their care for environment (ACTDEP008)
Plastic cup towers Aims: Students experiment with techniques in order to build a tower (ACTDEK004) Students use materials and tools safely when making a tower (ACTDEP007) With guidance, students make judgements about their design ideas and suggest areas for design improvement (ACTDEP008) Lesson 1 & 2: Inform students that they are going to build a tower using cups. As a class, discuss what students already know or think they know about towers? Where have they seen them? Have they read any books which have towers in them? Have they seen any towers on the television? Many students may not know what a tower is. Teachers may choose to show students images of towers or pictures of towers in picture books. A good story to use in order to explain towers is Rapunzel. Show students some plastic cups and explain that they have been asked to use the cups to build a tower (tall structure). Place students in small groups and give each group 48 plastic cups (the number of cups can easily be changed). Then, give students 20 minutes to build the tallest structure.
Plastic cup towers Image source: http://growingas temclassroom.bl ogspot.com.au/2 013/08/our- first-stem- challenge-tiny- glasses.html
Plastic cup towers After 2o minutes, stop the students and ask them to draw their tower. How high is their tower? What could they do to measure how tall their tower is? Then allow students time walk around and view other group’s towers. As a class, discuss which tower was the tallest? What were some of the different stacking techniques used? Which techniques worked the best and why? Modified idea: STRAW CLALLENGE Give students 25 straws and plasticine (or blu tak) and ask them to build the tallest, freestanding tower that they can in 30 minutes. As with the plastic cup challenge, once time is up allow students to view each others and compare techniques used.
Spaghetti towers Aims: Students experiment with techniques to join materials in order to build a tower (ACTDEK004) Students discuss, describe and draw design ideas in order to build a tower (ACTDEP005) (ACTDEP006) Students use materials and tools safely when making a tower (ACTDEP007) With guidance, students make judgements about their design ideas and suggest areas for design improvement (ACTDEP008) Lesson 1 & 2: Inform students that they are going to design and build a tower using spaghetti and marshmallows. Allow students to feel and play with spaghetti and marshmallows. During this time ask them leading questions such as: I wonder how you might join them together. I wonder how you might join multiple pieces of spaghetti together. I wonder how you might join them to make something tall.
Spaghetti towers Lesson 1 & 2 continued: Place students in small groups and ask them to discuss how they might join spaghetti and marshmallows together to build a tower. Then, ask students to individually draw a spaghetti tower design. Idea source: Primary Connections
Spaghetti towers Lesson 3 & 4: Students make their spaghetti tower. Encourage students to refer to their design during the making process.
Spaghetti towers Lesson 5 & 6: Ask students to evaluate their spaghetti tower using De Bonno’s 6 Hats. What can you write about your tower? Does your tower stand up by itself? Is your tower as tall as you thought it would be? Did you find anything difficult when making your tower? Was there anything you tried that didn’t work?
Spaghetti towers Lesson 5 & 6 continued: Ask students to evaluate their spaghetti tower using De Bonno’s 6 Hats. Which joining techniques worked? What is good about your tower? If you made your tower again what would you do differently? What would you change? List the steps you used to make your tower.
Newspaper towers Aims: Students experiment with techniques to join materials in order to build a tower (ACTDEK004) Students discuss, describe and draw design ideas in order to build a tower (ACTDEP005) (ACTDEP006) Students use materials and tools safely when making a tower (ACTDEP007) With guidance, students make judgements about their design ideas and suggest areas for design improvement (ACTDEP008) Lesson 1 & 2: Inform students they are going to build a tower using newspaper and masking tape. As a class discuss things we might do to the newspaper (ie twist, fold, roll). Depending on your class, you may need to model and name various techniques.
Newspaper towers Lesson 1 & 2 continued: Show students how to write a list. As a class, list the materials needed. Invite students to draw a design of their newspaper tower. Then show students how to write a series of steps. Invite students to have a go at writing the steps they are going to follow when making their newspaper tower. Lesson 3 & 4: Students make their towers.
Newspaper towers Lesson 5 & 6: Ask students to evaluate their towers using the same questions used for spaghetti towers.
Additional technology teaching resources If you like this resources you can find other units of work which I have written at http://technologiesjvillis.weebly.com/ . In addition, here is a link to my blog http://technologiesjvillis.weebly.com/ . Copyright I give permission for the following: Adaptations and sharing of this resources is for educational purpose only. I do not give permission for commercial use of this work. When sharing or adapting this work I ask that you give credit to the original creator, Joanne Villis at http://intertecheducation.edublogs.org/ and Dannielle Spears. As noted throughout the presentation, the marshmallow idea is credited to Primary Connections. Contact details • http://intertecheducation.edublogs.org/ • jvillis@inter-tech.com.au • http://www.pinterest.com/joannevillis/

More Related Content

Towering high: Technology unit

  • 1. Towering High Created by Joanne Villis Based on the work of Dannielle Spears
  • 2. AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM (DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGIES) F-2 • Explore the characteristics and properties of materials and components that are used to produce designed solutions (ACTDEK004) • Explore needs or opportunities for designing, and the technologies needed to realise designed solutions (ACTDEP005) • Visualise, generate, develop and communicate design ideas through describing, drawing and modelling (ACTDEP006) • Use materials, components, tools, equipment and techniques to safely make designed solutions (ACTDEP007) • Use personal preferences to evaluate the success of design ideas, processes and solutions including their care for environment (ACTDEP008)
  • 3. Plastic cup towers Aims: Students experiment with techniques in order to build a tower (ACTDEK004) Students use materials and tools safely when making a tower (ACTDEP007) With guidance, students make judgements about their design ideas and suggest areas for design improvement (ACTDEP008) Lesson 1 & 2: Inform students that they are going to build a tower using cups. As a class, discuss what students already know or think they know about towers? Where have they seen them? Have they read any books which have towers in them? Have they seen any towers on the television? Many students may not know what a tower is. Teachers may choose to show students images of towers or pictures of towers in picture books. A good story to use in order to explain towers is Rapunzel. Show students some plastic cups and explain that they have been asked to use the cups to build a tower (tall structure). Place students in small groups and give each group 48 plastic cups (the number of cups can easily be changed). Then, give students 20 minutes to build the tallest structure.
  • 4. Plastic cup towers Image source: http://growingas temclassroom.bl ogspot.com.au/2 013/08/our- first-stem- challenge-tiny- glasses.html
  • 5. Plastic cup towers After 2o minutes, stop the students and ask them to draw their tower. How high is their tower? What could they do to measure how tall their tower is? Then allow students time walk around and view other group’s towers. As a class, discuss which tower was the tallest? What were some of the different stacking techniques used? Which techniques worked the best and why? Modified idea: STRAW CLALLENGE Give students 25 straws and plasticine (or blu tak) and ask them to build the tallest, freestanding tower that they can in 30 minutes. As with the plastic cup challenge, once time is up allow students to view each others and compare techniques used.
  • 6. Spaghetti towers Aims: Students experiment with techniques to join materials in order to build a tower (ACTDEK004) Students discuss, describe and draw design ideas in order to build a tower (ACTDEP005) (ACTDEP006) Students use materials and tools safely when making a tower (ACTDEP007) With guidance, students make judgements about their design ideas and suggest areas for design improvement (ACTDEP008) Lesson 1 & 2: Inform students that they are going to design and build a tower using spaghetti and marshmallows. Allow students to feel and play with spaghetti and marshmallows. During this time ask them leading questions such as: I wonder how you might join them together. I wonder how you might join multiple pieces of spaghetti together. I wonder how you might join them to make something tall.
  • 7. Spaghetti towers Lesson 1 & 2 continued: Place students in small groups and ask them to discuss how they might join spaghetti and marshmallows together to build a tower. Then, ask students to individually draw a spaghetti tower design. Idea source: Primary Connections
  • 8. Spaghetti towers Lesson 3 & 4: Students make their spaghetti tower. Encourage students to refer to their design during the making process.
  • 9. Spaghetti towers Lesson 5 & 6: Ask students to evaluate their spaghetti tower using De Bonno’s 6 Hats. What can you write about your tower? Does your tower stand up by itself? Is your tower as tall as you thought it would be? Did you find anything difficult when making your tower? Was there anything you tried that didn’t work?
  • 10. Spaghetti towers Lesson 5 & 6 continued: Ask students to evaluate their spaghetti tower using De Bonno’s 6 Hats. Which joining techniques worked? What is good about your tower? If you made your tower again what would you do differently? What would you change? List the steps you used to make your tower.
  • 11. Newspaper towers Aims: Students experiment with techniques to join materials in order to build a tower (ACTDEK004) Students discuss, describe and draw design ideas in order to build a tower (ACTDEP005) (ACTDEP006) Students use materials and tools safely when making a tower (ACTDEP007) With guidance, students make judgements about their design ideas and suggest areas for design improvement (ACTDEP008) Lesson 1 & 2: Inform students they are going to build a tower using newspaper and masking tape. As a class discuss things we might do to the newspaper (ie twist, fold, roll). Depending on your class, you may need to model and name various techniques.
  • 12. Newspaper towers Lesson 1 & 2 continued: Show students how to write a list. As a class, list the materials needed. Invite students to draw a design of their newspaper tower. Then show students how to write a series of steps. Invite students to have a go at writing the steps they are going to follow when making their newspaper tower. Lesson 3 & 4: Students make their towers.
  • 13. Newspaper towers Lesson 5 & 6: Ask students to evaluate their towers using the same questions used for spaghetti towers.
  • 14. Additional technology teaching resources If you like this resources you can find other units of work which I have written at http://technologiesjvillis.weebly.com/ . In addition, here is a link to my blog http://technologiesjvillis.weebly.com/ . Copyright I give permission for the following: Adaptations and sharing of this resources is for educational purpose only. I do not give permission for commercial use of this work. When sharing or adapting this work I ask that you give credit to the original creator, Joanne Villis at http://intertecheducation.edublogs.org/ and Dannielle Spears. As noted throughout the presentation, the marshmallow idea is credited to Primary Connections. Contact details • http://intertecheducation.edublogs.org/ • jvillis@inter-tech.com.au • http://www.pinterest.com/joannevillis/