Projects

Are all Inventions Good?

Year 6 designed products for the elderly to help them manage everyday tasks. They already work with elderly people with dimentia (their 'Chatter Chums) so they considered what kinds of things would make their daily lives easier to manage. They designed products such as knife and fork handles made from polymer plastic, alarmed bracelets to remind them to do certain things, equipment to help put on socks, cushions for seating, shower caddies, amongst some of the products. They had to make lots of prototypes before the designs were finalised.

Year 5 designed a mechanism that would help to keep the children safe working on the weaving machines. The device had to warn the children when it was safe to collect the cotton from behind the machines without getting their limbs cut off! Year 5 used coding to design their devices and were inspired by their trip to Quarry Bank Mill to make their weaving machines.

Parents were invited to the 'Inventor's Fair' on Friday 13th February to test some of the products and to see the fabulous designs from rockets to electronic reminder bracelets for the elderly. The children presented their work from the research stages of the design process through the working models and sketches to making the final prototype. The children looked at the work of different designers to influence their work, such as James Dyson and Andy Wu, and to use their work ethic as a model for their designing.They also evaluated their products to critically review the effectiveness of their final designs.

The children learnt lots of new skills working with a range of tools and new materials. They also developed their skills of perseverence, collaboration, researching information, working practically, resillience and resourcefulness as well as using many of their other learning powers they use every day.

Year 3 designed litter pickers to help clear up the local area. They had to think about how the mechanics of the 'picker' would work and how easily the grabber would pick up different pieces of rubbish. Again lots of practice models were made before the products were finalised.

STEM Projects

This half term's Project Based Learning has been a STEM project - Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. All our projects have involved designing something for a real purpose and working through the design process. Each class have had their individual question leading to their outcome:

FS1 Nursery: What is an invention?

FS2 Reception: Is a bus the best way to travel?

Year 1: Does an inventor always succeed first time?

Year 2: Was the rocket a giant leap for mankind?

Year 3: Can we design like Dyson?

Year 4: How can we create more sustainable electricity?

Year 5: Where would we be without the Industrial Revolution?

Year 6: Can you be the next Dragon?