Technology Challenge

During the term we have had a technology rotation in the three classes of our senior syndicate. One of the sessions was a technology challenge where students were given certain materials to use to make something.

Here are the instructions:

Materials:

• 3 Drinking straws
• 4 ice block sticks
• 8 toothpicks
• 1 plastic cup
• 2 metres of wool
• 2 metres of masking tape
• 3 pieces of card (20x20cm)
• 1 marble

Challenge: In 6 groups (of about 4 students), design and build a construction that will hold a marble out from a table as far as possible, without the marble being lower than the top of the table. The group whose marble reaches the longest distance is the winner.

Students spent about 45 minutes discussing, trialling, making mistakes, fixing mistakes, feeling frustrated and feeling successful. Here are some photos of the finished products..
                     

 When we had finished we talked about the problems that we had faced along the way and some changes we could make to have greater success. 

Well done to everyone who participated...remember, the journey is more important than the destination.