Making with great meaning

Welcome back to Term 2!
We have already been super busy with our learning. You may have heard or noticed that last week we were super engaged with creating cardboard classrooms. The room was a buzz with problem solving and team work. This enthusiasm stemmed from our reading work on structures. Jet plane reading group has been reading about a number of design features of buildings, inparticular the Cardboard Cathedral and the construction of a Wharenui. These artcles discussed the innovate building ideas the designers and builders undertook to build them. 

The excitement of creating an interesting classroom spread through the class until almost everyone was planning, designing and making their own cardboard classroom. It was wonderful. So many learning opportunities naturally fall out of a task like this. I observed teamwork, commmunicating, relating to others, managing self, problem solving, creativity and flexible thinking. The students were reflective as to what to include in their classrooms. Such a great way to begin the term.

Here are some images to show what has been going on: 

STEAM Challenge: Cup Pryamid

We do love your STEAM challenges in Room 18. We look at upholding our school values of being kind, positive and respectful when contributing to our group discussions during this time. Sometimes it is a bit tricky to up hold these values when we are working with others so we have recognised it is something that we might have to keep working at. 

The challenge was to see how fast the team could build a pyramid out of cups without touching the cups directly with our hands. 

We could only use the tools provided - 6 cups, 4 pieces of string and a rubber band.

It was SO much fun and at times SO frustrating! We were pretty clever though and most groups managed to do it!