Teaching sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

5 minutes – Tune in: Buildings of wonder
10 minutes – Find out: Setting up the challenge
30 minutes – Take action: STEM build
10 minutes – Reflection

Tune in: Buildings of wonder

Step 1.

Explain to students that in this lesson they will be exploring how buildings are designed and structured. Ask if anyone in the class can think of some famous examples of buildings. If any students have been travelling, this is a great opportunity for them to draw on their existing knowledge and link it to the task.

Step 2.

Display the Buildings Of Wonder Presentation on a smart TV or whiteboard. Thinking about structures that already exist should ignite ideas, and inspire and connect the students to the concept of the build to come.

As the images are shown, draw attention to the shapes used in each structure and discuss what materials might have been used. Explore the strength of different shapes (especially triangles), the placement of any supporting structures and height of the build. Note what the buildings have in common and also what differences exist between them.

If students have devices available, they might like to investigate some facts about the buildings, like how long they took to construct, why they are famous, materials used, dimensions, etc. See 'Extension' recommendations for more ideas.

Step 3.

Ask students about factors or design strategies that might be important to consider if they were going to design their own building.

Find out: Setting up the challenge

Step 1.

Explain to students that they will be designing their own building.

Step 2.

Before the students begin the STEM challenge, discuss the collaboration skills that they need to focus on. Working with others can be challenging. By setting a few STEM rules, you can dramatically improve the way that groups co-operate.

Always encourage an inclusive STEM classroom:

Everyone is a decision maker - every student's voice is important in group work
Being open to new ideas - not ‘shutting down’ innovation and risk taking
Making sure that everyone's ideas are included and discussed
Working as part of a team towards a common aim
Giving things a go - being prepared for and accepting of failure
Learning from mistakes and trying again - turning failures into successes.

Step 3.

Organise the students into groups of three or four, and provide each group with large poster paper to draw a design that can be later transferred into the individual STEM Planners. This allows greater collaboration between the students with many different students contributing ideas.

Step 4.

Provide each group member with a Student Worksheet (STEM Planner) and discuss the sections of the planner with the students so they know what they need to do. It is important that the planning is completed before the build starts. This provides the students with a clear expectation of planning the design before building.

PART 1: Planning for STEM success

STEM goals
Materials/Equipment
Challenge building guidelines

PART 2: STEM challenge design and build

Labelled drawing
Results
Reflection
Design improvements

A great way to organise the class is to check that all sections in Part 1 on the STEM Planner are filled out before the group collect their materials and start the building process.

Step 5.

Set the STEM building challenge parameters. Parameters should include a clear goal, along with any limitations on materials they can use.

You might like to select one (or more) of these ideas (with examples of clear parameters):

Build a structure using only 40 household pegs and 40 icy pole sticks.
Create the highest tower possible with one packet of spaghetti and one metre of masking tape.
Make a building that will support the weight of one tennis ball.
Make a pyramid structure using two newspapers and one metre of masking tape.

Step 6.

Allow time for the students to work in their groups to complete the STEM Planner and draw their design.

Take action: STEM build

Step 1.

Before beginning the build, you might want to mention that the design may change during the build process, and that it is completely natural for this to happen during the prototyping phase. Sometimes our drawings aren’t practical in 3D.

Step 2.

Ensure that each group has nominated someone to take pictures throughout the building process. They may also want to have someone re-draw any design changes they make as they go along.

Step 3.

Now the students can collect their building materials. Ensure students are sticking to any limitations or parameters placed around the challenge and that they are not taking any more than what they are allowed.

Note: Placing limits on the number of available items encourages students to be more aware of the resources they are using and to develop a sustainability mindset. It will also make the challenge harder, enforcing greater levels of communication between group members.

Step 4.

Let the building begin! Move around the classroom and provide feedback, asking structured STEM questions. Your role as the teacher has now shifted from the information provider to a facilitator, asking questions and making sure that the group processes are working.

Ask the students STEM challenge questions such as:

What shape are you using for the bottom of the structure? Why did you choose this?
How high are you planning to go? What will help your structure reach this height?
What are some of the challenges of the materials that you are using?
Has your design changed? How have you captured this? Drawings or pictures taken on an ipad?
How is your group working today? Is everyone contributing? Is there someone who needs a task?

Step 5.

At the end of the build, allow time for the students to view the designs that were created by the other groups. Students might like to give a short presentation explaining their structure and reflecting on their design. You might like to invite students to ask questions or give feedback using this simple structure:

I really liked how you…
Did you consider…?

Reflection

Gather the students together in the learning space.

Ask each group to reflect on these STEM challenge questions:

What was the hardest part of the build today? (Thinking about materials, teamwork and tasks.)
What was the biggest success in your build and why? (Did the team work well together? How were the different stages? Planning? Building?)
What would your group change on the design and why? (Height? Shape? Materials?)

Differentiated learning

Extension:

Conduct an inquiry project with the students on some of the famous landmarks from the Buildings Of Wonder Presentation. Identify where each building is on a map. This task can be used to explore the cross curriculum priority of Asia and Australia’s Engagement with Asia (OI.3).
Set an additional task of creating a STEM challenge movie that captures the build, including the planning, build and reflection. Each group could make a small clip to present to the class.

Provisions for learning support:

The STEM challenge focuses on the social skills involved in group challenges. Collaboration is a central part of the activity. Providing additional support to different groups is important to ensure that they are undertaking the challenge in a positive frame of mind.
It’s important that all students understand that their designs may not translate well into physical form. Allow them to fail without embarrassment and encourage them to use it as a learning opportunity. Allowing them to alter their design during the build will ensure they can maintain their confidence levels.

STEM - Building Challenge

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