Junior Engineers
To celebrate Engineers Week, the Junior Room children took part in an exciting team challenge! Working in small groups, the children were tasked with designing and building the tallest structure they could.
Each group was given 10 minutes to plan and construct their structure. The room was buzzing with creativity as the children experimented with different ideas, tested their designs, and worked together to solve problems.
After the initial build, the groups had 5 minutes to reflect and discuss how they could improve their structure. The children talked about what was working well, what wasn’t stable, and how they might make their towers taller or stronger.
They were then given a further 5 minutes to rebuild and improve their designs. It was wonderful to see the children applying their ideas, making adjustments, and showing resilience when structures wobbled or toppled!
The challenge encouraged:
Each group was given 10 minutes to plan and construct their structure. The room was buzzing with creativity as the children experimented with different ideas, tested their designs, and worked together to solve problems.
After the initial build, the groups had 5 minutes to reflect and discuss how they could improve their structure. The children talked about what was working well, what wasn’t stable, and how they might make their towers taller or stronger.
They were then given a further 5 minutes to rebuild and improve their designs. It was wonderful to see the children applying their ideas, making adjustments, and showing resilience when structures wobbled or toppled!
The challenge encouraged:
- Teamwork and communication
- Problem-solving and critical thinking
- Creativity and design skills
- Perseverance and resilience
Engineers Week in the Senior Room
For Engineers Week the Senior Room children worked in small groups to design parachutes. They learned about parachutes and were then given a selection of materials to design and create their own parachutes. Afterwards, we tested them and the parachute that was the slowest to hit the ground was the winning design. The children had great fun testing and adjusting their designs.
Rockets
In our class, we embarked on an exciting journey to learn about space. As a group, we decided to make rockets and explore different ways to launch them. First, the children created their own rockets and used air to make them take off, experimenting with different methods to generate enough force. Next, we took things a step further by conducting a chemical reaction using vinegar and baking soda to propel a rocket into the air. While the rocket didn’t quite reach the moon, the children were thrilled with the results. The activity sparked their curiosity and excitement, and everyone had a fantastic time learning about the science behind rocketry. It was a fun and memorable experience for the entire class!
Engineering Workshop
The boys and girls really enjoyed participating in the Engineering Workshops in Birr Castle today. Well done boys and girls.
VEX
The boys and girls in 5th and 6th class are taking part in the Vex competition again this year. The VEX Robotics Competition is presented by the Robotics Education and Competition Foundation. Each year, an exciting engineering challenge is presented in the form of a game. Students, with the guidance from their teacher, build an innovative robot to compete in competitions. The boys and girls have been working hard with Ms. Toohey in getting their Robots ready for the competition.
Our Science Project Show & Tell
The children have finished their science projects and excitedly hosted a show-and-tell event, inviting parents and members of the community to attend. With a sense of pride shining through, each child shared the hard work and creativity they had poured into their projects. The young presenters spoke confidently, explaining the concepts behind their work and answering all questions about their projects. The event was a delightful success, with everyone enjoying the children's enthusiasm. It was a moment of celebration, where the children's achievements were not only acknowledged but also admired by their supportive community
Creating our own Fairy Village
Pupils got creative making their own fairy house. Pupils used lots of natural materials from our woodlands. The senior room were a great help to the junior pupils during the task. All the fairy houses look great.
VEX
VEX is a Robotics Programme that runs from primary school to secondary school. The aim of the programme is to cultivate children's minds for active knowledge exploration and the ability for life-long learning in the area of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) education. As a school we run the programme from Junior Infants right through to sixth class. This enables children to build on their learning from year to year. Junior and Senior Infants have learned the basics of coding with their little VEX Robot. The middle classes have explored building different vehicles which can be motorised or non motorised. The Senior classes entered the national VEX Competition where they had to build and programme a and robot to complete certain tasks. The boys and girls did an outstanding job with their Robot design and functions. Well done!
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VEX Robotics Engineering Challenge
Well done to the Senior Boys of Broughall NS who came 2nd in the skills section of the VEX Robotics Engineering Challenge.
Engineers Week
For Engineers Week students visited Birr Castle for an engineering workshop. They learned the history and science behind a rocket launch, designed and launched their own rockets and had an incredible time doing so.
Lego Workshop
Bricks 4 Kids came to our school to give a Lego workshop based on planes. Students learned about the Wright Brothers who were both designers and engineers. They discussed the first successful flight, created planes using Lego and then attached motors for movement. Students had the opportunity to customize their planes and engage in the engineering process through Lego. This was a fun and exciting way to learn about the engineering process!
