Engineering
Here are some examples of how pupils investigated engineering in school this year.
Engineers Week 2023
Engineer's Week took place from 4th - 10th March. Pupils from the Middle and Senior rooms took part in the Steps Engineer's Week quiz. As you can see from the photos, it was very competitive! Congratulations to our winning team!
Engineers Week March 5th to 11th 2022
Using the SFI Classroom resource booklet the children did an audit of the plants, trees and wildlife in our school environment.
Planning the Garden
Mrs Gallagher and the infant room make a plan for what they will sow and plant in the garden this year.
Engineering in Nature
Taking the theme of nature as engineer the children in second third and fourth class looked at the structure of the daffodil and made a replica with the help of Brenda.
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Build a parachute
While studying gravity the children explored air resistance. The children in the middle and senior rooms built parachutes of various sizes.
Building ramps
The children built ramps of various sizes to explore the impact of elevation on speed and distance covered by rolling objects.
Building Catapults
This week as part of the study of forces and motion the children built catapults. The catapults followed a basic design that was further modified to enhance distance, height and precision.
Monasteries
While studying early Christian Ireland, the children explored the buildings of the monasteries such as the round tower, the church, the monastic cells, the refectory and the scriptorium. Having discussed the structures and materials involved in their construction, the children made replicas using cardboard and card.
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Colour Wheel
In learning about light, the children made colour wheels to explore the range of colours in light.
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Norman Castles
Following a visit from John Ruddy, a historian from Donegal, the children in the middle room studied the Normans. We studied the Norman castles that were originally built from wood, containing a motte and bailey with a moat surround. We later studied Roscommon Castle, a keepless castle, with beautiful circular towers which was built in 1269. The waters of the moat were drawn from Loughnaneane, and a drawbridge across the moat connected it to the gatehouse.
Roscommon Castle
Make a Lung
Having learned about the respiration system, the children used a bottle and a balloon to simulate how a lung works.
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Make a Skeleton
While learning about the skeleton, the children used card and cardboard to make skeletons that clearly identified each bone and each joint in the body.
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Engineer's Week 2021
Engineer's Week took place from 27th February - 5th March 2021. The Junior and Middle classes engaged in activities during their first week back at school while 5th and 6th Class took part remotely. 2nd, 3rd and 4th Class learned about the different types of Engineering, watched the ‘Scientific Sue Science Show’ from Engineer’s Ireland. They learned about renewable energy from the Engineer's Week resources and made their own windmills. 5th and 6th Class pupils watched the Engineer's Week show 'Build A Bridge and Get Over it!!!' with Mark the Science Guy from Explorium, took part in some 'Engineering at Home' challenges and they also looked at the different types of engineering.
Engineering in the Classroom
The Junior and Middle classes used lots of different resources in the school to investigate engineering. The Infants and 1st Classes used Duplo, Lego, Little Architect blocks, Stickle Bricks and Polydrons in Aistear and Free Play and they learned about engineering through construction. We invested in wheels for the Polydrons and Block Play kits this year. These have provided great learning opportunities and have enabled pupils to investigate how wheels and axels work on vehicles.
Engineer's Week 2020
Engineers Week took place from the 29th February - 6th March 2020. We learned about different types of engineering and the older pupils took an Engineering Personality Quiz.
All pupils worked in groups to complete Engineering building challenges.
We also set pupils a Biodiversity and Waste Design Challenge. We asked children and families to design and make something from recycled materials to enhance biodiversity at home or in the school grounds. Biodiversity looks at steps which can be taken in schools to increase awareness of the importance of native plants, animals and habitats, and to increase species-richness in a locality.
Here are some of the excellent projects the children and their families completed. Well done to everyone who took part!
