How long is a desk? How heavy is a stack of books? And perhaps most importantly, can a house survive a visit from the Big Bad Wolf? These are just some of the questions our Junior School students have been exploring as they dive into the world of measurement!
Students began by investigating length and weight using non-standard units of measurement. Armed with cubes, blocks, paper clips, and even their own footsteps, students measured everything they could find. It quickly became clear that measuring a table in footsteps can give very different results depending on the size of your feet!
As their understanding grew, students were introduced to rulers and scales, enjoying the challenge of estimating before measuring.
Our measurement learning didn’t stop in the classroom. During visits to the Science Room, students watched Mrs Farid investigate the strength of different materials. Before each test, students predicted whether materials such as plastic, paper, wood, and metal would be strong or weak.
Using two desks like riverbanks, Mrs Farid placed each material across the gap like a bridge and carefully lowered a weight onto the middle. Students watched closely to see whether the material would stay strong, bend, or break. There were plenty of excited gasps and a few dramatic bridge failures! Through their observations, students discovered what makes a material strong, weak, or brittle.
This learning connected perfectly with our ISTEAM programme. Inspired by nursery rhymes and fairy tales, our Year 1 students took on engineering challenges. One involved building houses strong enough to withstand the huffs and puffs of the Big Bad Wolf, while another required students to design a chair sturdy enough for Goldilocks.
The science investigation tied in brilliantly with these challenges because it introduced the idea of building strong structures using suitable materials. Through measuring, testing, redesigning, and problem-solving, students discovered that successful designs require both creativity and careful thinking.
From measuring with blocks to designing wolf-proof houses and Goldilocks-worthy chairs, our students have shown fantastic curiosity, resilience, and teamwork. We may just have a few future engineers, architects, and inventors in our midst!
