Updated on 10th March 2023
We just love STEM here in CETNS. We had great fun during Engineers Week 6th - 10th March. Take a look at the super engineering activities that children from junior infants to 6th class took part in!!!
Transport Project for Engineering Week
For Engineering Week, 6th class has been working on many engineering projects. One of these was our transport project, which I will be telling you about.
We were given two weeks to work on this project. We used mainly recycled materials to create moving and creative modes of transport.
Our class made many various vehicles. These included aeroplanes, rockets, hot air balloons, cars, vans, buses, boats and submarines. Some of these used batteries to move, others used elastic bands to move, some used string for mobility and others rolled. It was very fun doing this project, and I hope that we will do more such projects this year. By Kajetan
Earthquake Tests in 1st Class
In 1st class, we conducted an Earthquake test. We built structures using toothpicks and mini marshmallows in our groups and tested their stability by placing them in a tray of jelly and simulated an earthquake by shaking the tray.
We recorded our materials needed, our prediction and results. Thankfully the structures survived the quake!
Rockets, Parachutes and Boats, oh my!
5th class had a very busy week, between trying to land a rocket and building a boat! It's been great and the children came up with such brilliant ideas.
Egg Drop Challenge!!!!
As part of Engineering Week 2023, 3rd Class took part in an Egg Drop Challenge. Everyone had two weeks to plan, design, build, and test a prototype that would protect an egg when dropped from a height.
We thought a lot about what materials we might use, and though some of us came up with amazing ideas like wind-powered arms to support a parachute, and atomic balls of energy to prevent breakage, we had to think again, as it might have been a little difficult for our parents to source these. Most of our prototypes were made from recycled materials such as cardboard, cotton wool, elastic bands, and plastic bags.
When Launch Day arrived, everybody was so excited to try out the prototypes. We had fun predicting whether or not the egg would survive, and most did! Though there were a few broken shells, we used this as an opportunity to review, refine and improve our designs - all part of the engineering process!
It was clear that everyone put lots of hard work into their prototypes at home, and we would like to say a big thank you to all of the parents and guardians at home who helped out. There are definitely some engineers in the making in Rang a Trí.
Engineering Skills!
Junior Infants were very busy using their engineering skills to build and measure all around them this week!
Robotic Hands
4th class made cool robotic hands that move!
Ted needs a raincoat! Engineering Challenge in 2nd class
2nd class were learning all about Materials in Science.
We began by discussing rainy days with our groups and thought about the things we need in rainy weather. We thought about things like umbrellas, wellies, hats and coats. From there we started to think about materials: What do all of the things we need in rainy weather have in common?
It was only a matter of time before we figured it out - they’re all waterproof! But what does ‘waterproof’ mean? And what types of materials are ‘waterproof’?
We decided to carry out an investigation to learn more about waterproof and non-waterproof materials. We used plastic cups, elastic bands and water to test our 6 materials: tin foil, compostable bin bags, bubble wrap, woollen fabric, tablecloth fabric and newspaper.
We had so much fun working together to make predictions, carry out our investigation and record our results!
After we finished our investigation, we met Ted the teddy. Ted needed a new raincoat! We used all of our new knowledge about waterproof materials to design the perfect raincoat for Ted. We even thought about other important parts of the design too: How can we make the coat waterproof and warm? How can we make the coat waterproof and warm and comfortable?
Ted was very happy with all of his new raincoats!
Creative STEM projects in 2nd class
There were lots of creative stem projects to be found in 2nd class this week. Catapults, boats, a bow and arrow, a marble run, a bridge, a giraffe, an airplane and even a gigantic airport with service garage, helipad and cafe!
