Topic work in Studio 2

Construction! We had to figure out what this word was all about.

Bridges We used our books, ipads and computers to research the construction of bridges. We looked closely at the designs.

Bridge Engineers We had to be engineers and design a bridge for Westmere. We included labels on our plans and vehicles that may be needed to help with the build.

Our challenge -Newspaper Bridges! We had to construct a bridge out of newspaper. The challenge was that it had to be longer than a meter and it had to be strong enough to hold a toy car. There was lots of discussion and sharing of ideas. We had to work as a team!

We thought of ways to use the newspaper. We rolled and folded and taped and cut! Our team was proud of the end result! Working Together In lots of our challenges we had to work with others. We had to practise listening to each other and communicating clearly so everyone's ideas were included.

Our challenge- Straw Bridges! Planning and preparing Problem solving and persevering It was a challenge to make a stable base

House Plans We looked at blue prints and house plans. We talked about looking at a house from a birds eye view. Our challenge was to highlight and identify different rooms from the plans. We had to look carefully at the plan and highlight different rooms and features

House design- drafting and planning We used rulers and graph paper to create our own plans We had to concentrate and stay on task Decision making

Our challenge -Farm Design! We had to create a farm and think about where the road would go. We had to have access for the farmer into each paddock and make sure the animals had water troughs. We needed to add kennels and a shed for the tractor. We could work together or on our own. We had a check list of things to include.

Our challenge- Zoo design! We did some research about zoos using our own experiences of trips to the zoo and from images on the ipad. We brainstormed a list of important features that a zoo needs to have. We were mindful of making sure our animals were safe and sheltered, well cared for, and entertained.

Building a Zoo! Shelter, Food, Entertainment, Safety…. Check! We chose interesting materials Sit back and reflect. See if we used the space well

Thoughtful discussion Teamwork Decision making Building a Zoo Keep the goal in mind

Visiting Experts Thomas’ dad Richard is an architect. He came to talk to us about what his job involves. He showed us a fantastic slideshow of many of the buildings and stadiums he has worked on Architects need to be good listeners Architects need to be respectful They need to be good team players They need to be good at communicating their ideas

Design your Fantasy House Richard challenged us to design a fantasy house. We had to be creative and think of crazy and cool additions. We came up with things like slides, poles, tunnels and pools, chocolate fountains and indoor playgrounds.

Our Construction Journal We are taking photos of the construction taking place around our school. We update our Studio 2 journal each time we notice something new happening. We have photos of the builders and the different machines being used. Come and have a look!

We are enjoying our topic this term!