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TECHNOLOGY AND ENTERPRISE
2007 : Year 6/7 Rooms 16 and 17
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The Challenge This was Beacy’s second year of participation in the competition. We used the experience of a few students who were involved last year to inspire the new recruits!
The Process In term 2 and 3, all year 6 and 7 students were exposed to learning about the concept: beginning with understanding the aspects of the specific nautical terms used, to the technology of boat design and how solar energy works and is applied to different needs in society. After the students were familiar with the expectations of the program, they all made a prototype boat made of cardboard and learned how to attach the motor to the solar cells and the propeller to the motor. We set up a test trough in the pre primary area to share our success with the younger students. Now we were ready to form teams to plan, using the competition guidelines, the actual boat to be used in the Challenge. We continued to use the plastic trough to test and modify designs as they emerged. The trial and error approach was used for trouble shooting problems. Some teams were proactively using books, internet sources and experts to give them advice on their projects. |
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| Trying out the theory inside | Making notes as we go | testing the theory in the sun |
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Finally the students were ready for an elimination trial. One of the parents donated the use of the back yard pool to hold the crucial tests. Clear winners were established after a series of three timed trials.
| Beacy's successful challengers | Product |
Communicating the Process and Product |
| Sharky Hannah, Maddy and Lily |
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| ‘S.S Lollipop’
Shupiwe, Ruby, Yani, Nikita, Ellie and Ava |
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| Aussie
Conor, Angus and Matt |
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Testing and Results
The first week after the October holidays, we had the first day of the event at the World of Energy. This was the day that all the 50 team entries from across the State were scrutineered and trialled to decide the final teams to compete on the following day. All three of our teams got through these qualifying rounds.
On the day, the ‘Aussie’ team had some technical difficulties which they managed to overcome, but unfortunately too late to allow them to compete. The other teams went through to the final 10 but were not competitive enough to win a prize or of course go to Adelaide to challenge nationally and internationally.
The first and second place getters on that day, Boyare PS and Goosebury Hill PS, went forward to the Nationals where they also gained placed 1st and 2nd place.
