continuing to build a robot with Year 7A

The pupils showed an interest in continuing to build the robot they had started to make in their last DT lesson of Outdoor Ed. The pupils enjoyed using the variety of tools of a saw, planer, sand paper and scrapper. The pupils described what each of the tools are used for with one pupil saying "do you think the sand paper had made the edges and sides smooth" and another explained the use of the saw is "to cut this big piece of wood into two little pieces for the robot's feet". A couple of the pupils enjoyed using the planer to smooth out the bumps that were in the planks of wood and took it in turns as the pupils discussed between each other "do you want to have a go and I will go after?". As the pupils were moving the planer round in a circular motion which was advised from peer on peer teaching from one of the pupils who had used the tool in previous lessons,  they talked about the temperature of how the wood felt after they had used the planer with one pupil saying "wow that is really hot, come and feel it".

The pupils together discussed what resources they  would like to use for the robot's head and body in the next DT lesson as they found plastic materials and game controllers with one pupil suggesting "why don't we drill this game controller to the robot's hands so it looks like it is gaming". 

Year 7A's start to shaping the outer structure for their money box

The pupils showed an interest in beginning to construct the body shape of their money box's where they enjoyed using a variety of tools for example the bandsaw to follow and cut along the lines as they began to see the pieces of wood form into the shape of a square or rectangle, planer to cut down bumps that had been formed into the wood with staff support or independently while the pupil had knowledge of what the safety instructions are and had used the various equipment in previous lessons, to follow and cut along the lines that they could see start to form the shape of a square or rectangle and use the sandpaper to smooth out the edges. The pupils worked together as they helped out each other by assigning one person to cut the shapes out and the other to sandpaper with one pupil saying "I am going to do the sandpapering that is my job".  

money box project with Primary 1

The pupils showed an interest in continuing to create the shapes for their money boxes as they took it turns between each other to use the different tools of sandpaper, a planer and chisel to smooth the edges to their pieces of wood. The pupils identified as a group that they needed "four" pieces to make the body structure of their box. The pupils helped one another by showing demonstrations of what movements to make when using the various tools for example one pupil advised "you need to move it back and forward and really fast" when another pupil said "look how smooth my edges are I moved the sandpaper up and down". 

7A using tools to construct the body of their money box

The pupils showed an interest in working together in pairs or independently to cut around or along the lines for the shape of their money boxes using a variety of tools such as saws, a bandsaw, sand paper and a planer. The pupils watched as the teacher demonstrated how to use the tools safely for example; pointing the saw down to the floor, pushing the wood slowly when using the bandsaw because if you move it fast the piece of wood will start to bounce and the line will be jaggered as well as understanding that moving the planer in a back and forward motion will straighten the outer line. One pupil explained the reason for why we use sand paper "it is to help with smoothing the edges of the wood". 

The pupils also enjoyed peer on peer mentoring where one pupil supported their peers by noticing at what stages they were beginning to struggle and lending a helping hand to start the process of completing the structure of their money boxes  as they demonstrated the use of a saw to cut their wood into smaller pieces following the lines of their chosen shape.

continuing to decorate and shape their spears and axes with Year 7B

The pupils showed an interest in continuing to the next step of their project of using different coloured paints to decorate the various parts, such as the handle or head, of their axes or spears. The pupils worked together in pairs, or independently to start or finish the end result to their project with one pupil asking "how do I attach this top piece of my axe to my handle?". We explained they would need a nail and hammer.  

                                                                                                    The pupils also enjoyed peer on peer mentoring where one pupil demonstrated to another how to hold, turn on and navigate the electric planer as they displayed what movements they would need to create to make their wood smooth for example; "you can move it around in circles or back and forward".

deconstruction of a wooden bike and creating a wooden sign

At the start of the lesson the pupils put themselves into two groups where one half of the group showed an interest in using a variety of tools such as a screwdriver, different sized hammers and pliers to deconstruct the body shape of a wooden bike and took it in turns to share and explore the different tools as well as using a screwdriver to unscrew the nails to unattach the wheels. 

As the one group were taking the wooden bike apart, the other group enjoyed working together to smooth the edges of each arrow for the RSS display sign using sand paper and a planer by taking it in turns to have a go and understanding who was going to take part in what job such as "if I scrap to the line you can sand paper after". The pupils then had a go at using a hammer to attach the nails and wooden arrows to the long post with one pupil talking about their past experience of using a hammer and making a post "I have used a hammer and nails before with my Grandad". 

making a wooden sign with Primary 3

 

Some of the pupils showed an interest in using pieces of wood to create the shape of an arrow for the developing structure of a school sign. The pupils acknowledged the recognition of numbers as they began to see that those numbers are placed on a ruler which helped them to develop the skill to measure the outline shape of the arrows. The pupils worked together in pairs and independently by taking it in turns to explore a variety of tools such as sandpaper to smooth the edges and operating an electric cutter as they followed the lines which created the cut out body of each arrow. The other half of the group went on the laptops and participated in purple mash as they matched numbers together to make one higher number or understood that one number plus another number will calculate an answer such as what is 3+2=5. 

designing a money box with 7A and Year 9

 The pupils showed an interest in researching or thinking of their own ideas for how they would design their money box. The pupils worked together in pairs or independently as they talked about what shape it was going to be such as a square or rectangle and then made a list of what tools or equipment they would need to construct the body as one pupil wrote down; "a saw, drill and sandpaper", as well as the technical components for example; how many slots their money box would have for the different coins, the size of the coins and how the coins were going to travel like "on a slop'" or "I want to make a hole at the top to put my coins in". 

The pupil explained what the tools would be used for "a saw to cut the wood into four pieces and then three long pieces to go next to each other in the centre, sandpaper to smooth the sides, a drill to make the holes for each money slot".

continued junk modelling project with Year 7A

The pupils showed an interest in finishing off their robot's by using different materials, real life equipment's like headphones, laptop keyboards and electrical system circuits. The pupils enjoyed sharing the variety of tools and resources such as taking it in turns to use the hot glue gun to stick the materials onto their robot's as they described where they wanted the headphones or electrical system circuits to be placed for example "there in the middle" and "I want this to be glued on both sides of the robot's head ". 

The pupils showed interest in sharing their thoughts on joining the electrical system circuit pieces together to try and get the technology to work. The pupils also enjoyed using the pliers to cut the electrical pieces into different sizes of either small or long. At the end of the lesson the staff acknowledged the pupils feedback to if they enjoyed making their robot's. One pupil said "I liked giving my robot the fan so it can cool them down when they get hot". Another pupil said "I liked gluing my robot's arms and legs together for them to walk".
 

Year 7B's project to make spears, axe, bow and arrow

 

The pupils showed an interest in continuing with their group project of constructing their own spear, axe or bow and arrow. The pupils enjoyed using various tools such as sand paper to smooth the edges of their spear or axe, pliers, Stanley knives and saws to cut off the debris from their stick or log, as well as taking it in turns to access an electric planer which they moved in a variety of motions of back and forth or around in a circle to create and form the outer shape of their bow and arrow or "Gandalf's staff". After they had finished, one of the pupils was given the choice of what colour paint they would like to decorate their axe or spear as they identified "I am using a reddy gold".

junk modelling with Year 7A and 9

The pupils listened to all instructions given as the teacher explained what the safety rules are when handling tools and resources of paper, scissors, Stanley knife, drill and a hot glue gun. 

The pupils showed an interest in using the variety of equipment to make their own robot. 

The pupils helped one another by giving advice of how to hold the tools in the safe direction of pointing the Stanley knife blade down and at an angle and how and why they need to position their bodies in a particular stance. The pupils enjoyed using the different tools to cut, stick and decorate various resources of card, tubes, plastic bottles and cardboard boxes to create the body, head, legs, arms and facial features to their robot's.  The pupils also enjoyed exploring with real life resources of a phone, headset and Xbox controller as one pupil said "the headphones can help my robot to listen to music" and another said "can i put the Xbox controller on so mine can be a gaming robot".

making a chair with Primary 1

The pupils showed an interest in making their own Primary 1 chair out of natural resources such as wood and using the different tools of a drill, saw and pliers. The pupils talked about what equipment they would need to use to make their chair for example; sand paper, nails, hammer etc, as one pupil took on the job to write the resources down on the whiteboard. The pupils worked together in a group to help one another hold the pieces of wood as another had a go at cutting the wood into "four legs". As we were counting how many screws they would need, the pupils picked up two screws and said they would need "two more" to make four. 

DT with Primary 2- making a table

 The pupils went over to RSS to work in a group to make their own table out of natural resources of wood. Before we started to make the table the pupils gathered around the DT workplace and talked about what equipment they would need to use and what safety rules they should follow and the reasons why. The pupils named all of the equipment like screw driver, nails etc and what clothing to wear such as goggles "to protect your eyes from the sand dust" and a apron "so the dust does not go on my clothes".

The pupils enjoyed exploring a variety of tools for example; a drill, saw and pliers. The pupils showed an interest taking it in turns to have a go with each tool with support or independently. The pupils told the staff that for their table "we need four legs" and identified how many nails we would need to screw into the wood. One of the pupils had found two nails and after further discussion another pupil said they need "two nails" more to make up four. 

finishing off reindeer's with Primary 2

The pupils showed an interest at finishing off their reindeer's at RSS. The pupils gathered around the table in the DT room listening well to all the safety instructions of how to handle and use the tools. The pupils was told that they were going to be making stands out of wood to put their reindeer's onto. The pupils used the sandpaper and little blocks by demonstrating the movements of back and forth, or using the vises to hold their wooden boards to smooth out the rough edges and surface. 

One of the pupils started their reindeer from scratch as they enjoyed using the tools of a drill to make four holes for the legs, and "I need one for the neck" and cutters to cut the sticks down into little pieces After a teacher wrote their names and each pupil took it in turns to use a craft knife to have a go at copying the letters.

Year 8 DT work

The pupils enjoyed using the various tools in the DT room at RSS as they worked in groups and pairs to make a variety of everyday equipment's such as one pupil held one end of the wood and another used the saw to cut the pieces they needed.  The pupils said they were making "a gaming chair". One of the pupils showed an interest in the knitting machine as they moved the needle with support and thread in the different motions of up and down whilst along the edges of the quilted stream. They said they were "making a pillow". 

After some time of the lesson the pupils showed an interest in going outside as they took a mountain bike and wooden car they had been made out of natural resources. The pupils worked together well while one took the lead role of thinking of ways to tie the rope around the mountain and attach it to the wooden car. The pupil said "what we need to do with the rope is tie it to the back of the bike and then the person on the car can hold the other end". The pupils took it in turns to have a go on the bike and the wooden car.  

making reindeer's with Primary 2

 Primary 2 outdoor education reindeers:

Pupils comments on each step they took to create their Christmas reindeer's

·        Step one – We went along the river to find sticks for the legs and the body of the reindeer's.(LS)

·        Step two – we came to school and sawed up the pieces of wood for the body and legs.(HD)

·        Step three- We glued the legs into the body with a hot glue gun (DH)

·        Step four – we painted our reindeer's a colour we choice, I choose gold (DH)

·        Step five – We used pinecones and sticks to make the head and antlers. We used a hot glue gun to glue them on to the rest (ZH)

·        Step six – we are painting gently on the pinecone heads. We got to choose our colours. I picked gold (LS)

·        Step seven – we used the hot glue guns with Miss White to glue on the head to the neck. (ZH) 

The pupils showed an interest in continuing to make their own reindeer's from last weeks Outdoor Education lesson. The pupils painted their reindeer's body different colours with one pupil saying "making mine metallic gold" when another said “I am going to paint mine brown with a blue spot for the saddle which will go on Santa's sleigh". The pupils then glued a pinecone for the head and sticks for legs and neck with support of the teacher. The pupils took it in turns to use the cutters to make two antlers for the reindeer's ears. After the pupils painted the heads and antlers.

As we got to school we discussed each step and I asked which one they liked the most. All of the pupils said that they enjoyed making their reindeer's and that "painting the body and head" was their favourite.