On Tuesday, we celebrated Engineering Day with an afternoon dedicated to learning about what engineering does, and trying out a few techniques in a group project.  The children were tasked with making a chair from cardboard.  No adhesives were permitted so the children had to think about structure and weight dispersal, as Matthew and Grace (the school Prayer Bears) would need to be able to sit on the chair.

We discussed different ways in which we could create a stronger frame: by weaving cardboard together, using cones and creating spirals.  They created a plan in their groups, and proceeded to engineer a chair using only cardboard, scissors, a pencil and a ruler.

The children worked brilliantly in their groups, and most were successful in creating a chair that Matthew could sit on unaided.   Those that weren't successful were able to discuss and share with the class what they learnt, and how they would improve it next time.  

An exciting afternoon, that hopefully has inspired some young minds to think of a path in engineering later in life.