Next steps for construction

[Guest]

Last week I asked my YR class what they wanted to learn next/get better at (involving children in their learning etc etc) and one little boy said he wanted to be able to build a transformer that turned into a dinosaur (both his 'interests' covered in one fell swoop there).

Lo and behold, on Friday he used the community playthings wooden blocks and some hollow blocks to build THE most amazing structure, over 5' tall, and which was about as close to a transformer as you can get with wooden blocks. He's already used all of the 'indoor' construction to build smaller models like this, but I think what he'd LOVE is to use something like the motorised meccano sets that schools I've worked in before have had. I'd put money on nothing like that being available where I am though.

I'm at a loss as to what I can provide to keep the momentum going as this little chap was absolutely bursting with pride when he'd finished this. I have a class of 30, 19 of whom are boys, and almost everyone of them is mad keen on construction, and every day my classroom and the space outside is full of wonderful models and creations.

Any ideas would be most welcome.

Thanks.

[apple]

there is a great book called Iggy Peck Architect about a little boy who loves to design and build you can get it here

 

and the girl equivalent here and another book called The Boy who Built a Boat

 

Also this little clip might inspire a few more girls to design and construct it challenges the stereotypical images of girls and pink toys!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFpe3Up9T_g#t=12

[Susan]

How about designing and recording --capturing his models on paper and of course photographing.

If he took photos at different stages of the construction, how could it be changed to give a different end result?

Could you then make flip books to show movement?

[finleysmaid]

can he construct using waste craft? this requires a slightly different level of skill. The planning for this could also be part of the process. What about a visit from a builder or an architect...are there any offices that do planning nearby that you could go to. They could see CAD machines and learn how they work. Real construction? hammers nails/tools/saws etc????

[amanda35]

This is slightly off your original topic but I wondered what "big" construction equipment settings were using. Does anyone use Quadro in their setting? It is very expensive but there appears to be quite a lot of potential for children to create and then play in their own constructions.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

[Guest]

I had a very small amount of Quadro in my last school but not really enough for the children to do a lot with it. Having said that they made endless tunnels and hidey holes with the little we had, so I can well imagine it would provide endless opportunities for more imaginative construction. x