Did you know we have some budding 7- and 8-year-old engineers at HA? That’s right, English teachers Renee Pervin and Alanna Korman introduced a unit on Engineering Design this week for the first time in the Grade 2 classes!
“We will be practicing reading, writing and communication skills and learning about different types of engineers, the design process and how engineers use technology,” said Mrs. Renee. “Students will have to create something to solve a real world problem.”
As part of the unit launch, students built a dance floor, a restaurant and a vegetable garden out of blocks.
“As they worked on their designs, I asked them to stop and gave them a new piece of information to consider, making them rework their design each time,” said Mrs. Renee. “The dance floor had to be Covid-safe, the restaurant had to allow for wheelchair-access and the garden had to be protected from animals who would likely eat the vegetables. We learned that engineering is the process of creating a solution to solve a problem. Our student engineers practiced flexibility and perseverance, as they had to change their plan each time a problem arose. Students were very excited to share their designs and to share what they already knew about engineering.”
What a fascinating module!