Room 2 Working as a Team - T E A M spells team!

As part of our Inquiry this term we are looking at our special talents.  Today we worked in teams to build a freestanding tower.  This was to develop our ability to work well with others in a challenging environment.  It was also to develop leadership skills for those that wished to organise their teams and to cater for those students have special abilities in the construction and design part of the Technology curriculum. 

The children were divided into random teams and were asked to construct a tower that stood up and was high.  They knew they needed to work cooperatively in their group to make sure their task was completed and constructed well. 

Here is the task they had to complete:

This is how it is going to work....Your task today is an opportunity for you to show your teamwork skills.

The challenge is.......to build the TALLEST freestanding tower that you can!

The Rules: 

- You are only allowed to use the following materials: 1 newspaper, 10 ice-block sticks, 2 paper circles, sellotape and scissors.

- Groups of 3-5

- 30 minutes time limit

- Your tower needs to be free standing

Group Ones team members talk about and demonstrate how they could start their tower.

Group Three discussing how they will build their tower. 

Group Two working together to start their tower. What great focus Group Two!

Group One discussing their draft plans for their tower.

Group Four starting the construction and trialling some ideas. 

Group One constructs their base by attaching their two circles together by tape and their ice-block sticks.

Group Three constructs their tower by scrunching newspaper and taping it together. 

Group Two fastening their ice-block sticks to their base with masking tape. 

Group Three all working on their tasks to help complete their tower. Great teamwork Group Three!

Group One all have different jobs to complete their tower. 

Group Ones completed tower with suppport.  Team One worked really well and were focused and thoughtful during the task. 

Group One with their tower supported.  What superb teamwork Group One!

Group Two showing their well constructed tower.  Their tower was very stable and stood up without support. Fantastic work Group Two!

Group Three with their completed tower. Their tower was very high!  

Group Three worked extremely cooperatively and were so quiet because their were working so hard. Very impressive Group Three.

Group Four with their completed tower being supported.  They used a base with scrunched up newspaper and then added rolled up newspaper for height. 

Group Four's tower unsupported. They started slowly but worked through challenges and ended working fantastically as a team!  Well done Group Four for overcoming challenges!

Check back for our reflections!