Experiences

Stable structures

Aleksander Angelov (center for creative education)

Bulgaria

High Secondary School

Maths

Teaching in class

Direct

Stable structures

Objective: To develop the capacity for logical thinking, teamwork, management of time and resources as well teaching of basic stereometric figures.
Description: For a certain time and with limited resources students need to build a stable construction that could bear a certain object, chosen by the teacher (for example: small box full of pebbles). The constructions are estimated by their: 1. Stability; 2. Height; 3. Originality.

Skills and key competencies:
♦ Communication in mother language
♦ Communication in foreign languages
♦ Mathematical competence and basic competences in science and technology
♦ Ability to learn alone
♦ Entrepreneurial competencies

Performance: In this lesson students work best in groups of two or three people.
Materials:
• Plasticine
• Spaghetti
• Tape measure
• Box full of pebbles
• Boards (pads) on which students to work

Stages:
Step 1: It is carried out a brief discussion over geometric and stereometric figures appropriate to the age of the students. It is discussed buildings worldwide that have withstood time: What?; Why?.
Step 2: All working groups are given determined and equal for all groups amount of materials – plasticine, spaghetti. It is defined the time for working. The teacher can ask guiding questions to the students.
Step 3: The stability of all the constructions is measured with the box. Constructions that do not collapse or are visibly unstable are measured in height (from the base to a point at which the box is placed). The highest and most stable construction is the winner.
Step 4: Discussion - why some constructions collapse and others don’t? What makes one construction stable? Why the materials for some groups were not enough?
Key-TTT,ref.No504605-LLP-1-2009-1-BG-COMENIUS-CMP