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Castle Siege Catapult

May 14, 2021 at 10:21 AM

At the Boys’ School, in addition to the core curriculum, the boys in the Senior School are offered a range of optional subjects as part of our Innovation Programme. At Year 7, this is designed to give the boys a taste of some of the diverse subjects available in the area of Arts and Technology.  As they progress to Year 8, they can choose which of these options they would like to study in more depth.

‘Technology Challenges’ is a unit that encompasses engineering and problem solving. Those who select this option learn about the principles of construction by building simple structures and machines with the addition of modular electrical components in some cases. Boys work collaboratively on practical tasks to meet set challenges. As the boys progress through the challenges, the nature and complexity of the tasks develop and include the use of motors, gears, pulleys, wheels and axles. Through this, the boys learn about structural forces, simple machines, circuitry, critical and analytical thinking skills, practical skills and the challenges of working collaboratively.

A recent unit particularly appealed to the boys in Year 8. Fresh from Celtic Day and the famed Castle Siege out on Roselle Lawn, they scaled down the fun and worked on building a desktop catapult and a ballista to knock down a castle made of building blocks. Part of the unit was the practical side, measuring, scaling, cutting and constructing  - and the rest was on creating a set of rules for the game so the battle would be fair, and each team wins or loses based on how well the castle is made and how accurate their siege weapons are. Once the unit is complete and the set of rules deemed fair, the Year 8 boys will take their devised games down to the Junior School to teach the game to the Year 3 boys.

 

 

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