Technology Monday Mashup and EPro 8 Challenge

This term we have been preparing for the EPro Challenge. We have two teams from Tāwhirimātea competing this year. As part of our preparation, on Monday mornings our teams have been practising building robots and towers. Then they use simple circuits and motors to make robots dance or the towers become elevators.

Here are some examples of our tower and elevator engineering.




This was preparation for the Wednesday when we had two teams competing in the EPro 8 Challenge. Jelani, Rosie, Abe and Angus represented Tāwhirimātea's Year 6's. Paige, Dexter, Freya and Ronan represented our Year 5's. Tanē Mahuta also had a team of Year 6's.

It was a tough competition, with 11 teams from across East Christchurch all working hard in Sumner School's hall. Each team had two and a half hours to either complete a technology challenge or to get enough points to win.

Our Year 5 team, the Nut's n Bolts, had to construct a lighting rod with a motorised top that rotated. After an initial mistake, they were able to build a stable base. They also managed to attach a rotating motorised top. Where they got stumped was trying to work out how far the "Lightning" was by calculating the speed of sound.

Our Year 6 team, the Avengers, had to make a large rotating rat wheel. This had to be attached to an alternator and lightbulb. Then, to create sustainable energy, a chargeable battery was attached to. After lots of hard work, mistakes and redesigns, they were able to complete the challenge.

This hard work and perseverance all added up. The Avengers were victorious and won the day's competition. They are now entered into the Christchurch semi-finals.

Check out their work below.

Sandra Silberzweig Inspired Selfies

Sandra Silberzweig Inspired Selfies

In the second half of Term 2, for Monday Mashup, we explored the Canadian artist Sandra Silberzweig and her version of self-portraits. The children initially followed a video on the symmetry of the face and how to draw this with a different lens. They then outlined their 'selfies' in vivid marker and sectioned parts of the face.

Then came the colour! For this, they explored the colour wheel and learned about complementary colours (those next to each other on the colour wheel) and contrasting colours (those opposite each other on the colour wheel).  They also learned about distinctive and blended colours. The children used distinctive or blended complementary colours for the sections of the face and contrasting colours for the details.

The outcome was Sandra Silberzweig Styled Selfies (we also learned about alliteration!). These are examples of some of the children's art. Aren't they amazing?