Chemistry Design and Technology - SD Online Home

More documents

Recommendations

Info

ate the illusive mechanical advantage required from machinery. This is taught through a variety of methods, which includes the use of Lego Technic. As we can see in the accompanying photographs, the main focus is on vehicle construction. Here the pupils learn
about a variety of power transfer methods including gear systems and linkages. The tasks include constructing a vehicle which can cover one metre in the longest time and climb the steepest incline. Oliver and Alex managed to create a vehicle which originally was thought to be a non-starter. We set the clock though and discovered that in fact, it did work and our calculations predicted that if we could stay awake long enough it would have eventually covered the distance in around a staggering nine and a half hours. The boys didn’t have it all their own way though as the girls showed them who was boss when it came to the hill climbing vehicle. Impressive vehicles were constructed by Harriet, Clodagh, Imogen and Tutku. All in all the pupils thoroughly enjoyed the project, judging by the expressions on their faces, and it was a delight to see young people actively working together as a team to ensure mutual success. Year 9 Activities Week Take a pop bottle, water, compressed air and someone daft enough to combine them together and what do you have? The answer is a barrel load of fun. In the summer, we were asked as a department to contribute towards the Activities Week events. This is a great time for us as teachers as it allows us the opportunity to let our hair down and remember what it was like to be a child. This year’s D&T theme was water rockets. The usual method is to one third fill a bottle with water, pump some air into it via a car tyre foot pump then watch it soar away. However, being the sensation seekers that we are we thought it far more exciting to use compressed air! It’s far more powerful and the launches are certainly more spectacular as you can probably tell by the accompanying photographs. The Year 9 forms were split into groups of three, given a variety of materials to work with and a limited amount of time to manufacture a bottle rocket launcher. Teams could purchase extra materials but this did affect their final points and so careful consideration was required. Once the structures were completed, we relocated to the launch site where someone with limited personal safety, namely me, injected the bottles on the launchers with compressed air. This was great fun for all, watching the success of their work combined with Dear Old Sir getting a jolly good soaking. Of course, the pupils didn’t have all the fun. Our department technician Mr Cameron created the rocket to end all rockets out of no less than three water dispenser butts and yes, once a gain I got soaked through. He was ably assisted by Marc ‘Master brain’ Holmes and Jack ‘The Lad’ Allery to whom we are all very grateful. As with all fun activities great learning experiences are subliminally created. Team work came to the front, new friendships were forged and I feel certain that the pupils enjoyed the scientific principals as well as the inevitable teacher soaking. This was most certainly a great end to a great year for all concerned. The Future So what of the future? What’s in store over the next twelve months? The Department has recently acquired the right to use the new and exciting three dimensional modelling software Prodesktop. Imagine the ability to design and manipulate your ideas in a true three dimensional atmosphere where you can rotate you drawings and view them from any direction. Imagine true life rendering with the ability to manipulate light sources, where with the touch of a button you can create working drawings to accompany your design ideas. Then, transfer them to a machine which can, with pin point accuracy, create your component. Some of the work we have accomplished so far accompanies this section and we are certain that this is only the tip of the iceberg. At present pupils in the Senior School are acquiring these skills for the 21st century. Design and Technology in the Junior School is also on the verge of developing the use of the software as a design aid. We hope you have enjoyed a peek at just some of the work from the D&T Department. The future is bright, I’m glad it’s not just orange. CMR
Page 1 and 2: Chemistry The Chemistry department
Page 3: James Russell James designed and ma
Page 7 and 8: English Society Dinner History The
Page 9 and 10: Mathematics The year began, as ever
Page 11: Modern Languages Languages Day Frid

Chemistry Design and Technology - SD Online Home

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?