What you will need
- A variety of construction materials – junk modelling, blocks, bricks or whichever construction materials you usually have available in your setting
- Paper and pencils or pens
- The civil engineer poster
Duration
- 10 to 15 minutes
Challenge children to design and build their own Elephant Islands.
Early Learning Goal links
- Mathematics ELG: Numerical Patterns
- Understanding the World ELG: Past and Present
- Understanding the World ELG: People, Culture and Communities
- Understanding the World ELG: The Natural World
- Expressive Arts and Design ELG: Creating with Materials
Characteristics of effective learning
Our EYFS units provide enabling environments with teaching and support from adults. Reflecting on the characteristics of effective teaching and learning, children will have opportunity to learn and develop by:
• playing and exploring – children investigate and experience things, and ‘have a go’
• active learning – children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties, and enjoy achievements
• creating and thinking critically – children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things
Taken from Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage.
© Crown copyright 2023 licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0.
STEM vocabulary to introduce
Build, create, fasten, balance, heavy, light, stable, unstable, wobbly, structure, tie, stick, join, big, bigger, small, smaller, large, larger, tall, taller, short, shorter, wide, wider, narrow, narrower, heavier, lighter
What to do – step 1
Tell the children that they are going to be creative like civil engineers and make their own Elephant Islands. Show children pictures of the first Elephant Island on pages 29/30.
You could ask:
- Which parts of Elephant Island do you really like?
- Why do you like that part?
- Is that part useful or important? Why do you think they need that on Elephant is land?
- What would you want to have on your Elephant Island?
- What would you need on your Elephant Island?
- Where do you like to go to play? Do you like the climbing frame/construction area/water play?
- Would you like a slide/swimming pool/sand pit?
- What do you have in your home that you would like on your Elephant Island?
- Which materials do you think you could use to create that?
Step 2 – creating the models
Encourage the children to create their island independently using the construction materials and fastenings of their choice. You could ask the children to draw a plan of their island instead of making it.
Take a photograph of their creation for use in the plan to completed creation adult led activity or in your review session. If you have enough resources for other children to use for this task, you could save their creation to talk about later.
Step 3 – reviewing the models
Talk to the children about their designs and ask them to explain to you what they have made. You could ask:
- What is this part of your model?
- What does it do?
- Can it move?
- Why did you put that there?
- What is your favourite part of your model?
- Why do you like that part best?
- What else could you put on your model next time?
- Was there anything difficult/hard to build or draw?
- Why do you think that was difficult?
- Which were the easiest bit to build? Why?
The science of structures
We have put together some useful information about the science of structures to accompany this activity. Don’t worry, this is for your information only and to help you answer any questions children may have. We don’t expect you to explain this to the children in your setting!
Why do some structures topple over?
The centre of gravity of an object is the point that an object’s weight will balance around. Imagine balancing a ruler on the end of your finger without it falling off – your finger is in line with the centre of gravity. If you place the book or ruler onto a table with the centre of gravity off the edge of the table, it will fall. For symmetrical solid objects, the centre of gravity is in the middle of the object.
If a tower is built upright on flat ground, the centre of gravity is directly above the centre point of the base so the tower is very stable.
If a tower is built on sloping ground, the centre of gravity is no longer above the centre of the base and the tower will be more unstable.
If blocks are stacked unevenly their centre of gravity will not be above the centre of the base and they are more likely to fall.
The higher you stack blocks, the higher the centre of gravity becomes. A 4 block tower will have its centre of gravity at 2 blocks, a 10 story tower will have its centre of gravity at 5 blocks. The higher the centre of gravity, the easier it is to tip it so that it is no longer directly above the base and it will tip.
Why does building a wider base help us build bigger islands?
Objects with a wide base are more stable than objects with a narrow base. This is because it’s more likely that the centre of gravity will be directly above the base of the object. Blocks need to be stacked so their centre of gravity is above their base in order not to fall. If you put a cuboid shaped block on the floor horizontally, has a wide base relative to its height so it won’t tip over if you push on its side with your finger. It has a low centre of gravity. If you stand the same block vertically on one end the base is now narrower compared to its height and it has a higher centre of gravity. If you push the block near the top, it will probably fall over. If you add more blocks, stacking them horizontally will create a more study structure with a lower centre of gravity. If you stack them vertically, they will have a higher centre of gravity which can be more easily tipped out of line with their base and fall down.
Where are the best places to attach different parts to our islands?
When we add new parts to our structures, we are changing the position of the centre of gravity of our structure. If we choose to put a heavy object at the top of a structure, the centre of gravity is higher up. This makes it easier for the structure to tip because that the centre of gravity is no longer above its base, and the structure falls down. If we place heavier objects lower down on our structures and lighter objects towards the top, the centre of gravity is lower and the structure is less likely to topple.
Why does fastening our structures together make them stronger?
Fasteners ensure that materials are securely joined together. They help structures withstand the loads and forces placed upon them. Fasteners reinforce and strengthen connections between the parts of the structure. They providing additional support and ensure that the structure is more stable over time. Examples of fasteners on real structures include nails, nuts and bolts, screws, rivets and anchors.
