I know what gravity is. It’s why the marble stays on the box.
I can make force go on the marble by twisting and turning the box.
Momentum is when it gets faster and faster.
The goal was to use the materials provided to make a maze for a marble, getting from the start to the finish. This open-ended challenge allowed students to work independently if they preferred, or to collaborate with new and old friends.
Each student had access to one shoebox lid, scores of sellotape rolls, paper straws, felt pens for labelling and - best of all - their imagination. This was a hands-on task, one where they had their own materials, didn’t have to share and could create with total freedom. The classroom was full of movement, mess, concentration, and chatter as straws were trimmed and tape was cut.
As mazes were being created, students like Oliver, began asking classmates for feedback, getting them to try the maze. This enabled him to make informed choices about where he placed the straws for optimum difficulty. More and more students got their friends to try their maze. Problem-solving took place with the sharing of ideas. There was a lot of talking, and learning the power of trial and error. This was shown by all the materials spread around the room, as modifications were made.
Students began working together. Lucy, Zoey, and Kimberley discussed different techniques for moving the marble, Brooklyn designed booby traps, Laura made ramps and bridges, and Benjamin, Dylan, and Brody attached their shoeboxes to create a very large, complex maze. Te-Rakai and Jack told their players that they had to jump the straws to get to the finish line and this meant using different kinds of forces.
Aside from the science concepts, this lesson was a great way to get to know new classmates and learn to interact, borrowing materials from each other. They had a genuine reason to collaborate with each other as they tried and timed each other to complete the paths.
We’re going to combine our mazes into levels and work together. Then we can get more momentum and bigger jumps. Brody
My booby trap isn’t big enough for a marble so it’s a fake booby trap. The gravity won’t work.
Maybe I need to widen the straws, to keep the marble running along the track. There will be less friction.
Mine got muddled up but I can modify it. I am getting my friends to test it. I want to make it faster and easier to finish.
I made a secret ramp so you can get out if you’re stranded. You have to tip the maze quite a bit… well. not too much force.
You have to get some speed up and then you can jump that part. You need more forces to do it.
I have a trap - the marble gets stuck on the tape! Then you are trapped. Getting stuck on the tape is friction.
A teacher’s core job, according to educational consultant Neill O’Reilly, is to ‘cause learning’. This is a simply-worded, yet aspirational goal for one teacher in a dynamic classroom environment. It clarifies why teachers do what they do each day, and the ‘why’ is very important.
Having been a teacher here since 2014, I am passionate about Wairakei Primary School. The school’s values provide a superb foundation for learning to happen, and staff and students live these values every day. The school has a busy and unique setting, a variety of active students, friendly whānau and many hardworking professionals.
Literacy, numeracy and languages are my passions in education. I believe in the importance of the basics and preparing each child for continued success in their later school and working years. Getting something just right is important to me and I admire students who put in the effort needed to achieve at their own pace. Providing support and extension is important and something Wairakei Primary School does well. Teaching in the senior school is my area of focus.
One of the rewarding roles I have is being staff representative for the Board of Trustees. My spare time is spent gardening and biking.
Comments
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Mar 5, 2025, 4:13 PM (7 days ago)
Amazing learning to begin the year . A lot of collaboration and problem-solving happening. Way to go Room One.
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Mar 5, 2025, 10:44 AM (7 days ago)
What a fantastic way to start the years. So much learning seen in the photos and what the students are doing. Great read.
