Teach-Primary-Issue-20.1

The rain drummed on our classroomwindows as I recounted the tale of the Chartist Caves – real 19th-century hideouts used by political rebels in the Welsh hills. Pupils were inspired by the thought of torchlight meetings, deep underground, while soldiers scoured the ground above. That spark of an idea ignited an ambitious challenge: designing and constructing a camouflaged, weatherproof hideaway fit for a mini fugitive. This project could also easily take on the context of other historical or literary figures in need of a hiding spot; perhaps Peter Pan seeking to evade Captain Hook! 1 | DESIGN Split the class into teams, and explain that each teamwill build a model hideout capable of concealing a Lego minifigure and protecting it from the elements. We co-constructed the criteria as a class: the structure had to be sturdy, waterproof, and have a working door for our mini Chartist to get in, as well as being camouflaged well enough to blend into the environment. 2 | MAKE Begin construction with the frame. Using self-measured and cut lengths of square section wood, dowel and lollipop sticks, guide children to build small frame structures as the skeleton of their hideouts. I really enjoyed seeing pupils applying learning from previous lessons about strong shapes, here – several groups opted for triangular supports or cross-braces to strengthen their walls. PVA glue is perfect for these projects when combined with a little masking tape to provide stability while the glue sets. Encourage the early-stage problem-solving moments, as these can help foster true collaboration; I found that children started naturally moving between tables to check out and learn from each other’s techniques. With your basic wooden frameworks in place, the next challenge is to create a natural-looking form. Use sheets of flexible wire mesh for pupils to bend and shape START HERE MAIN LESSON WHAT THEY’LL LEARN l How to design and construct a robust framed structure from wood l How to choose and apply materials for weatherproofing a model shelter l How to incorporate a simple mechanism to create a working entrance l How to collaborate in a team, think critically and test design ideas DT From my experience, every memorable lesson starts with a good hook. In our case, it was the locally relevant story of the Chartist Caves in South Wales – limestone caverns said to have concealed Welsh Chartist rebels plotting their 1839 uprising, as well as protecting their supplies for long periods on the run. The historical drama immediately set the scene for our design brief. To replicate this spark in your own classroom, you might use any authentic context where someone needs a secret shelter: a fictional hero hiding from villains, a local smugglers’ cave, or much-needed protection in a survival situation. The key is to give the pupils a purpose – in our case it was to keep their tiny (Lego) inhabitant safe, dry and unseen! A quick slideshow of cave photos and camouflaged animal habitats fuelled pupils’ imaginations, and they were soon itching to get onto the designing. Combine construction skills and materials knowledge to build a hideout for a mini fugitive, with Marc Bowen KS2 LESSON PLAN raglanciwvcprimary.co.uk Build a weather- proof shelter for a Lego figure 74 | www.teachwire.net