Year 3 Inventors

Year 3 students are jumping into their new theme of learning: How have inventions changed the world? After spending the first half of Term 2 focused on explorers, this half term will be all about innovation.

Starting with an entry-point assembly, students looked at failed inventions (such as the Google Glass and the DeLorean sports car) to learn how failure is a way of learning and growing. Year 3 then learned about Rube Goldberg, the engineer and cartoonist who created overly complicated machines to carry out simple tasks. Inspired by several funny and creative videos of Rube Goldberg machines, Year 3 had a go at creating their own versions. Students could use any materials that were easily found around them, including recycled materials, piping, ramps, books, dominoes, whiteboard erasers and dictionaries, just to name some! Through this activity, Year 3 demonstrated many of the characteristics of effective learning that they have been focusing on throughout the academic year (being willing to have a go, finding out and exploring, being involved and concentrating). For the remainder of the term, Year 3 will continue developing their understanding of Rube Goldberg machines, as well as learning about the countless inventions that have impacted our lives.