Activity Introduction
In present times, we are part of a throw-away society. This STEM activity is designed to inspire you to create something new and purposeful out of something old or useless.
This activity challenges you to design a new and purposeful object using junk and recycling items from around you home. Your ideas are only limited by your imagination! Think of the proverb, ‘One man’s trash is another man’s treasure’ to inspire you. Just make sure you check with your parents/caregivers first before you use anything from around the home.
Safety advice: Be careful when cutting materials and always point the scissors away from you. If you are going to use any other tools, ask permission from your parents/caregivers first.
Most children will be able to work on this activity with minimal support.
Ideal for: Middle to Upper Primary Ages 10 – 12
Themes:
- investigate
- brain teasers
- be creative
Time required: 40 minutes
Curriculum connections: Design and Technology, STEM, Critical and Creative Thinking, Personal and Social Capabilities
The focus of the activity is to challenge children to come up with an idea, take risks and give the build a go. This can be challenging for children, so if things aren’t working, encourage them to think about how they could improve it and keep trying! You may need to help them with suggestions of which materials they can use from around the home.
Curriculum codes:
Complete lesson for classroom teachers:
STEM – Junk Drawer Design Challenge – Years 5 & 6
- Paper and pencils/markers
- Tape measure or ruler
- Variety of junk building materials – use clean items from your recycling and objects you have around your home and garden
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[email protected] from Cool Australia
[email protected] resources are designed for parents and teachers to use with children in the home environment. They can be used as stand-alone activities or built into existing curriculum-aligned learning programs. Our [email protected] series includes two types of resources. The first are fun and challenging real-world activities for all ages, the second are self-directed lessons for upper primary and secondary students. These lessons support independent learning in remote or school settings.
Cool Australia’s curriculum team continually reviews and refines our resources to be in line with changes to the Australian Curriculum.
