Ingenious Engineering Fair July 12th 13th 14th and schools workshops in June and July-

Added 25th July 2012

Engineering Fair and Outreach Work to Schools

"Just wanted to say thanks again to you and your team for such an amazing day on Friday. The children - and parents - had a brilliant experience." Liz Moreland (parent)

"I came to the Engineering Day yesterday and thought it was really well run and enjoyable, I finally understand fully how planes fly." Mitch(12 years old?)

"The best bits were the interactive workshops and exhibits with the chance to learn things we can't easily cover in school"
Max Hicks (Secondary School Design Technology Teacher)

"The workshops were fun and I learnt so much" Emily (12 years old)

“This has been a fantastic challenge and opportunity for our young designers and scientists to build and construct their planes and also the chance for them to work with industry professionals has been inspirational. This event will also bring together students from the federated academies to further cement the partnerships and joint teaching and learning take place in all subjects across the federation.” Adam Loxton (Secondary School Science teacher)

Following on the pilot event in May (Click here to see more) engineers from major businesses such as Rolls-Royce, SEA, Claverham, EDF, ST Micro Electronics and Dyson joined forces with smaller agencies, inventors and the Arkwright Scholarship to stage a second engineering fair.

The focus for the Ingenious project was now shifting towards what engineers achieved working with young people out in the schools. Some of these projects lent them selves to display in the Museum while others created a legacy within the school -

Ashton Park School and Claverham

Ashton Park had worked with Claverham Engineers to reinstate the use of centre lathes as a viable part of the Design and Technology curriculum.

 

Engineers were highly qualified experts for the students to work with to produce accurate machine tooled artifacts. In addition an engineer from EDF donated a centre lathe to the school.

The M Shed Museum and The Society of Model Engineers is looking into how it can work with the school to engage young people in an engineering club in the L Shed workshops adjacent to the museum. This is with a view to lowering the average age of volunteers at the museum.

Rolls-Royce plan to commission school students to machine tool the parts for their 'Jet Engine Challenge', one of their education resources. This would challenge students to manufacture aluminium and steel parts that represent the various sections of a jet engine. These parts interlock and thread together to illustrate how air is captured compressed and ignited within a jet engine.

Cabot Learning Federation

Five schools within the Cabot learning Federation staged their own Air Show working with engineers from Rolls-Royce, ARUP, CROSS Manufacturing and Claverham. Aeroplanes made from cardboard powered by 300 watt ducted fans (simulating jet engines) took to the air in the school hall to the amazement of parents and staff.

 

   

850 students aged 12/13 from across the Cabot Learning Federation; Hans Price, The Metropolitan, Bristol Brunel , John Cabot and Kings Oak Academies completed an engineering challenge set by Science Teacher, Adam Loxton. 200 students won through to the next stage where they had to; manufacture a plane, design an airfoil cross section, and communicate to camera about their team's approach and the learning involved.

Finally the students went on to stage an Air-Show for parents, friends and family with awards presented by the Design and Technology Association, Cross Manufacturing and Rolls-Royce

 

 

To see more about this event and a film about the project click on this link  CLF Air Show

Over three days 30 volunteers donated their time to work with 200 students in small teams  to complete the challenge. 

This event is planned to be repeated annually, bringing the different Academies together and a review meeting is planned for September.

A design engineer from Rolls-Royce is taking the plans for the aeroplane that was designed by Steve Smith to produce accurate construction plans and 'dxf' files to enhance the engineering experience as well as help facilitate the manufacturing of the separate cardboard parts.

 

Bristol Brunel Academy - Rocket Project

Adam Loxton, science teacher from Bristol Brunel Academy scheduled work with a variety of engineers and site visits to create this exceptional project. Students worked with deep space engineer, Andrew Bacon from SEA, hydraulics engineer, Phil Rowles from Claverham,  Sean Connolly from Rolls-Royce and a group of staff from Airbus. Year 10 students received a rich and varied in-put that included workshops in school, site visits to Airbus and inspiration from Rolls-Royce specialists before taking on the challenge of launching and landing an egg.

 

Six of the students spent a week working at M Shed Museum to help set up the Ingenious Engineering Fair and to present their project to other students, teachers, industry engineers and the public. They presented seminars to teachers and engineers -

and engaged the passing public and other students in their project

 

To  read the student BLOG see more pictures and a film about the project click on this link

Boat Building Workshops - Young Shipwrights

The Ingenious Engineering Fair partnered with a primary school project to build and sail cardboard boats. Over 300 children in Key Stage 2  and families came to M Shed Museum to build cardboard sail boats which they raced as a family event in the Harbour Festival on 21st July. 70 cardboard boats sailed over 100 metres across the dock.

 

To see more about this event click on this link.

Engineering Fair at M Shed

Rolls-Royce   

 

Rolls-Royce Jet Engine Challenge

 

'Rinky Dink, - alternative power generation - contact Dan on this link for more information

 

Experiments continued with the use of Engineers Top Trumps cards

 

Automatom -

 

Understanding gravity and satellites with SEA

 

Dyson

Students from Bristol Brunel Academy staffed a variety of stalls including their own rockets project

Probably the most inefficient way of creating a breeze to power a toy creature but somehow compelling

The learning and discussions were led by the Ingenious students 

 

Richard Kan from EDF engaged the public with a stall about vibrations and music

Workshops

Schools and the public booked into workshops on - 

Hydraulics - Run by Claverham. This now included a working model of the Princess Street Swing Bridge. This type of engineering can be viewed from the windows of M Shed Museum and there is interest in producing a permanent museum exhibit.

Flight - Run by Arkwright Scholarship as before with improvements to the process to speed the making of wing sections 

Design - Run by Dyson. This workshop challenged students to devise machines and gadgets that used air to achieve functions.

Radio Activity - Run by EDF Energy. Workshops and seminars to understand atoms, half life, and radioactivity

 

Participation

On the two school days over 500 students visited the Engineering Fair and 120 completed at least one workshop

200 students took part in the CLF Air Show

15 students took part in in the Rocket project 

300 primary school pupils took part in the Shipwrights Project

On Saturday 'Family Day' over 500 visitors went through the show with 54 taking part in a workshop

80 people attended the CLF Airshow

Circa 3000 people watched the Young Shipwrights boat race in the dock

 

Next event - 19th October M Shed -