This technology unit called 'Towering High' was designed for Year 1 or 2 students. It is linked directly to the Australian Curriculum and integrates many open ended methods of making.

1. Towering High
Created by Joanne Villis
Based on the work of Dannielle
Spears

2. AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM (DESIGN AND
TECHNOLOGIES) F-2
• Explore the characteristics and properties of materials and components
that are used to produce designed solutions (ACTDEK004)
• Explore needs or opportunities for designing, and the technologies needed
to realise designed solutions (ACTDEP005)
• Visualise, generate, develop and communicate design ideas through
describing, drawing and modelling (ACTDEP006)
• Use materials, components, tools, equipment and techniques to safely
make designed solutions (ACTDEP007)
• Use personal preferences to evaluate the success of design ideas,
processes and solutions including their care for environment (ACTDEP008)

3. Plastic cup towers
Aims:
Students experiment with techniques in order to build a tower (ACTDEK004)
Students use materials and tools safely when making a tower (ACTDEP007)
With guidance, students make judgements about their design ideas and suggest
areas for design improvement (ACTDEP008)
Lesson 1 & 2: Inform students that they are going to build a tower using cups. As
a class, discuss what students already know or think they know about towers?
Where have they seen them? Have they read any books which have towers in
them? Have they seen any towers on the television?
Many students may not know what a tower is. Teachers may choose to show
students images of towers or pictures of towers in picture books. A good story to
use in order to explain towers is Rapunzel.
Show students some plastic cups and explain that they have been asked to use
the cups to build a tower (tall structure). Place students in small groups and give
each group 48 plastic cups (the number of cups can easily be changed). Then,
give students 20 minutes to build the tallest structure.

4. Plastic cup towers
Image source:
http://growingas
temclassroom.bl
ogspot.com.au/2
013/08/our-
first-stem-
challenge-tiny-
glasses.html

5. Plastic cup towers
After 2o minutes, stop the students and ask them to draw their tower. How
high is their tower? What could they do to measure how tall their tower is?
Then allow students time walk around and view other group’s towers. As a
class, discuss which tower was the tallest? What were some of the different
stacking techniques used? Which techniques worked the best and why?
Modified idea: STRAW CLALLENGE
Give students 25 straws and plasticine (or blu tak) and ask them to build the
tallest, freestanding tower that they can in 30 minutes.
As with the plastic cup challenge, once time is up allow students to view each
others and compare techniques used.

6. Spaghetti towers
Aims:
Students experiment with techniques to join materials in order to build a
tower (ACTDEK004)
Students discuss, describe and draw design ideas in order to build a tower
(ACTDEP005) (ACTDEP006)
Students use materials and tools safely when making a tower (ACTDEP007)
With guidance, students make judgements about their design ideas and
suggest areas for design improvement (ACTDEP008)
Lesson 1 & 2: Inform students that they are going to design and build a tower
using spaghetti and marshmallows. Allow students to feel and play with
spaghetti and marshmallows. During this time ask them leading questions
such as:
I wonder how you might join them together.
I wonder how you might join multiple pieces of spaghetti together.
I wonder how you might join them to make something tall.

7. Spaghetti towers
Lesson 1 & 2 continued: Place students in small groups and ask them to
discuss how they might join spaghetti and marshmallows together to build a
tower. Then, ask students to individually draw a spaghetti tower design.
Idea source: Primary
Connections

8. Spaghetti towers
Lesson 3 & 4: Students make their spaghetti tower. Encourage students to
refer to their design during the making process.

9. Spaghetti towers
Lesson 5 & 6: Ask students to evaluate their spaghetti tower using De
Bonno’s 6 Hats.
What can you write about your tower?
Does your tower stand up by itself?
Is your tower as tall as you thought it would be?
Did you find anything difficult when making your tower?
Was there anything you tried that didn’t work?

10. Spaghetti towers
Lesson 5 & 6 continued: Ask students to evaluate their spaghetti tower using
De Bonno’s 6 Hats.
Which joining techniques worked?
What is good about your tower?
If you made your tower again what would you do differently?
What would you change?
List the steps you used to make your tower.

11. Newspaper towers
Aims:
Students experiment with techniques to join materials in order to build a
tower (ACTDEK004)
Students discuss, describe and draw design ideas in order to build a tower
(ACTDEP005) (ACTDEP006)
Students use materials and tools safely when making a tower (ACTDEP007)
With guidance, students make judgements about their design ideas and
suggest areas for design improvement (ACTDEP008)
Lesson 1 & 2: Inform students they are going to build a tower using
newspaper and masking tape. As a class discuss things we might do to the
newspaper (ie twist, fold, roll). Depending on your class, you may need to
model and name various techniques.

12. Newspaper towers
Lesson 1 & 2 continued: Show students how to write a list. As a class, list the
materials needed. Invite students to draw a design of their newspaper tower.
Then show students how to write a series of steps. Invite students to have a
go at writing the steps they are going to follow when making their newspaper
tower.
Lesson 3 & 4: Students make their towers.

13. Newspaper towers
Lesson 5 & 6: Ask students to
evaluate their towers using the same
questions used for spaghetti towers.

14. Additional technology teaching resources
If you like this resources you can find other units of work which I have written
at http://technologiesjvillis.weebly.com/ . In addition, here is a link to my
blog http://technologiesjvillis.weebly.com/ .
Copyright
I give permission for the following: Adaptations and sharing of this resources is for
educational purpose only. I do not give permission for commercial use of this work. When
sharing or adapting this work I ask that you give credit to the original creator, Joanne Villis
at http://intertecheducation.edublogs.org/ and Dannielle Spears. As noted throughout the
presentation, the marshmallow idea is credited to Primary Connections.
Contact details
• http://intertecheducation.edublogs.org/
• jvillis@inter-tech.com.au
• http://www.pinterest.com/joannevillis/