Core Skills Analysis
Science and Engineering
- Learnt basic principles of gravity and structural stability by observing the tower fall.
- Explored cause and effect relationships through building and then watching the tower collapse.
- Understood the importance of balance and weight distribution in construction.
- Developed an early grasp of trial and error by experimenting with different tower designs.
Physical Development and Coordination
- Enhanced fine motor skills by stacking blocks or materials carefully to build the tower.
- Improved hand-eye coordination through repeated building and knocking down actions.
- Gained spatial awareness by manipulating the components in three dimensions.
Emotional and Social Learning
- Practiced patience and perseverance by rebuilding the tower multiple times after it fell.
- Experienced safe risk-taking and coping with disappointment when the tower collapsed.
- Encouraged curiosity and playful experimentation in a safe environment.
Tips
To deepen understanding, encourage the child to predict what will happen before building the tower, fostering hypothesis skills. Introduce variations by changing the size, shape, or materials used to build the towers, highlighting how these affect stability. Incorporate simple discussions about gravity and forces using everyday language or visuals to relate abstract concepts to their experience. Finally, extend the activity outdoors by building natural material towers or using water to observe different impact effects, stimulating multi-sensory engagement and scientific observation.
Book Recommendations
- Iggy Peck, Architect by Andrea Beaty: A charming story about a boy who loves building and architecture, inspiring kids to explore construction and creativity.
- Building Our House by Jonathan Bean: A beautifully illustrated book explaining the process of building a house, connecting with themes of construction and design.
- Forces Make Things Move by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley: An accessible introduction to forces like gravity and motion suited for young learners.
Learning Standards
- ACHASSK049 - Earth’s resources, including water, are used in a variety of ways.
- ACMMG019 - Compare the outcomes of two- and three-dimensional models created by building objects.
- ACSHE035 - Participate in guided investigations to explore cause and effect and represent observations and ideas.
- ACPPS015 - Develop fundamental movement skills in a variety of movement sequences and situations.
Try This Next
- Worksheet: Draw and label your tower before building it, and predict if it will fall or stand.
- Experiment: Try building towers with different materials (blocks, cups, sticks) and record which designs are more stable and why.