Session 6 Rostrata Primary School Year 6 Kristy Nita Brown and Mariya Konig
Warm Up: This week, Vanessa observed the session, and what a session! For the warm up, I invented a game called Family Photo, where students came together in groups to strike funny and imaginative poses based on themed "family" scenarios. All students took part, and unlike other weeks, nobody complained - not one! Winning!! It was hilarious watching the students throw themselves into the activity; during the astronaut family photo, some even tried lifting each other off the ground! What made the experience even more special was that Mariya, also joined in. The students absolutely loved seeing their teacher take the game seriously and have fun too. Vanessa captured some fantastic photos throughout, which was great, as it's often tricky to snap good moments while leading the activity. I won't post the funny ones of Mariya taking part - that wouldn't be fair!
Main Activity: This week was a little different from others where I have led the main activity. Mariya took the lead for this session, as she had developed the testing worksheet the students would be using, and I supported her - which worked well (we make a great team!).
In preparation for today, I collected a large amount of recycled materials from REmida for the students to use in building the toys they’ve been designing for their buddies. And today was “build day.” To set the scene, Mariya and I displayed all the materials across long tables for a gallery walk. During this walk, students weren’t allowed to touch anything but could look closely at what they might want to use. Mariya then introduced the testing worksheet and explained how students would use it to assess their designs. Then students took out their design plans and listened as Mariya went over important safety rules, how to move safely around the classroom and how to handle tools like hot glue guns and cutting instruments. Once she was confident that everyone understood the expectations, students were invited in small groups to collect their chosen materials and begin building.
The students worked exceptionally well during the activity. It was incredible to watch them so focused and immersed in their building process–testing materials, problem-solving, and bringing their designs to life. I saw students experimenting with springs, creating pulleys and flaps, and finding clever ways to build movement into their toys. The classroom had a calm, buzzing energy with students working thoughtfully in pairs or individually. They took the activity seriously and showed real ownership over their designs. Many students approached me for help with cutting materials or to talk through their ideas, asking thoughtful questions about how to make specific features function. It was clear they were deeply engaged and genuinely excited about turning their concepts into real, working toys.
Reflection: Because the main activity was such a success, we shortened the reflection activity to just ten minutes. I led a quick group discussion, reminding students of the habits we’ve been focusing on over the past few weeks. I then asked them to identify which habits they felt they had used during today’s session. When students responded, I encouraged them to explain how they demonstrated that habit in their work. To wrap up, I let them know we’ll return to making origami stars—each one representing a habit used—either after the session or next week. Overall, it was a fantastic day filled with creativity, focus, and meaningful learning.
Today’s session was definitely my favourite day so far!
