Clegg has been working with a local school to introduce engineering to the next generation. Our Senior Engineer, Cidalia, teamed up with maths teachers at St Laurence School in Bradford on Avon to give real-life applications for Year 7 students’ learning.
Clegg worked on the design of the school’s new Maths Block several years ago, so it was fitting we came to teach the students about structural design and floor plans.
Bringing maths to life for Year 7 students
The 11- and 12-year-old students are learning to convert metric and imperial units as part of the maths curriculum. According to St Laurence’s teachers, the topic can be “dry”, and “students often forget what to multiply and divide by each time.” The teaching staff hoped that real-life applications would help the students retain the knowledge better.
Cidalia set the students a challenge to help them apply their learning. The task involved designing a maths block for a new school in Tanzania, including a plan diagram and an elevation diagram, complete with measurements.
Introducing engineering to the next generation
Cidalia gave a question-and-answer session for the Year 7 students, where she answered questions about her career in engineering and the design of the maths block the students are taught in every day.
She then showed the students the real design plan and elevation drawings for the maths block, produced by Clegg Associates when the building was constructed. Afterwards, the first task was set – to convert the plan measurements from metric to imperial units.
When the students had completed this task, they were able to flex their skills by designing their own maths block.
The results
The school was pleased with the outcome of the project, which helped students to put their maths, creativity and problem-solving skills into practice. The project taught students to read scales and convert between metric units, in addition to introducing them to design and elevation plans and helping them apply their numerical skills to 3D models.
By working with Cidalia, the school also hopes that gendered stereotypes for STEM careers have been challenged, demonstrating to students that science and maths are viable paths for all genders.
Maths teacher Tom, who worked closely with Cidalia to plan the tasks, said:
“I think it really did enhance their learning and I’ve already enjoyed teaching it to them because it was real for them. They really did buy into it.
“I am definitely keen to [repeat the project], given that they built the Maths building we’re in. I think the relevance there is just great. When I told them that Cidalia worked for the firm that designed our building, their faces lit up and they were like ‘Ooh, really?’.”
At Clegg, we’re always looking for opportunities to give back to our local community and share what we do with new audiences. If you’d like to collaborate on a new project, contact the team today.