Lesson video

Hi everyone.

I'm Mrs. Corson, I'm very pleased to join you for today's lesson on creating and reinforcing playground structures.

This is part of the Free Standing Structures Playgrounds unit.

Our lesson outcome for today is I can make different structures and explain how to make them stronger and more stable.

Our lesson has five new keywords.

I'll say them first and then you repeat them after me.

Are you ready? Super, frame structures.

Frame structures, super, frame structures are a 3D shape, which holds its outline just like a skeleton.

Brick bonding, brick bonding.

Super, brick bonding is a pattern in which bricks are laid to make a wall strong and stable.

Reinforce, reinforce, super.

Reinforce is to strengthen or support an object or structure.

Shell structure, shell structure, shell Structures are a hollow structure with a thin outer covering.

Bracing, bracing, bracing are extra supports added to a structure to keep it strong and help it to keep its shape.

Well done everyone, great listening.

In our lesson today of creating and reinforcing playground structures, we have two learning cycles, two parts to our lesson, and our first is different types of structures.

A frame structure and a shell structure are different types of structures.

Here's a frame structure and here's a shell structure.

Have a little look, can you spot any differences? These are frame structures and if a frame structure stands in its own foundational base without any attachment to anything else, then it is freestanding.

The frame structure for play equipment needs to be strong, stable and freestanding.

It needs to hold the shape without bending, without folding or collapsing.

Here are some triangle shapes to make the structure strong and it has a wider base to make the structure stable and freestanding.

Sometimes the frame structure can have a cladding on the outside.

This means the sides are covered so the frame structure cannot be seen underneath.

This gives it a different appearance too.

We're ready for our check for understanding now.

I hope you are listening very carefully, excellent.

True or false? A frame structure for a playground needs to be strong, stable, and freestanding.

True or false? Pause the video now and have a little think.

Welcome back.

So true or false, a frame structure for a playground needs to be strong, stable and freestanding is true.

Well done, why? Excellent.

The frame structure needs to be strong, stable, and freestanding, but it also needs to hold its shape without bending, folding, or collapsing.

Well done, these are shell structures.

You might recognise some of them.

There's some eggs, a tortoise shell and bamboo.

Shell structures such as boxes, drawers and kitchen roll are hollow and tubes are shell structures too with a thin, curved surface.

Boxes are shell structures that are created using a net and the net has folds and tabs which when they're glued, hold the box together.

It will also have flaps that open and close, allowing you to access the contents inside.

We're ready for our next check for understanding now.

So which arrow is pointing to a tab? Which arrow is pointing to a tab? Pause the video now and have a little think.

Welcome back.

So which arrow's pointing to the tab? Is A, well done.

We're ready for our first task now, task A.

And I'd like you to talk about the different types of structures and how you might use them in your playground creations.

Have a look at the frame structures, the shell structures, and pause the video now in complete task A, join me when you're ready.

Welcome back, I hope you had lots of fun talking about the different types of structures and how you might use them in your playground creations.

Well, the children in Oak class shared their ideas about the different structures.

Luca said, "I really like the frame structure and would use this for creating a swing frame.

Sam said, I liked both the shell and the frame structures.

I might use a mixture of them both to create a hideaway house within my play equipment.

While done both of you and well done to everyone else for your great discussions, we're ready for the second part of our lesson now on reinforcing and strengthening structures.

Most playground structures need to be, Laura says, stable free standing said Izzy and strong said Sam, well done.

A structure is something that is made for a purpose.

It's formed and it holds its shape to help some structures to be free standing, sometimes they need to be anchored down.

You might notice this anchor if you're putting up a tent, for example.

So Sofia says, objects can still be freestanding if they are anchored down.

The anchor does not stop them from standing by themselves.

It just holds the securely in place so they will not be blown over in the wind or knocked over when children climb on them.

To add an anchor to a mockup playground structure, you could use sticky tack, masking tape or sticky tape, and you will notice they've been gathered around the bottom of the straw and then attached to the floor, that anchors them down.

To make the structure strong, stable and freestanding, they might need to be reinforced.

Laura says, what does reinforce mean? That's a good question, Laura.

I wonder if anyone knows the answer? That's right Andeep, well done.

Reinforced means to make something stronger.

Did you get the answer? Brilliant, well done everyone.

These are other ways to strengthen and to reinforce a structure, bracing, brick bonding, wider bases, triangulation and other ways to strengthen include pipe cleaners too.

Play equipment can be braced to stay in shape.

Bracing often uses diagonal.

That's where you've got an extra piece supporting it.

Diagonal supports to form triangles, adding strength and stability to the structure so it won't fall over.

Bracing prevents structures from bending, twisting or collapsing, especially since playgrounds have many users at once and are exposed to all types of weather conditions.

Can you see the bracing on these pictures? While brick bonding is another way of creating a strong reinforced structure, you can usually spot a pattern of brick bonding on houses, schools and other brick walls.

If we zoom in to an area on the side of this house, you will spot the pattern.

The pattern doesn't go brick by brick up in the air.

The pattern is bricks with another brick overlapping, and then another two bricks with a brick overlapping and it creates a pattern, if you have a look at that picture.

Brick bonding creates a strong pattern and it means it becomes stronger and a sturdier structure.

We're ready for our next check for understanding now.

So where is brick bonding usually found? Is it A, the outside of houses? B, brick walls in the garden, or C, on a front door? Pause the video now and have a little think.

Welcome back.

So where is brick bonding usually found? That's right, the outside of houses and brick walls in the garden.

Well done everyone.

A wider base is another way to reinforce and to make a structure more stable.

Recyclable materials such as boxes and tubes can be used, and the A-frame on a climbing frame is an example of a wider base.

Can you see the wider bases in these images? Super.

So triangles are strong shapes and adding them to structures can make them even stronger and reinforce the structure.

This is called triangulation.

Cardboard triangles and cardboard shapes are created with art draws in the image below.

For a frame structure, we might use straws and we can reinforce and add strength to these by placing pipe cleaners inside them.

Cardboard can also be cut to create more stable structures.

Other ways to secure cardboard can be through card tabs, which can be cut and secured.

If you have a look there by having a piece of cardboard, make it have a wider base and cut with these tabs, holding it down on either side, it will make it more stable, more secure.

Again, using tubes and cutting the base of the tube to make it a wider base and have tabs to hold it down, it can make it more secure and more stable.

And again, slots can be made in card to create shapes that have wider bases and more stable.

To create a structure, we will use different joining techniques.

To join the parts together, we might use double-sided tape, a glue stick, masking tape, PVA glue, staples or sticky tape.

We will also use scissors, and scissors are a tool.

Hold them carefully.

Sit down when cutting and only cut paper, card and materials for your project with the scissors.

We're now ready for task B and I would like you to explore and create shell and frame structures, adding strength and reinforcement where needed.

Remember, you might use bracing, brick bonding, wider bases, triangulation or other ways to strengthen, including pipe cleaners to make straws stronger.

Pause the video now and join me when you've completed Task B.

Have lots of fun creating your shell and frame structures.

Welcome back, I hope you had lots of fun exploring and creating your shell and frame structures.

Did you remember to add some strength and reinforcement when needed too? Maybe you could share your ideas with your friends or other people.

Well, Jacob created a playground climbing tower.

He said my tower stayed strong, stable and freestanding.

I used a wider base and braces to support the sides and to help the children to climb to the top.

Well done Jacob.

How did you reinforce your structure? You might consider something that you'd change for next time.

Maybe you could share these ideas with someone else.

We've reached end of our lesson for today on creating and reinforcing playground structures, and I hope you've had lots of fun.

I wonder if you gimme a thumbs up if you feel you've met these learning points along the way.

Super, so different joining techniques can be used such as masking tape and glue.

Brilliant, adding bracing, anchors and wider bases to structures adds support to free standing structures, super, and straws can be reinforced with pipe cleaners to add strength, super, and cardboard boxes are assembled with tabs.

Excellent, well, well done for all of your hard work today and I'll see you soon, bye.