Full CoRE Ahead: Term 1 Highlights in Years 7 and 8

As Term 1 draws close, our students have been busily wrapping up their Project Components (PCs) with great energy and determination.

Year 7 – Martian Invaders

Our Year 7 students enthusiastically explored the engineering world through their "Martian Muncher" project—an iron ore crusher inspired by jaw crushers used on mining sites. A key feature of this PC was designing a component using Tinkercad, a computer-aided design program. Although new to the class, students showed remarkable initiative in learning the software. The creativity and effort behind their 3D-printed designs were genuinely commendable.

Tinkercad design of a crusher component

Looking ahead, most Business Units (BUs) have begun planning their next PC—an investigation into designing a landing device suitable for use on Mars.

3D printed crusher component

Year 8 – Rusty Rocks

In Year 8, students delved into energy transformations and their application in locomotive systems. They examined how train design impacts performance, particularly size and wheel structure. While some BUs started strong in the conceptual phase but encountered challenges during construction, others opted for simpler designs and successfully built sturdy trains with functional carriages.

Sustainability was also a focus, with students using recycled materials like cardboard and bottle caps to bring their models to life. This project has offered a valuable opportunity to reflect on the processes of designing, implementing, evaluating, and communicating effectively.

Sample of a Train

We are proud of the students' efforts and look forward to more exciting projects in Term 2.

Infographic on Trains