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Students learn about sustainable science

Year 7 students collected resources and built mini-bridges during a science lesson on sustainability at Corby Business Academy.

The students first considered the best combination of just ten items to take on a spaceship, before working in teams on a practical game, extracting wooden sticks from bottles without dislodging precious resources (bungs and marbles) in the process. Then they constructed bridges from the sticks which had to be strong enough to withstand the force of a model car.

Teacher Brian van Niekerk said: ‘We discussed adaptations and environmental changes in animals and plants which develop because of changes in in available resources. The students started with the spaceship scenario so they could consider how best to prioritise resources. Then they all worked out how to construct the most effective bridges. The team with best bridge and most resources left at the end won the challenge. It was a way of demonstrating the fine balance needed to create structures while making the most of finite resources. The students all worked well to come up with some very creative and practical bridges.’