Water Slides

Introduction: A small town has been forecasted for heavy flooding in the coming winter. The local
mayor has asked the community to create ideas of a water slide transport system to move the flood
water to the nearby river.

Brief: In pairs the you will create a diorama of a design of a water slide using recycled materials. You
will then test the design to see if it is capable of transporting water. Then you will create a video
pitch for your design to send to the mayor.

Generating designs: Students have one lesson to create and test their design, they will then have
one digital technologies to work on their video pitch and one lesson to present and debate their
pitches.

Project Specifications: The slide created must use at recycled materials

It should contain:

- Must use recycled materials

- Video should contain a video that shows the completed bridge being tested with water

Students should include a picture of at least one unsuccessful attempt

The video should include why the material was chosen

Students must submit a labelled diagram of the original plan

Steps:

1. In the first lesson you and your partner will draw up a design for your water transport
system and discuss how the slide should be shaped to be successful.
2. The next step is to create the slide out of a variety of recycled materials (such as plastics,
cardboard, bottles, cans), remember to take photographs during the process as these will
need to be submitted
3. Once you are happy with your design test if it is successful at first carrying water and then if
the water is moving from one place to another.
4. In the second lesson you will create a video pitch to explain to the mayor why they should
build your design. In this you will need to explain why you
5. In the final lesson you will be presenting your community idea to the mayor and the local
community with their classmates serving as the mayor and local counsellors. At the end of
the lesson the class votes on which design they would implement.
Presentation: Students present their videos to the class as though they are presenting this to the
mayor and other council members. Their classmates take the role of council men and ask questions
to their peers about their slides efficacy and reliability. They then vote on which slide they believe
was the most successful to be built to help to solve the floods.

Time: Students have three lessons to complete this design, one to create their design, one to create
their video pitch and one to present their video to the class.

Assessment: Students will be peer evaluated based on how they explained their design (such as the
materials and if the slide was successful).