Arches And Tunnels

Overview

In this second lesson of the eight-part unit Designing with Robotics, students investigate how arches and tunnels use shape, materials and forces to create strong, useful structures. They build and test mini models, then connect their findings to structures that could support a future robotic vehicle or moving system.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• identify arches, tunnels and other structures in familiar environments
• describe how a structure’s shape and materials affect its strength and purpose
• safely select, join and test materials to build a mini structure
• communicate a design idea using labelled drawings and appropriate technology terms

Success criteria

• I can identify an arch, tunnel and another structure.
• I can describe what a structure is used for.
• I can explain how shape or material can make a structure stronger.
• I can build, test and improve a mini structure safely.

Curriculum links

• Describe how forces and material properties affect the function of a product or system.
• Explore and test materials, components and processes for a designed solution.
• Safely select and use materials, tools, equipment and joining techniques.
• Generate and communicate design ideas using labelled drawings and technical terms.
• Generate, communicate and compare designs as part of a digital technologies design process.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Hook and retrieval. Open with the hook and structure images showing an arch bridge, a tunnel and a simple robot vehicle. Ask: “What makes these structures useful and strong?” Students turn and talk, then share one observation from the previous lesson about robots, movement or design.

2. 5–12 min · Direct teaching. Use the structure teaching slides to introduce structure, arch, tunnel, force, load, support and material. Explain that an arch spreads a load towards its supports and that a tunnel provides a passage through or under something while keeping the space above supported. Students use fingers or classroom objects to model a flat bridge and an arch, predicting which will hold more counters and explaining why.

3. 12–17 min · Demonstration and safety. Demonstrate how to make a free-standing arch or tunnel from card, paper, blocks and masking tape. Model measuring, folding, joining and testing without pushing materials towards others. Discuss safe scissor use, keeping the workspace clear, sharing equipment and reusing offcuts. Assign groups of three roles using the Group Role Cards; students identify the builder, materials manager and tester/recorder.

4. 17–30 min · Build and test. Give each group a design challenge: “Build an arch or tunnel that allows a small robot, toy car or marble to pass through and supports the greatest number of counters.” Students first sketch and label a design on the structure design and testing worksheet, naming the materials and intended purpose. They then build with the available materials, test the structure gradually and record what happens. Teacher circulates, asking: “Where is the force acting?” “Which material bends, folds or holds its shape?” and “What could you change?”

5. 30–37 min · Improve and compare. Return to the testing and comparison slides and display prompts for a fair test. Groups make one purposeful improvement, such as widening the supports, strengthening a joint or changing the material. They retest, compare results with another group and identify which design best meets the challenge. Students use the terms load, support, force, strong, flexible and stable during discussion.

6. 37–42 min · Communicate designs. Students complete the labelled drawing and short explanation on the structure design and testing worksheet. Each group shares its structure, purpose, materials, test result and one improvement. Classmates give one positive observation and one question, focusing on how the design worked rather than on appearance.

7. 42–45 min · Exit check. Students complete the Success Criteria Exit Ticket Slips by indicating which criteria they met and writing one sentence explaining how shape or material affected their structure. Collect the slips as students pack away materials and return reusable items.

Resources

• the hook, teaching, build instructions, testing prompts and plenary slides
• the structure design and testing worksheet
• the Group Role Cards
• the Success Criteria Exit Ticket Slips
• Cardboard strips, paper, paper cups and wooden blocks
• Masking tape, scissors and pencils
• Small counters, toy cars, marbles or a classroom robot
• Rulers and a tray or clear testing area
• Photographs or diagrams of arches, bridges and tunnels

Assessment

• During discussion, check whether students can distinguish an arch from a tunnel and explain its purpose using appropriate terms.
• Observe group planning, safe tool use, material selection, joining techniques and ability to conduct a gradual, fair test.
• Review worksheet explanations and exit tickets for evidence that students can connect shape or material properties with strength, stability and function.

Differentiation

• Provide dyslexia-friendly slides and worksheets: clear sans-serif font, large labelled diagrams, short instructions, strong contrast, generous spacing and minimal text. Read instructions aloud and allow students to answer orally or by drawing.
• Offer pre-cut materials, a partially completed example, picture vocabulary cards and sentence starters such as “Our structure is used to…” and “It became stronger when…”.
• Pair students strategically and provide a predictable role, visual steps and extra processing time for students requiring additional support. Use sensory manipulatives and physical demonstrations before written explanation.
• For advanced learners, require a structure with two different materials or an opening wide enough for the classroom robot. Students compare two designs, justify which is more efficient and calculate or record the maximum load supported.

Extension

• Students research a famous arch or tunnel, such as a bridge, railway tunnel or road tunnel, and prepare a short presentation showing its location, purpose, materials and notable design feature.
• Students propose how their structure could be adapted for a robot to travel through, carry an object or detect obstacles, using a labelled sketch or simple digital design.