Red Orb Prototype Sprint

Overview

Lesson 18 continues the Gothic Adventure Project with a “test and iterate” weapons task and a maths focus on multiplying decimals using grid methods. The English component is a short inventor’s ballad that celebrates design iteration, linking to gothic story craft and vivid language.

Learning intentions

• Students will test weapon cardboard mechanics, record observations, and iterate designs.
• Students will multiply decimals by decimals confidently, using grid methods to solve transactions (e.g., 3.25 × 2.4).
• Students will use repetition/word associations and vivid, emotive vocabulary in an inventor’s ballad about the design process.
• Students will practise Week 8 spelling words in a meaningful, low-friction way.

Success criteria

• I can show how my weapon works (what it does, what I tested, and what I changed).
• I can solve a decimal-by-decimal multiplication using a grid and explain the steps.
• I can use my spelling words correctly in at least one sentence and one ballad line.
• I can write a short ballad that celebrates iteration (not just the final design).

Curriculum links

• Literature: adapt plot/characters/settings and experiment with literary devices.
• Literacy: use comprehension strategies to build literal/inferred meaning through discussion and revision.
• Language: identify authors’ use of vivid, emotive vocabulary (metaphors, similes, imagery, hyperbole).
• Language: create cohesion through intentional repetition and word associations.
• Literacy: paraphrase/question/clarify during pair testing and editing.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Mission checkpoint hook

• Teacher displays a simple “Mission Board” card: “Weapon test + Decimal grid + Inventor’s ballad.”
• Students do a quick thumbs response: “What will we change after testing?” (choose: stronger, safer, smoother, balanced).

2. 5–15 min · Weapon prototype testing (hands-on evidence)

• Teacher models safe testing: “One change at a time, one person records, one person tests.”
• Students test their cardboard weapon mechanism (e.g., lever/trigger/clip) using a pre-made action prompt (pull/push/lock/release), then record with a mini data sheet:
• What I tried
• What happened (tick boxes + one sentence)
• One improvement idea
• High-dopamine options: allow students to add a “status rank” sticker (Stable / Wobbly / Glorious).

3. 15–22 min · Iteration micro-design burst

• Teacher prompts: “Choose ONE problem from testing and ONE fix—then label the part you changed.”
• Students iterate cardboard design for 7 minutes, using:
• Colour-coded sticky labels on parts (e.g., RED = trigger, BLUE = support)
• One-sentence “before/after” note (sentence starter provided).

4. 22–35 min · Decimal multiplication (grid method)

• Teacher draws a grid model for 3.25 × 2.4 using place value:
• 3.25 = 3 ones, 2 tenths, 5 hundredths
• 2.4 = 2 ones, 4 tenths
• Students complete a worked example together (teacher thinks aloud), then solve a second problem in their maths book or on a laminated grid:
• 3.25 × 2.4 =?
• Extension-choice: 1.6 × 2.35 (optional if finished early)
• Dyslexia-friendly supports:
• Use coloured place-value labels on the grid.
• Provide a “Grid Steps” card: Split → Multiply → Add → Check with estimation.

5. 35–42 min · Week 8 spelling sprint (low-friction)

• Teacher reads aloud each word twice and students copy once only into a “Spelling Safe Strip” (one line each), then use them in a sentence.
• Word bank (Week 8): prototype, mechanism, iteration, calibration, precision.
• Student choice output: either
• one sentence per word, or
• 3 words in one ballad-like line (teacher provides starter).

6. 42–55 min · Inventor’s ballad writing (gothic, short, scaffolded)

• Teacher shows a 4-line ballad frame with repetition/word association:
• “Prototype to prototype…”
• “Mechanism, mechanism…”
• A vivid-language prompt: choose one device (imagery or metaphor) from a small card.
• Students write a 4–6 line ballad celebrating the design process, using their test notes.
• Provide a sentence starter strip:
• “In my Gothic workshop, my prototype…”
• “After testing, I changed the mechanism by…”
• “Precision mattered because…”
• Cohesion focus: repeat a key word (prototype/mechanism/iteration) at least twice, and use a related synonym once.

7. 55–60 min · Share-out + exit check

• Teacher conducts a rapid partner share: each student reads one ballad line and states one iteration change.
• Exit ticket (oral or written): “What is one step in grid multiplication, and which part of my weapon did I improve?”

Resources

• Cardboard weapon prototypes and spare parts (brackets, paper clips, rubber bands or string)
• Testing prompts + safety reminder card
• Weapon testing data sheet (tick boxes + sentence starter)
• Centimetre grid paper, place-value colour labels, pencils/erasers
• Laminated grid template (optional)
• Week 8 spelling word cards + “Spelling Safe Strip”
• Inventor’s ballad template (4–6 line frame) and word bank
• Highlighter or sticky labels for parts and place value
• Timer and “Mission Board” display cards

Assessment

• Formative check during weapon testing: observational notes (can they describe cause/effect and one improvement?).
• Formative check during maths: review one completed grid, look for correct place-value alignment and addition.
• Ballad rubric-like checklist (teacher ticks quickly):
• uses 2+ spelling words correctly
• repeats a key design word for cohesion
• includes at least one vivid/emotive word choice

Differentiation

• Provide choice of output: maths can be completed on laminated grids; ballad can be partially fill-in-the-blanks or recorded as audio for transcription later.
• Use reduced writing: allow 3–4 lines ballad with a strong repeated key phrase if writing load is high.
• Offer sentence starters and word banks; underline where to place each spelling word.
• Neurodivergent support: short bursts (7–10 min), clear roles in testing (tester/recorder), optional sensory break after maths.
• Extension option (only if ready): add a second multiplication using the same grid steps and include the second result in the ballad as “Red Orb cost”.