FPW Students Build Prototypes in Skills Challenge

How might we build homes with a reduced environmental impact that are affordable, comfortable, and durable? This is the challenge that Grade 8 students at F.P. Walshe School in Fort Macleod tackled in the Skills Exploration Days Design Challenge.

The creative students researched, planned, and then built alternative dwelling prototypes for the Skills Canada Alberta challenge, using wood, sheet metal, aluminum cans, and fabric. Teachers worked with students for several weeks to help them prepare, and on December 3, they joined an interactive live-stream with students and teachers from across Alberta.

"Seeing their designs go from paper to reality was definitely rewarding for them, and they happened to learn some new skills while doing it," says Ben Paskal, construction teacher at F.P. Walshe. "Many of the students didn't have a lot of previous experience in building or using the variety of materials, so it was also a bit of an introduction to them to potential high school CTS options, Skills Canada competitions, or even future careers in the trades."

Skills Exploration Days is designed to support Alberta Education's Career and Technology Foundations (CTF) program of study, and to inspire junior high students to discover skills and interests in trade and technology careers. Cosmetology teacher Amanda High, who has extensive experience with coaching award-winning Skills Canada Alberta students, felt this Skills Challenge would be a great fit for F.P. Walshe students and registered the school.

It combines everything Livingstone Range School Division and F.P. Walshe stands for," says High, "as it combines not only curriculum and problem solving but team building, creativity, skill development, place based learning and research, as well as cross-curricular development all while giving students real world, hands-on experience in various career pathways."

Students took inspiration from their local context, including video games and indigenous culture. One student said she liked the hands-on experience of learning to use a jigsaw, sander, and handsaw to work with her partner on their tipi.

"The engagement and buy-in from the students was easy to see and they did a really good job both designing and building their structures," says Paskal.

The Challenge is certainly a positive opportunity for students. "It is a real world scenario that students can study and apply to their learning and can see how that relates to the curriculum so it makes sense to them," says High. "It's something we hope students remember and find meaningful to their learning journey. We hope that it will become an annual event our students do each year."