To update you on a previous post, the Meccano models were a great success. It wasn’t just the experience of making something that they normally wouldn’t (Meccano was in mine and all my friend’s homes when I was a kid), there were so many more positive aspects to this activity. The students had their partners picked for them, each ending up with a partner of the opposite sex. From this they gained a greater appreciation of the equality of our talents and skills. They used oral and physical cooperation skills throughout the activity and they learnt to read technical instructions and refer to parts lists. They also learnt to solve problems, sometimes having to undo their work to correct an earlier mistake. Finally, students have to take apart their model and carry out an inventory of all the parts to make sure we have everything. This is an activity I love including in the school year and is certainly one I’ll continue.