News

Summer may be almost over but that doesn’t mean it’s time to stop having fun. Quite the opposite, actually! New school year, new classes, new subjects and maybe even new schools and colleges. Whatever it is you’re beginning, enjoy!

Here at Smallpeice, we’re almost ready to share with you our new and improved Powered Glider Think Kit! That’s right, powered as in it has a motor to help your glider fly even further than before and we call it a think kit because, well, you do just that! You think about what you’re going to create and you’re given the kit to do so! It’s not quite ready for order, we want it completely perfect before you can get to work on it! However here’s a little preview of what to expect this autumn…

So, what is it? Well, our Powered Glider Think Kit is a kit that includes week by week plans, presentations, and handouts to tell you how to make your glider. It includes all project materials and gives you all the instructions needed in order to construct the glider. You’ll be given guidelines on how the finished product should look but the overall design is down to you! Each of the weekly plans gives around an hour of guidance and suggests what you should be completing each week, in order to have finished your project in a 6-8 week period. (That’s not to say you can’t extend your sessions with further exploration around the subject area.) In addition to the kit, you’ll need a few extra bits like scissors and scales etc. so just check you have access to them before you begin.

Not all schools offer engineering as a subject and not all students get to engage in design and build projects as often as they’d like, if ever. Our Think Kits have been designed with this in mind, meaning anybody can complete them, at any time. Whether they’re developed during school, at an after-school club, at home or in a social club or holiday camp, the step by step instructions and materials mean you can complete it wherever you are and at your own pace.

The kits are designed with Year 8 and 9 in mind, (that’s 12 and 13-year old students), and they have enough resources for up to 20 students. That’s not to say that you can’t get parents, grandparents, teachers, friends or your neighbour’s, cousin’s, Auntie May involved. The subject content complements the National Curriculum in science, technology, engineering and maths which is why we say it is best suited to Year 8 and 9 but it’s up to you who you choose to lead and support your efforts.

The beauty of the Think kit is it can be transported anywhere as long as you have enough room to do so and enough hands to carry your carefully crafted glider! It comes in a nifty little box and then you just have to worry about the precious cargo that is your glider once it starts to take shape.

We’ll be in touch as soon as our Think Kits are ready to buy but in the meantime, keep an eye on our website and schedule in some time for glider racing later this year!