We’ve just received some troubling news! The city’s carrier pigeons have fallen ill with a rare disease! But don’t you worry, with a bit of rest, they will all make a full recovery. The real concern now is who will step in during their absence? There are hundreds of people eagerly awaiting messages transported by these pigeons, so we must find a solution soon! 

This is the problem students must solve in the 2024 Junior Tech Challenge, Take Off!

YEARLY CHALLENGE

Réseau Technoscience, along with its collaborators, offer a yearly Science & Technology Learning and Evaluation Situation (LES) for all elementary students in Quebec. The yearly Défi apprenti génie, has been translated into the English Junior Tech Challenge by LEARN, and is available for Cycle 3 Intensive ESL students, and Cycles 2 and 3 ELA (English Language Arts) students.

MANY WAYS TO PARTICIPATE

Students and teachers are given options to decide in which way they would like to participate in the challenge. They can use it within the school as an engaging and hands-on class activity.  They can branch out into the community by participating in their school board or school service center competition, or even register for the regional competition which takes place yearly in May. Whichever way they choose, students will have the chance to feel that they’ve engaged in a meaningful, challenging and fun activity!

2024 JUNIOR TECH CHALLENGE

In this year’s challenge, Take Off!, students are invited to construct paper airplanes that must fulfill specific flying criteria. The students will participate in activities that will prepare them to build and test their aircrafts. Each activity consists of simple experiments, using everyday objects, that can be integrated into any classroom.

The LES includes:

  • Progression of Learning for Science and Technology
  •  A section that explains the Science and Technology concepts used in the LES
  •  Three main activities, using everyday materials, where students experiment with the concepts.
  • Activities to help students prepare, test, re-test and reflect on the process used to build their paper airplanes
  • An evaluation grid for Science and Technology
  • Media resources to help understand the scientific concepts
  • Literary suggestions to explore the theme
  • An additional section for Cycle 3 ESL learners
  • A link to register to the Regional Finals in May (optional)

The English version of the 2023-24 Junior Tech Challenge, Take Off! for Cycle 3 ELA and Intensive ESL students is available on both the Réseau technoscience and LEARN websites:

THERE’S MORE!

When you are done with Take Off!, there are 5  other Junior Tech Challenges available in English.  They can be accessed anytime, in this Dropbox on the Réseau technoscience website.  They all include a Teacher’s Guide, a Student Handbook, Rules, and a slideshow, which are updated every year.

(Please note that the only challenge that can be used for the Regional Finals in May is the current one.)

To read an interview about an Intensive ESL teacher whose students have participated in the challenge several times, read Junior Tech Challenge: A Science and Technology LES for Intensive ESL Students.



Elizabeth Alloul 
Pedagogical Consultant
ESL Special Project, LEARN