Pre-planning
Over the Christmas break Steve drafted the unit, and when school went back, met with the other teachers for their input. They agreed to keep things simple, and as safe and fun as possible. A race date was set towards the end of the year, on which all the students would get together and test their luges in one massive drive-off. Race day provided an event horizon for everybody, students and teachers alike.
Some stipulations were set for the students. "We wanted to make it safe, so the best way to do that was to make them go feet first, which is in the world governing rules anyway, and we decided to limit wheel size. That also made it more achievable for the students because they could go and buy a set of skateboard wheels and didn't have to spend a whole lot of money. There were lots of second hand skateboards around."
Furthermore, the luges had to be built in the school workshops without any specialist help. Seeking advice was encouraged but hands-on help was off-limits.
The students also had to visit the luge site in Hamilton before they could start their project. "That was part of the deal. There were problems with some students who lived out of town. But, hey, these parents take them to rugby on a Saturday morning without any hassles. We gave them a couple of weeks to go andlook at the track and take photos for their folders, which they used to help base their decisions on."
