Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v4 - JHS 1

Lesson Video

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Performance objectives

• Define what a structure is.
• Identify different types of structures.
• Describe the main uses of structures in construction.
• Discuss common causes of structural failures.

Lesson summary

Welcome, learners! Look around you. You are sitting in a classroom, which is inside a school building. You are sitting on a chair at a desk. When you go home, you will likely cross a gutter using a small bridge or slab of concrete. All these things—the building, the chair, the bridge—are called structures. Structures are everywhere in our lives, from the mighty Adomi Bridge to the simple wooden bench under a mango tree. In this lesson, we will learn why we build these structures and the important jobs they do for us in our communities. Understanding this is the first step to becoming great designers, engineers, and builders in the future.

Lesson notes

This section breaks down the essential ideas for our topic. What is a Structure?

A structure is anything that is built or put together in a particular way to support a load, span a distance, or protect something. Think of it as an object made of different parts joined together to do a specific job, usually related to holding weight or keeping a shape. Example: Your body's skeleton is a natural structure. The bones are joined together to support your body and allow you to stand and move. Man-made Example: A simple wooden chair is a structure. Its legs, seat, and back are joined together to support the weight of a person sitting on it. What is Construction? Construction is the process of building, assembling, or creating structures. People who do this work are called masons, carpenters, welders, and engineers. The Main Uses of Structures in Construction

We don't build structures for fun; they all have a purpose or a 'use'. Here are the main reasons why we build structures: To Provide Shelter and Containment

This is one of the most common uses. Structures are built to protect us, animals, or items from the weather (rain, sun, wind) and to hold or keep things in one place. Shelter (Protection): Explanation: A house protects your family from the rain and the hot sun. A school building provides shelter for learners and teachers to learn comfortably. A church or mosque provides shelter for worshippers. Ghanaian Examples: A family's compound house in Accra. A traditional round hut with a thatched roof in a village in the Northern Region. The stalls at Makola or Kejetia Market that protect sellers and their goods. Containment (Holding things): Explanation: Some structures are designed like containers to hold liquids, gases, or large quantities of materials. Ghanaian Examples: A polytank (plastic water tank) used to store water for a household. A silo used to store cocoa beans or maize. The massive wall of the Akosombo Dam which contains the entire Volta Lake. To Support or Carry Loads

Evaluation guide

• B7.4.1.1
• Demonstrate
• understanding of
• structures in