STEAM News
Foundation
Our Foundation students have been excitedly stepping into the world of science! They were introduced to the various tools scientists use and, in the STEAM room, wore safety goggles, explored objects with magnifying glasses, tried on lab coats and learned the special names for equipment such as beakers. Students also enjoyed listening to the story Ada Twist, Scientist, which inspired wonderful conversations about curiosity and asking questions. They had great fun creating paper cut-out scientists that resembled themselves!
Foundation students have also begun learning about the different materials objects are made from. To launch this learning, they designed and made their own binoculars and used them to search the STEAM classroom for items made of wood, plastic, metal and other materials. What a fantastic start to their scientific journey!
Year 1/2
Last week our Year 1/2 students have been busy exploring mixtures in STEAM! They investigated how some substances mix while others do not. Students combined coloured food dye with water and observed how the colour spread and blended completely. They then experimented with oil and water, discovering that these liquids do not mix and instead separate into layers. Through hands-on investigations, students are developing their understanding of how different materials behave when combined. This week Year 1/2 students had a wonderful time creating rainbow milk! As they added liquid detergent to the milk, they discovered that the detergent “gobbles up” the fat in the milk, creating a colourful chasing effect as the food colouring moved and swirled. It was a fun and engaging way to explore how different substances interact.
Year 3/4
In Year 3/4, students have been investigating the properties of materials. Last week, they tested the tensile strength of greaseproof paper, newspaper and paper towel. Using clothes pegs as their testing tool, they observed which material could withstand the most force before tearing, helping them understand how materials are suited to different purposes.
Year 5/6
Year 5/6 students have been investigating evaporation as a reversible change in our STEAM lessons. They created a saltwater solution by mixing salt and water, carefully observing how the salt dissolved to form a mixture. Over the course of a week, students monitored their samples and watched as the water slowly evaporated. As the liquid disappeared, beautiful salt crystals began to form, clearly showing that although the water changed state, the salt could be recovered. This hands-on experiment helped students understand how some changes in matter can be reversed and connected their learning to real-world processes such as salt farming in South Australia.
Regards,
Dorothy Markou
STEAM Specialist