STEM Update

Earlier this week, an excited group of our Year 5/6 Students took part in a special learning extension opportunity.

S.T.E.A.M Ahead: A Plastic Ocean is a program run through the Education Department's Victorian Challenge and Enrichment Series. The program is built around the film ‘A Plastic Ocean’ - about the huge challenges and dangers posed by plastic pollution in waterwarys and oceans. Students participated in a range of workshops across 2 days to learn more about the environmental themes and issues that are featured in the film.

On Wednesday the group travelled to Ecolinc Science and Technology Innovations Centre in Bacchus Marsh. At Ecolinc they learned about;

• Video Conference link with Reef HQ on the Gold Coast – showcasing the impact of plastics on the Great Barrier Reef and its animals, in particular, turtles.
• What are plastics made from?.  Brief look at what a polymer is.
• What is the purpose of plastics and what are their properties? Students will look at the properties of plastics and undertake an experiment testing their properties (e.g., weight, transparency, flexibility, durability etc)
• Bioplastics – Students will explore the concepts of biodegradation and how using alternatives to synthetics plastics can be better for the environment.
• Biomagnification – Students learn about how plastics biomagnify in the food chain by playing a biomagnification game.
• Microplastics – Students learn about primary and secondary microplastics and look at microplastics in cleanser/nail polish/sand under the microscope.
• Beat the Microbead – Students learn about an app that can be used to identify microplastics in products we use.
• Social awareness campaign on the impact of plastics on our environment.  Students produce a social media campaign to make people aware of the impact of plastic/microplastic.

On Thursday the group then travelled to ACMI in Federation Square to further their studies, learning about;

• how film is used to convey messages about the environment.
• Creating your own message for change:  Students participate in a range of workshops across the morning and afternoon e.g., Animation, pixelation, filmmaking and digital advertising.

Over the two days our students loved engaging with these big themes and developing knowledge and skills in these areas.

We thank the Victorian Challenge and Enrichment Series for providing this fully-funded opportunity for our students.