STEM News

Dear fellow scientists,

Prep students are progressing their “In The Cup” design projects while also learning about safe ergonomic practices. They are focusing on the importance of taking regular breaks to avoid eye strain and repetitive strain injuries. This is reinforced by analysing poor ergonomic practices through four instructional videos.

Grade 1 students are applying their understanding of Earth’s resources to design a garden model. Working in groups of three, they sketched a labelled diagram of their garden in their STEM workbook and incorporated natural materials like leaves, rocks, sand, soil, sticks, and grass. 

Grade 2 students are developing their Science Inquiry Skills by responding to the “I wonder” prompt based on six different images. They are also learning to create and interpret a column graph, ensuring they label the x and y axes and include a title.

Grade 3 students are exploring how to use a sundial to tell time. They practiced reading time with a sundial, outlined the steps for setting it up accurately, and used the Book Creator app on an iPad to document and explain the process. Watch this video to make your own sundial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeSexM-wVzA 

Grade 4 students are distinguishing between contact and non- contact forces by creating a mini booklet. They are defining key forces such as friction, gravity, air resistance, and buoyancy, and then sharing their findings with a partner. Watch this video on buoyancy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMlXU97E-uQ 

Grade 5 students are programming a Sphero robot by creating algorithms. They connected the Sphero to an iPad via Bluetooth and used coding blocks in the app to navigate the robot around the room. 

Grade 6 students are designing an animated program using loops to model a geological event on an app called Scratch Jr. They assess other groups’ animations based on set criteria and define the problem their own animation seeks to address.