Stem

STEM Term 4 Overview

Grade Prep – 2

In term 4, students participated in several design challenges that strengthened their creativity and problem-solving skills. Students began by building Lego houses, experimenting with structure and stability. They then moved on to the tallest paper tower challenge, where they tested different shapes and building techniques to create the strongest, tallest structure possible.

Students also designed their own watches, focusing on user needs, comfort, and appearance. For the major project, students worked with a partner to create an original board game, developing rules, designing game pieces, and testing their game for clarity and fairness.

Throughout all projects, students demonstrated persistence, collaboration, and growing confidence in using the design process to bring their ideas to life.

Grade 3/4

This term, students explored engineering and design thinking by creating Lego attachments that allowed a Dash robot to draw. Students began by learning how Dash moves through Puzzles on the Blockly App. They then brainstormed ideas, sketched possible designs, and selected materials that could securely hold a marker or colour pencil while still allowing Dash to move freely.

Throughout the project, students tested their prototypes and made adjustments when they noticed issues such as unstable attachments, markers dragging too lightly/heavily, or uneven lines. These challenges encouraged students to think critically, measure carefully, and refine their designs. As they improved their prototypes, students strengthened their problem-solving and collaboration skills.

By the end of the term, students successfully created functional drawings and designed an algorithm using the Blockly App, which allowed Dash to create markings and simple shapes. They demonstrated creativity, persistence, and an increasing understanding of how design and engineering work together. This project gave students a hands-on opportunity to apply STEM concepts in a fun and meaningful way.

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(Photos: Keesanth, Abu, Cole)

Grade 4-6

This term, students showed strong growth in their understanding of circuits and design thinking through the Makey Makey game controller project. Students learned how conductivity, grounding, and simple circuits can be used creatively, even with everyday materials.

Students followed the full design process: empathising, defining, sketching, ideating prototyping, and testing. During the empathy stage, we discussed how people with disabilities have unique challenges and brainstormed ways we could design a controller which would be inclusive for everyone. They experimented with different materials and layouts, making improvements based on what worked and what didn’t. When challenges arose, students demonstrated resilience and used troubleshooting strategies to refine their controllers.

By the end of the project, students successfully built functioning controllers and gained confidence in their ability to design, problem-solve, and iterate. This project provided a meaningful mix of creativity and engineering skills, and students demonstrated pride in their final results.

 (Photos: Jeannette, Lia, Shahram, Mason, Ethan. A and Jackson)