STEAM

STEAM Program Guest Speaker

We were delighted to welcome Lou Ridsdale, Founder and Director of Food Is Free Inc. as a guest speaker for our year 7 STEAM program on the 23rd April. This incursion was designed to complement their learning from term 1 during a unit titled ‘See Me Grow’, during which students learned about soil and how to test that it is healthy using scientific methods. Additionally, they learned about pollinating insects and applied their creativity to design and build ceramic vessels appropriate for use as plant pots, with the intention of combining their learning to produce plant pets.

Ridsdale’s wonderful presentation added depth to their learning by supporting students in determining the health of plants and soil in our school’s garden beds through a range of hands-on and observation strategies. She also supported the class in considering how their learning can be used to support the broader community and encouraged them to consider the ethical dimensions to growing food. Discussions from the day have lead to the formation of a ‘Soil Health Team’ – a group of volunteer STEAM students who will produce some natural fermenting fertilizer using weeds from the school grounds, to revitalize the soil in the Hands on Learning Garden beds. 

Siobhan Finn

STEAM Leader 

To learn more about Food Is Free Inc. visit https://www.foodisfree.com.au/