STEM

This year in STEM our exciting new curriculum has engaged our students from all year levels. Students use the latest technology to problem solve real world challenges in the classroom.

With assessments mapped against the Victorian Curriculum ‘Critical and Creative Thinking’ students learn to generate and evaluate knowledge, clarify concepts and ideas, seek possibilities, consider alternatives and solve problems. Critical and creative thinking involves students thinking broadly and deeply using skills, behaviors and dispositions such as reason, logic, resourcefulness, imagination and innovation in all areas at school and their lives beyond school. Thinking that is productive, purposeful and intentional is at the centre of our STEM learning at Ballarat High School. 

YEAR 7/8 STEM - SMART CITIES 

Learners work in teams to collaboratively define, investigate and compare the world's smartest cities. Students must justify their statements in evidence and present to the class in a google slide format. Cozmo Robots and Microbit controllers are used to facilitate and engage students in coding and programming. These skills are then utilised in the creation and production of their own ‘Smart City’.

YEAR 9 - STEM Electives

In year 9 there are currently three developed STEM elective units for learners to select:

Rocket Wars that use solid state engines that launch student designed rockets high into the sky with flight data including speed, altitude and flight path all bluetoothed directly to student ipads via wireless altimeter. This data is collated and then critically analyzed for design modification before a second launch.  

CO2 Dragsters where the challenge is to investigate and develop a car that travels the 20 meter track at a pre-specified time, the current record stands at 0.888 seconds for the 20 meters! Students test, tune and evaluate car performance modifying design elements to improve performance. Major contributing factors relate to aerodynamics, power to weight ratios and friction coefficients.

Lighting Design is a fantastic unit where students get to unleash their imagination to recycle/upcycle everyday items making use of the latest production technologies including our Laser Cutter 3D printers creating unique one of a kind lamps.

Steve White

STEM