STEM News
Dear fellow scientists,
STEM Night is coming to Tarneit Rise Primary School! Join us on Tuesday, 26th August, in the gym from 3:15–4:30pm for an exciting afternoon of hands-on activities and demonstrations. More information and the bottom of this page...
Prep students are learning to sort materials by how they feel and explore why some objects float while others sink. They worked in groups to predict, test, and record their results, discovering which materials were smooth or rough, and which ones floated or sank in water. Read this book on does it sink or float: https://www.getepic.com/app/read/10653
Grade 1 students are identifying the strength of force needed for different actions. They explored what happens with gentle pushes and strong pushes and discussed how different strengths of force can change the way objects move. They also learnt about pendulums – a simple device made of a weight hanging from a string or rod that swings back and forth. Read this book on forces: https://www.getepic.com/app/read/59828
Grade 2 students are learning to represent the life cycle of a butterfly. They drew and labelled each stage — egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and butterfly — and arranged them in a circle to show how the cycle continues.
Grade 3 students are classifying animals based on their features. They explored the differences between vertebrates and invertebrates, identified key animal features, and sorted animals into groups using these characteristics. Watch this video on vertebrates and invertebrates with Dr. Binocs. Vertebrates: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R50Xc1EUHwg Invertebrates: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sr_T4skBYNo
Grade 4 students are representing the life cycle of a flowering plant and graph the time taken for each stage. They drew and labelled the stages of a plant’s life cycle, created bar graphs to show stage times, and used checklists to ensure all graph features were included. Watch this video on the seed apple tree life cycle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQ7l40Y2zAU.
Grade 4 students also participated in an incursion with Ecolinc, where they defined what a life cycle is and explored the life cycles of a frog, insect, and reptile. They observed a leaf insect, frog, and lizard, discussed how their life cycles are similar and different, and sequenced the stages of an amphibian’s life cycle.
Grade 5 students are learning to represent how particles change in solids, liquids, and gases when the temperature changes. They drew particle arrangements for each state, labelled the phase changes, and explained how the movement of particles changes as materials heat up or cool down. Watch this video on: phase changes: https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/phases-of-matter-phase-changes-animation/unc-tv-science/
Grade 6 students have been learning to identify different types of extreme weather. They took notes in their STEM books, used full sentences and evidence to answer questions, and explored the impacts and characteristics of extreme weather events to help identify them. Watch this video on extreme weather: https://www.clickview.net/primary/videos/34597058/extreme-weather?referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F
STEM Night - Tuesday, 26th August, in the gym from 3:15–4:30pm
Students and teachers will be showcasing STEM experiments and interactive displays — a fantastic opportunity for families to celebrate learning together. We’d love to see everyone there!
Some of our amazing science/STEM activities on the expo night will include: ~ Fossil making ~ Magnets ~ Lego discovery~ Paper plane competition ~ Spiny leaf insects ~ Green Screen ~ Star constellation viewer ~ Family Trivia (scan QR code) ~ Bee bots/ Blue bots ~ Playdough demonstration and many more on the night.
National Science week will be held in Australia from Saturday the 9th of August until Sunday the 17th of August 2025.
National Science Week provides an opportunity to acknowledge the contributions of Australian scientists to the world of knowledge. It also aims to encourage an interest in science pursuits among the public, and to encourage younger people to be fascinated by the world we live in. The theme for National Science Week is "Decoding the Universe". To celebrate this special week, we will be inviting students and their families to participate in a science competition.
There are two different competitions for Tarneit Rise families to participate in, and families can enter both competitions if they wish. All competition close at 12 midnight on the 16th of August. Winners will be announced at STEM night. Competition details are below:
Spacecraft Building Competition!
Prep, Grade 1, and Grade 2 students can blast off into creativity with a spacecraft building competition! Using only recycled materials, students are challenged to design and construct their own unique spacecraft. The competition encourages imagination, teamwork, and sustainable thinking as they create models ready to explore the universe. We can’t wait to see their amazing designs take flight! There will be one winner from each year level. You must use recycled materials, NO Lego buildings. Take a photo of your design and upload it to the following link:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1kSxuTzkjCoXYFznufi8rQJL_7Y8z2GaD?usp=sharing
Please name your photo (file) with the student’s name and grade or write their name and grade on their work.
Blast Off Into Creativity – Space Comic Competition!
Grades 3, 4, 5, and 6 are taking part in an exciting Science Competition where they are challenged to create their very own space-themed comic book. Combining science knowledge with creativity, students can write stories about space travel, planets, astronauts, and beyond! This competition encourages them to explore scientific ideas about space while showcasing their artistic talents through illustrations and storytelling. We can’t wait to see their imaginative comics and the incredible adventures they dream up among the stars! You can use a book creator app or you can hand draw your comic book.
There will be one winner from each year level.
Take a photo of your comic book and upload it to the following link:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1kSxuTzkjCoXYFznufi8rQJL_7Y8z2GaD?usp=sharing
Please name your photo (file) with the student’s name and grade or write their name and grade on their work. Make sure your comic book does not involve violence, weapons or offensive themes.
