STEM
Sensational STEM
- Science Technology Engineering Mathematics -
Congratulations to our MPS students on completing their first year of the new specialist STEM program– a year full of enquiry, inspiration and discovery. Our focus this term has been on the ‘E’ in STEM, with students engaging in Engineering and Design Technology challenges. Here is a summary of their achievements.
Preps used their knowledge of simple machines (i.e. levers & ramps) to plan, design, construct and test their own marble runs. The final designs were cool and creative, showcasing their imagination and innovation. They finished the unit with a marble race, with students predicting which cup their marble would end up in.
Year 1 students studied the science of strong shapes to design garden frames for their new veggie patch. By testing the strength of 3D paper shapes with books and coins, they discovered that triangles are a very strong shape, and they worked together to construct and install the triangular frames. The unit culminated with students planting a variety of delicious veggies, fruit and herbs in their gardens and they can reap the fruits of what they’ve sowed during the summer holidays! Yum!
The Year 2’s used the Dr Seuss book ‘Ten Apples up on Top’ as inspiration to design and construct a bridge to support the weight of 10 apples with a combined weight of 1kg. Students learnt about strong shapes including triangles and columns and were only given limited materials to encourage their creativity and problem-solving skills. Their designs were elegant and effective (more masking tape wasn’t always the answer!) and they all managed to get ten apples up on top!
Year 3 students explored space and designed a rocket or rover to travel to planets and moons in our Solar System. They finished this unit with a blast (literally!), conducting an experiment to predict which of three types of ‘fuel’ would launch a rocket the highest. Students tested three ‘fuels’: 1) vinegar & baking soda, 2) aspro & water, and 3) coke & mentos. They discovered that coke and mentos was a bit of a fizzer, since it was a physical reaction not a chemical reaction, so did not produce enough gas, launching the rocket a mere 20cm, compared with the winning rocket (aspro and water) which blasted the rocket a spectacular 6 metres high!.
Year 4 students used their understanding of forces to design balloon-powered or rubber-band powered cars. They worked with limited materials to construct a car that could move with the force of air or elastic potential energy. They tested their cars and made modifications to improve the speed and distance. At the end of the unit students had great fun racing their cars against each other to find out which design went the furthest – the balloon cars were the winners!
The Year 5’s investigated space this semester and used the 3D computer program TinkerCad to design a spacecraft. They researched environments on other planets and moons, designing their spacecraft to withstand these extreme conditions. They also finished with a rocket launching experiment, comparing three types of ‘fuels’ (1. vinegar & baking soda, 2. aspro & water, 3. coke & mentos – the internet favourite), predicting which one would launch the rocket the highest. They discovered that not everything on the internet is underpinned by science, as the coke and mentos failed to live up to expectations, launching the rocket just a few centimetres (being a physical reaction) compared to the aspro and water (a chemical reaction producing lots of gas) which launched the rocket several metres high!
The Year 6’s investigated energy systems through an inquiry-based project researching how different forms of primary energy can be converted into electricity. The students worked collaboratively, researching the global distribution and usage of different forms of primary energy, both renewable and non-renewable, and considered the environmental, economic, social and ethical issues of each of the energy sources. They presented their projects to the class and received peer-feedback in preparation for project-based work next year in high school.
Dr Steph Spincer - STEM Specialist