Tokoname Students Bring STEM to Life at Brighton Secondary College

Tokoname Students Bring STEM to Life at Brighton Secondary College 

In August, Brighton Secondary College was delighted to welcome a group of students from Tokoname, Japan, as part of their visit to our school. Alongside experiencing school life at Brighton Secondary College and connecting with Australian students, the Tokoname students took part in a range of engaging STEM activities designed to challenge their creativity, teamwork and scientific thinking. 

Two STEM challenges proved particularly popular and provided plenty of opportunities for problem-solving, experimentation and collaboration. 

Building the Tallest Marshmallow Tower 

The first challenge put the students’ engineering skills to the test. Working in groups, students were given just 20 sticks of spaghetti, 1 metre of tape and 1 metre of string, with 20 minutes to construct the tallest possible tower. The tower also had to be strong and stable enough to support a marshmallow placed on the top. 

The students approached the challenge with impressive focus and determination. They carefully considered the strength and stability of different structures, tested their ideas and adapted their designs as they worked. Their fabulous cooperation, communication and strategic engineering skills were particularly impressive and certainly belied their ages! 

The activity demonstrated that successful engineering is not simply about building the tallest structure. Students had to balance height, strength, stability, materials and time, while working effectively as a team. 

How Many Drops Can a 5-Cent Coin Hold? 

The second STEM challenge explored the fascinating properties of water through a simple but highly engaging investigation. Students predicted how many drops of water they could place onto a 5-cent coin before the water spilled over the edge. 

They then investigated whether adding a small amount of dishwashing detergent would change the number of drops the coin could hold. 

Students observed, compared and discussed their results while exploring the science behind surface tension. The activity provided a great opportunity to see how a seemingly simple experiment can lead to questions about the properties and behaviour of matter. 

Both challenges encouraged the Tokoname students to think scientifically, communicate their ideas, work collaboratively and learn through hands-on investigation. It was wonderful to see their enthusiasm, curiosity and willingness to embrace each challenge. 

We were thrilled to share these STEM experiences with our Tokoname visitors and hope they enjoyed their time at Brighton Secondary College as much as we enjoyed having them with us! 

Ms Cefai STEM and Science Teacher