Science Technology Engineering and Maths
As we head towards the end of Term 3, students have spent the past fortnight putting their creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving skills to the test!
Across different STEM challenges, students have been encouraged to look at problems from different perspectives, think in different dimensions and visualise possible solutions before bringing their ideas to life. A big focus has been on understanding that in STEM, there is rarely just one correct solution, sometimes you need to experiment, make mistakes, rethink your approach and try something completely different.
Week 10 – STEM Challenge Week
To finish the term, students have also been experimenting with a range of mini STEM challenges and experiences. Depending on their year level, students have tackled LEGO Build Challenge Cards, programmed Sphero robots to complete coding challenges, designed and constructed different ramps and explored new digital applications.
Some students have even taken on the role of our STEM testers, trialling new applications and providing feedback about what they enjoyed, what could be improved and how we might use these tools in future STEM learning.
Foundation & Year 1
Our Foundation/Year 1 STEM learners have been given a selection of materials and a simple challenge: What can you create?
Students have been using their imaginations to transform a set collection of materials into their own creations. Along the way, they have been practising planning, building, problem-solving and explaining the thinking behind what they have made.
Year 2
Year 2 students have continued designing their creations aimed at supporting a more sustainable future.
Students have been thinking about environmental problems and how the things we design can help create positive change. They have worked through the design process to develop ideas and consider how their solutions could help people and the environment.
Year 3
Year 3 have wrapped up their investigation into conductors and insulators.
Throughout the unit, students experimented with different materials to determine which allowed electricity and heat to flow through and which acted as insulators. Their investigations encouraged them to make predictions, test their thinking and use evidence from their results to explain what they discovered.
Year 4
During Week 9, Year 4 continued their Sustainable Transport Challenge, where students were tasked with designing and creating a method of transportation with sustainability in mind.
Students needed to think beyond simply making something that could move. They considered their original designs, the materials they used and how transportation could be designed differently to reduce its impact on our environment.
Year 5
Year 5 students during Week 9 compared two different 3D design platforms: TinkerCAD and Makers Empire.
After having the opportunity to explore both applications, students compared and contrasted their features, tools and ease of use. The challenge was not simply to choose which one they preferred; students needed to justify their opinion using evidence from their experiences.
This has given students an opportunity to think more critically about the digital tools they use and recognise that different applications can be better suited to different purposes.
Year 6
Year 6 finished the term by continuing to explore their digital footprint and how the choices they make online can contribute to the information that exists about them.
Students considered how posts, comments, searches and other online interactions can contribute to a digital footprint. The focus has been on helping students recognise that their actions online can have an impact and encouraging them to make thoughtful and responsible choices when using digital technologies.
