STEM learning at BHHS
by Mr Greg Breese, Assistant Principal
Box Hill High School
Our STEM programs are undergoing a revitalisation, with a lot of exciting and innovative programs being introduced. We introduced a new Year 10 Systems Engineering elective this year. In this subject, students have been learning about electrical and mechanical systems, design thinking and ethical design. One of the projects that students learn through is a twin design challenge - design a mechanical arm that can pick up a block and design a block that can’t be picked up by other team’s mechanical arms.
Banner image above: Aardarsh controlling his robot arm with a PS2 controller. Below are Zing and Hina completing their robot and setting it up with electromagnets.
Next year, the school is reintroducing VCE Units 1 & 2 Systems Engineering, with a full class of Year 11 students. The subject was in very high demand, and students wishing to study it in Year 10 will need to wait till Year 11.
The solar car program has been a staple extra-curricular program at BHHS since the early 2000’s. We will be introducing a new program based on robot soccer. This soccer-bot program will utilise a modern microcontroller and 3d printing. Students will be able to engage in a range of design challenges as they develop their skills.
Rich Maths tasks
Open-ended mathematics tasks benefit students by promoting deeper understanding, problem-solving and critical thinking skills. They are often naturally differentiated, with students being able to engage with the task at different levels of sophistication. Developing communication skills is crucial for mathematicians and these tasks generally require students to explain both their solutions and reasoning. A sample rich task is shown below.
Cut The Cake
A square cake with a corner missing can be cut into 7 unequally sized pieces with 3 cuts, following the gridlines. None of the cuts cross themselves, and each crosses the other cuts exactly once.
Following these rules, see if you can cut the cake into 7 equally sized pieces.
There are two possible solutions to this problem. Have fun and see if you can find them both!
Stretch goal: How do you know these are the only two possible solutions?
(MAV Prime Magazine, Edition 22, Term 1 2007)