Mission Moon for STEM Day
91黑料不打烊 enjoyed an incredible day of interdisciplinary learning on Thursday, with students from K to 10 using their ‘big picture thinking’ to make the most of STEM Day 2019.
For Middle School students, the day centred around the theme of Science Week 2019: Mission Moon. Different disciplines and subject areas organised lots of fun, space-themed activities. There were also some special guests, including a team from the University of Newcastle's Science and Engineering SMART Program, and Mathematician and educator, Dr Randell Hayman.
The PDHPE Department ran a fantastic training activity in the Undercroft based on the daily exercise routine of the astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS), teaching students why exercise is so important in space. The weightless demands of microgravity mean that on average, astronauts must exercise for at least two hours each day to protect themselves from muscle wastage and loss of bone density, and to prepare them for the endless variety of physical operations, tasks and experiments they must perform.
Students performed different drills to improve their cardio fitness and strength, as well as exercises to improve their balance, agility and coordination, so that as astronauts, they were prepared for spacewalks outside the ISS to repair broken parts or conduct research.
Over in ‘The Escape Room’, Mr Gove and Ms Chen ran a very exciting Astronaut Training Centre. Year 7 students had to solve eight problems, all based around the planets of the Solar System, in order to be accepted as an astronaut and escape The Escape Room!
In the Hall, Middle School students got to grips with the physics of force, experimenting with catapults (built by Year 12 students) to hurl projectiles at various targets. They learned about tension, torsion and gravity, and used their mathematical skills to calculate accuracy and precision.
Down in the Big Gym, there was a mobile planetarium, rather like a giant igloo. Students had to take off their shoes to crawl through a tunnel where they were treated to an engaging visual workshop on the wonders of our solar system and discovered a galaxy of interesting facts about planetary exploration, gravity, forces and outer space.
Undoubtedly, one of the most exciting activities was looking through the Scanning Electron Microscope and getting to grips with the Scale of Things. The microscope was so powerful that students were able to see a tiny mite on the leg of an ant!
Our Kindergarten to Year 5 students also participated in a series of STEM-related activities and workshops throughout the day, all based around the different branches of Science that had been carefully designed and implemented by our Year 10 Science students.
Over in Hooke House, students conducted experiments to test chemical reactions. This included pouring different quantities of baking soda and vinegar into bottles and stretching balloons over the top to make them inflate.
They made bombs using Mentos and Coke.
They tested out parachutes, paper planes and bubbles.
They tested viscosity on a sheet and measured the buoyancy of different objects by dropping them into water.
So many different experiments! So much fun! So much learning!
Year 5 had a chance to demonstrate their critical thinking and problem-solving abilities by showing the Year 10 students how to code with Spheros. They spent Term 3 pondering the question of how the Earth compares to the other planets in the Solar System and coding Spheros to work out how each planet orbits around the Sun. This was a great opportunity for them to showcase last term’s inquiry-based learning and teach the Year 10 students some coding skills in the process.
For Middle School students, the day culminated in the Best of Smart Science show, which they found incredibly cool - 196 degrees below freezing to be precise! This hugely interactive, fun and entertaining show utilised Liquid Nitrogen to explore physics, chemistry and states of matter in an engaging way.
What a fantastic day of learning for everyone! Well done to all our Year 10 Science students who stepped up to the plate and led learning activities across the Junior School with confidence, flair and intelligence.
A huge thank you to Director of STEM, Dr Alisha Thompson and Head of Science, Mrs Sandra Woodward who organised the day’s activities, as well as all the other teachers and special guests who helped to make the day so engaging and fun for our students.