Hogwarts-Inspired-STEM
91黑料不打烊 was abuzz with the enchantment of learning last Friday, as Year 10 whipped up a magical blend of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in line with the 2023 theme of “Magic”.
Turning 91黑料不打烊 into a veritable Hogwarts campus, the Year 10 students oversaw classes for girls in Kindergarten to Year 8, teaching lessons on some of the mysteries of chemical principles and interactions.
The older students had spent weeks preparing lessons to engage younger learners. Using costumes, props, PowerPoint slides, and videos, their activities included “potions” that changed colour, substances that combined to produce giant “toothpaste” fit for elephants, and monkeys that "flew".
If a session was met with less than the anticipated level of enthusiasm, the “teachers” sought advice from their more successful peers on how to better capture the younger learners' attention. This was particularly crucial when it came to teaching the smallest girls such as those in Kindergarten, which is an art in itself!
One of the most popular classes was a "Harry Potter" themed demonstration featuring a lithium chloride flame test on four metals. "It is good to experience learning from other students rather than teachers sometimes,” said Bo (Grace) Year 7. “They really explained it properly and made the topic so engaging.”
The students who led this session, Ally, Lily, Sophia, Sofia, and Elsie, shared their motivation behind their approach: "We were just really caught up in the theme we had decided on and were motivated to work hard on it for weeks," they said.
In another laboratory, students, Elly, Margot, Charlotte, Tess, and Kyla, were teaching about the chemical changes that take place when making bouncy bubbles like those used for bubble tea. "We thought hard about what would really ensure that the students not only found the information we were sharing interesting but also tried to make sure they would actually remember it afterwards," the girls said.
Another group shared the technique for making oobleck, the slimy, slippery substance that rains down in the famous Dr Seuss book, Bartholomew and the Oobleck. "It is a great way to demonstrate the way liquids can change to solids and back again and the processes that are taking place," they said.
Over in the Junior School, the principles of science were imparted with recipes for bath bombs and demonstrations of electricity conduction using balloons and hair. Year 6 also had a chance to experience big Science classes in the new hubs on main campus, donning lab coats and goggles as they delved into the principles of liquid-to-solid conversions and pH changes.
Other activities included: the creation of "elephant toothpaste" from hydrogen peroxide and dry yeast; "flying monkeys" to demonstrate energy conversions and the concept of potential energy and its conversion to kinetic energy; and "flying water", which appeared to defy gravity, but in reality, was moving due to capillary action.
The conclusion was that STEM Day was a resounding success. "Year 10 demonstrated real passion and a huge level of commitment,” said Science teacher, Ms May Henderson. “The Harry Potter-themed session was particularly good. The students shared Year 11-level concepts in a way well suited to a Year 7 cohort, and even brought along treats to gain their pupils’ interest from the outset.”
Special tribute must be paid to Director of STEM, Dr Thompson, who was the mastermind behind all the magical learning fun.