National Science Week: Game Changers & Change Makers

Wow, what a massive week Science Week turned out to be! This year was the first time our school has hosted a community after school STEAM Fair and it was sensational to have so many people come along to learn and play.  This event celebrated "Game Changers and Change Makers" and showcased some of the wonderful STEM/STEAM projects our students have been working on. 

We were lucky enough to receive generous funding through the Australian Science Teachers Association (ASTA) school grants for Science week; without this support we would not have been able to have as many interactive activities for our families to get involved in.

The day started early with some student representatitives invited to talk on live radio about what Science Week means to them. The students handled the pressure of live interviewing well and I was so proud of them. For part of the interview they were asked what they liked the most about Science:

"I like the hands-on part of learning, getting to put things together to make something, building, creating ... We started making a game for younger kids. We've animated a fridge and it's got to run around and collect the good food and not collect the bad food." - William

"I love Science because you get to do things that you normally wouldn't get to do if you were just at home, and you get to do things that are different and really fun. You get to do hands-on learning and it's not just sitting back to watch, you get to play with it as well." - Edie

"I love STEM and STEAM because you get to do hands on stuff instead of just normal school, you get to make stuff." - Georginia

"I really love Science because you get to step out of your comfort zone and you get to help the world with the real life issues, and as everyone has said the hands-on learning is really the best part." - Bella

It's not every day a Makey-Makey appears on live radio!

After school we had our STEAM Fair, which was open to the wider school community with the aim of promoting the value of hands-on learning activities and inquiry-based learning. It was amazing to have so many families (and people from the broader community) come along to get a first-hand glimpse at the technology and activities that our students are engaging with in their classrooms.

This term we have had the opportunity to borrow Spheros from CSER Digital Technologies Lending Library, and they were certainly a hit at the fair! Here are a few snaps of some Sphero soccer fun:

We also had plenty of buzzing around the Bee Bots we had borrowed from Launceston NGN STEAM Room, and our Ozobot towns and tracks. Some students had created straw mazes and simple arcade games out of recyled materials, which people enjoyed testing:

 

Year 3s used their visual art skills to share "Inventions that were Game Changers and Change Makers":

There were Makey-Makey arcade games to play, and we also had a few interesting game controllers to test out! Rain clouds in a jar was one of the simple science experiments we had set up to explore:

Here's a slide with other simple STEAM activities we had set up for people to enjoy:


By the end of the day I'd clocked up a fair few steps on my fitbit ... I wonder if I can beat it next year!

For more Science Week fun see National Science Week - Part 2

STEM Student Workshop with business mentors

Some very exciting things happening in the world of STEM at our school! Yesterday our students participated in a STEM workshop developed by the ABCN (Australian Business and Community Network) and NBN CO (National Broadband Network). In the afternoon, ABCN delivered a parent seminar to our school community. Following on from the workshop our students will be involved in an Australia-wide competition: The Futurists' Fair.

Students working together to play Pacman with a Makey Makey Invention Kit

First, some background info: ABCN partners business with education through structured programs, which involve corporate volunteers mentoring students. Their focus is to improve the opportunities and outcomes for students and schools most in need. "Every year we work with over 200 public schools across Australia to deliver a range of critical employability, leadership and skill-building mentoring programs. These schools are typically priority-funded and located in low socio-economic status (SES) communities."

Our NBN Co. mentor telling us about his work and passion for STEM education

"In partnership with the National Broadband Network, ABCN has developed the STEM+X workshop to highlight the importance of STEM in everyday life... Underlying the workshop will be a focus on STEM+X - with the 'X' representing the children's passions and interests. NBN CO and ABCN believe all Australian children, regardless of their economic, religious and cultural backgrounds should be encouraged to enjoy STEM. STEM will be integral to their future employability and enjoyment of the world around them."

Yesterday was our program launch and 30 of our Year 5/6 students participated in a STEM workshop. Throughout the day we also had media visit us. Students were very excited the next day when they'd seen themselves on a local news station and heard their radio interview!

The first part of the workshop involved students in a one minute brainstorm of the many uses of a paperclip. Some ideas included mini kebab holder, belt clip and fishing hook.  A few too many students had ideas about opening locks and using it as a vandalism/graffiti tool! They then had another minute to come up with all of the ways you couldn't use a paperclip. Some of their ideas: You can't fly with it, can't use it as shelter from rain, can't drive it and can't use it as underwear.

Students then had their first experience with a Makey Makey invention kit. With a Makey Makey, students can make any conductive material act as the input device for a computer.

Students then worked together in teams using the design thinking process. Their challenge was to design an app that would improve our school.  

 

They then presented their ideas to the rest of the class. Students came up with some wonderful ideas in a short time, and some of them are keen to take their app ideas further!  We had a great day and are all looking forward to starting our work on the Futurists' Fair project.