STEM – it’s the new buzz word in education – heard of it?
STEM education and training covers the specific knowledge and skills found in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics disciplines. It also covers the interrelationship between these areas, allowing learning to be delivered in an integrated way, promoting a deeper engagement in the four disciplines.
In May, Henderson College hosted their third inter-school STEM challenge involving 70 Grade 6 students from ten schools within the district. This year the theme was Mission to Mars, with students focusing on designing, building and launching rockets, including a transport vehicle.
STEM Teacher, Fiona Hudson, said “We wanted to create an authentic experience for the kids based on real life scenarios. Students were required to create a rocket that could launch and return while keeping a raw egg safe, as well as a robot powered vehicle used to transport the rocket.”
Teams members were required to each take on the role of either the accountant, chief engineer or technician. They were provided with a budget to buy items from the STEM shop. The winning team won four mini robots for their school, similar to the robots students used to power their transport vehicles.
“It was all about teamwork, problem solving and engineering, and we had a fantastic day,” Ms Hudson said.
Kaylene Clark