Workshop

DeakinSTEMEducationConference2016Proceedings

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STEMIt’sChild’sPlayWorkshopPeterHope

RetiredPrimarySchoolteacherandsessionaltutoratDeakinUniversityBurwoodCampus

Abstract. ThefirstpartofmyworkshopwillexaminehowSTEMactivitiescanbeintroducedandassessedagainstthevariousCurriculumlearningareas.Acollectionofactivityoutlinesanddesignbriefsetcwillbeavailableforparticipantstodownloadandhardcopiesofthesewillbeondisplayduringthesession.AnexamplewouldbehavingsmallgroupsofYear3/4studentsdesigningandbuildingabridge.(Thiswouldbedoneafterseveralsciencesessionslookingatforces–howforcescanbeexertedbyoneobjectonanotherthroughdirectcontactorfromadistanceareactingonanobjectorstructure.)Thestudentsresearchthevariousformsoflargeroadbridgesspanningabodyofwater(e.g.theSydneyHarbourBridge)andsketchthedifferentstructuraltypes.Basedonthisresearchthestudentsusetheavailablematerialsandequipmentintheroom(e.g.spaghetti,skewers,glueguns)tobuildamodelbridgetospanadistanceof50cm.Ithastobeabletosupporttwo375mlcansofsoftdrinkwhencompleted.Eachsmallgroupwouldmaintainadesignportfoliowhichwouldcontainalloftheirsketches,research,brainstorms,issueswhicharose,justificationforfinalchosendesignetc.Fortheirfinalpresentationtheydemonstratetheirbridge’sintegrityafteroutliningtheprocessandreasonsbehindtheirdesign.

AtLevel3&4thefinishedobjectanddesignportfoliocanbeassessedagainstthe

• ScienceUnderstandingstrandofPhysicalScienceandScienceInquirySkillsstrandsofQuestioningandpredicting,Planningandconducting,Recordingandprocessing,Analysingandevaluating,Communicating;

• theVictorianCurriculumDesignandTechnologiesstrandsofTechnologiesandSociety,TechnologiesContextsandCreatingDesignedSolutions(andDigitalTechnologiesstrandsofDataandInformationandCreatingDigitalSolutionsifresearchwasdoneviatheinternetandplansdrawnusingaCADprogram);

• andtheMathematicsstrandofMeasurementandGeometry.

**theVictorianCurriculumDesignandTechnologiesdocumentencompassesmostoftheconceptsofengineeringiftheprocessisfollowedcorrectly.

Alargepartoftheworkshopwillbehands-onwiththeparticipantsfollowingadesignbriefthatIhaveusedwithYear3and4students.BythetimetheparticipantshavecreatedasolutiontotheproblemtheywillhavesuccessfullyintegratedScience,Technology,EngineeringandMathsintotheirlearningandmodelledtheexperiencesofthestudents.

TheworkshopisaimedatPrimaryteachers.

IntroductionThissessionwasdesignedtogiveparticipantsaninsightintosomeoftheSTEMactivitiesIhavedonewithmyPrimarySchoolclassesduringmyteachingcareer.AlotoftheSTEMchallengesinvolvedtoys,gamesorbuildingchallengeswhichthekidsreallyrosetowiththeircreativityandsolutionstotheposedchallenge.Ihadprepareda68pagehandoutthatcanbedownloadedasaworddocument–thiscanthenbecustomisedandusedbytheparticipantsintheirownclasses.Thelinkisonpage2ofthissummary.

DeakinSTEMEducationConference2016Proceedings2

Duringthesessionwemadebalancingtoys.ThiswasthechallengeIactuallyamdoingoveratwoweekperiodwithYear4studentsatKarooPS.Thefirstweekwelookatthepropertiesofabalancingbird(orbutterfly)toyandthenmadeonefromcardboard,washersandtape.Thesecondsessionrevisitstheproperties–thescienceandmathsinvolved–andthenthestudentsaregivenadesignbriefoutliningthetaskandhavingspaceforInvestigatinganddesigning(Usethisspace(andthebackofthesheetifyouneedmore)tosketchyourideas.),Producing(Didyouneedtomodifyandre-thinkyourdesignaftertesting?Howdidyoushowthisonyouroriginalsketchesorplans?)andAnalysingandEvaluating(Didyourbalancingtoysatisfythedesignbrief?Ifnot,howdidyoumodifyit?).

ArubricwasdesignedtohighlightthefollowingachievementsinScience,Technology,EngineeringandMathematics:

• (Science)Thefinishedproductbalancesonacentralpoint.

• (Technology/engineering)(ScienceInquirySkills)Thequality,detailandappropriatenessofsketchesanddrawings.

• (Technology/engineering)Investigatedhowforcesandthepropertiesofmaterialsaffectthebehaviourofadesignedsolution

• (Technology/engineering)Descriptionoftheproductandhowitwasconstructed.

• (Technology/engineering)Detailsgivenontheproduct’sconstructionandanyconstructionaldifficulties.

• (Technology/engineering)Commentontheproduct’scompliancewiththedesignbrief.

• (Technology/engineering)Evidenceoftimemanagementintheportfolio.

• (Maths)Finishedproducthassymmetry.

• (Maths)Evidenceofaccuratemeasurementofsides.

• (ScienceInquirySkills)Communicatingtothegroupabouttheirproduct

Itwasaproductivesessionandthebestpartformewastoseeseveraloftheparticipantswalkingaroundtheconferencethefollowingmorningwithabalancingbirdontheirfinger.

Iwasaskedaboutthewashersused–youcanbuya2.5kgboxof¼”washersfromBunningsforaround$30(inJanuary2016–theyworkoutataround3centseachthisway)orat10centseach.(JustbrowsingBunningsonlinecatalogue,theydon’tseemtohavetheboxlistedsoyoumayneedtocheckinstore).5centcoinsorpaperclipsworkwellalso.

STEMIt’sChild’sPlaySupportMaterial(I’veprepareda69pageworddocwhichyoucanmodifyforyourownuse)-itcanbedownloadedfromhttp://tinyurl.com/gsnq4c6