workshop stem it’s child’s play workshop
TRANSCRIPT
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