Over recent years, the developments in technology and engineering have been staggering and it is only going to move faster. Experts who attended attended the IFTF workshop in March 2017 estimated that around 85% of the jobs that
today’s learners will be doing in 2030 haven’t been invented yet. (https://bit.ly/2u46JgQ).
With this in mind, it is important that children in Primary and Secondary School develop an interest and enjoyment in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects.
Looking at developing STEM, there are thousands of resources available on the STEM website. You will be required to register an account, but once created, all of the resources are free and can cover a variety of topics.
Cluster Transition Project
To help develop STEM, we recently completed a cluster transition project called ‘Beat the Flood’ using a set of resources from Practical Action.
Children from each of the cluster primary schools were challenged to design a house which could survive a flood on a fictional island. In each primary school, children worked in groups to plan, design, test, build and evaluate their own flood proof house models. Within the pack, children were given lists of materials that they could use and the relevant material they could use for their models. These included:
- Polythene Roll
- Concrete
- Steel
- Bamboo
- Soft / Hard Wood
- Corrugated Iron
- Bricks
- Clingfilm
- Plasticine
- Foil Trays
- Straws
- Lollipop Sticks
- Kitchen Foil
- Lego
Once children had tested their models, they were required to create a presentation to show the process they took from start to end of the project.
Each school chose one winning group to represent their school in a Finals Day. The winning group from each school presented to the other schools and a judging panel, before an overall winner was decided and announced.
The plan for the future is that the competition will become a yearly event, with the challenge alternating between ‘Beat the Flood’ and ‘Squashed Tomatoes’, where the children have to develop a machine that can transport tomatoes from where they grow (on the top of a mountain), to the market (bottom of the valley).
Feedback from this year has show that children have really enjoyed the challenge, and hopefully have developed an interest and passion for STEM subjects.
