Exploring STEM: Year 8 Incursion Sparks Innovation and Problem-Solving
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) subjects help us understand and improve the world around us. From designing new technology to solving environmental problems, STEM careers shape the future. At Loreto Normanhurst one way that we encourage our students to build their skills in STEM fields is through our Year 8 STEM incursion. On Friday, 21 March students rotated through three different workshops.
In Future Technologies, the workshop run by Make Science Fun’s Jacob Strickling, focused on energy transfers and renewable energy sources. Students participated in hands-on activities that reinforced their learning about energy transformations, constructing simple circuits with light bulbs and motors. They improved their understanding of renewable energy sources, considering how it can be harnessed to create a more sustainable future.
In Problem Solving, students learnt different strategies to approach unfamiliar questions, considering visual solutions. In pairs, the students competed to solve challenging problems of varying degrees of difficulty and kept teachers busy with the speed they were working at.
The robotics session was hosted by a team from Sydney Robotics where students were introduced to VEXIQ robots through engaging demonstrations and hands-on building sessions. One session featured problem-solving and competition robots, while the other allowed students to construct a vehicle of their choice.
We were impressed by the enthusiasm and effort shown by students on the day and will incorporate this learning in future lessons.
