This week year 4 have been using the Gosport STEM Centre and resources to enhance the learning they have been completing in their STEM sessions at school; designing sustainable energy solutions for use in developing countries including:
  • Using LEGO’s Simple Powered Machines kits and the ‘Windmill’ instructions to make a wind turbine. This is a kit aimed at KS3, however year 4 managed to make, test, adapt and improve the models within a two hour session.  Some of the more challenging units then also present opportunities to become transition units, where children can be working alongside older pupils from different settings, to support new learning.
  • Walking to the STEM centre – in around 15 minutes.
  • Referring to the Engineering Habits of Mind poster on the walls of the centre, meant that all adults during the sessions were able to make explicit links to skills and habits required to identify & creatively solve problems, adapt, reflect and improve, within their purposeful discussions with children.
  • Making use of plenty of room for children to move into the experimental area to test their designs. They then evaluated and adapted models in the free-play lego area.
  • Making full use of the STEM centre itself, it’s resources and resource management system enables very effective use of time to enhance and develop our curriculum. Y4 will be returning in the new year.
  • In the summer term we intend to spend whole days at the centre teaching all curriculum areas through STEM and (due to the location of the STEM centre beside Stokes Bay) Beach School.
20th December 2019
Category: Whole School