Our Form 2 classes benefit from a Wednesday afternoon of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths) every week throughout each of the three terms. During non-Covid circumstances, the children are able to use the extensive facilities on offer at Senior House in our two Science labs and computing suite. Since returning to school they have continued with the STEM project they began during remote learning on plants and plant growth. This has been combined with two other projects, one centred around coding with micro:bit mini computers and the other on investigative teamwork structural challenges.
The paper challenges increased in difficulty with the tasks: How tall can one piece of A4 paper be - it must span a gap of 20cm, then 30cm, it must stand up on its own, to the most demanding: What is the longest span you can make with an unsupported bridge? The children had to use their knowledge of structures and engineering but, above all, had to work efficiently as a team, ensuring that all team members had a voice and were listened to. With the plant topic, Form 2 learned that plants can not only grow from seeds but they can also clone themselves in a process called vegetative propagation so plants can be grown from kitchen scraps. The children recorded the growth of their own plant either from a seed or observed a plant they already had or used a cloning technique. As part of these plant sessions they also consolidated their knowledge with Brainpop and Quizlet interactive games.
STEM lessons (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) at St John's are predominantly aimed at children in Form 2, giving them the opportunity to take ownership of the curriculum and make connections across different disciplines with projects that often culminate in designing, building and testing a physical model.
STEM activities help the children to ask questions, problem solve, think creatively and produce innovative solutions. These sessions also encourage the children to build on critical thinking skills and they foster ingenuity and creativity leading to new ideas and innovations. One Form 2 child commented, "We used the perseverance mindset to help us to stay positive and motivated when our paper challenge didn't work and, in the end, our team managed to construct one of the strongest structures for holding the weights!" and another, "I had never used a micro:bit mini computer before and I was amazed that you can program it to make different coloured lights light up and make sounds too. We learnt so much in just one single afternoon using 'MakeCode' and the micro:bits."
