Last Wednesday 18th January we held a SteAm Day for our Senior School students. Each grade level was given a challenge that drew on their Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths knowledge (the ‘STEM’ subjects) and integrated it with one of the Arts (hence ‘steAm’). It was a great opportunity for our students to work together outside their normal classroom routines in engaging tasks that required a prolonged examination.

The Grade 6 students investigated where our food comes from, harvesting, preparing and cooking food from our farm and creating clay bowls that could be used to eat from. The bowls are curing and will be fired next week. The menu the students prepared and ate included frogs and crickets which challenged them to be open-minded risk-takers – a challenge to which, we are pleased to report, many of them rose.

The Grade 7 students experienced life as refugees. Following an ‘earthquake’ they relocated to our campfire area and had to fend as best they could in the face of multiple on-going challenges. Having constructed shelters from scarce resources, they had to deal with fetching water, imaginary injuries, and various other calamitous situations. Fortunately, they all found time to write home as well.

Grade 8 were tasked with choosing a form of life-changing simple technology and creating a short animated film to explain the science behind it as well as the effect it had on people’s lives. Groups looked at different technologies from water straw filters to vaccine transport to wound sealer, from a soccer ball that collects enough energy to run a light to cars.They storyboarded their films and created them using a variety of stop motion techniques.

Grade 8 Videos

Grade 9 set about using their knowledge of materials and sound to create a selection of musical instruments and then create a short performance with them. The different groups demonstrated a great deal of organization and teamwork as they developed and adapted ideas creatively throughout the day.

The Grade 10 students were challenged to find ways to transport an egg as far as possible without breaking it. Working in teams, they brainstormed, explored, created, tested and cooperated with amazing ingenuity and excellent results. A variety of forms of propulsion were used. Each group also produced an advertisement, poster or film, to promote their inventions.

Grade 10 Videos