STEAM Day

Our bodies work together in an amazing way. The Grade 5s are learning about their bodies and are currently learning about the muscular system. They discovered that the muscles are connected to the bones and they work together in order for us to move. Last Thursday, we had a STEAM day. STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths. STEAM is an integrated approach to learning that develops critical thinking and encourages students to think broadly about real-world problems with hands-on activities. STEAM activities require the students to gather information to create knowledge or solve problems. STEAM learning inspires the students to:

·    Ask questions

·    Make connections

·    Problem solve

·    Thing Creatively

·    Be innovative

Introducing STEAM activities to students, cultivates collaborative exploration and problem solving – an integral part of their IB education!

The task the Grade 5s were given was, using their knowledge of how muscles and bones work together, they had to make a robot hand that would be able to pick up an empty can! This was a long task, so we dedicated a large part of our day in working on this task. Although it was an individual task, it was wonderful to see the class working together, when necessary, to complete sections of the task. They did a great job! Congratulations to David who was the only one who managed to successfully pick up the can!  Well done, David! Although the others could not pick the can up, they learnt an enormous amount about how things work together.

What was exciting was to see them reflecting on their own design and workmanship to see what they could do to improve their hand to complete the task! They recognised the importance of reflection in order to improve learning! Well done, Grade 5s!