STEM

At Cloverdale we recognise the importance of STEM and strive to incorporate it in our students' learning programs. STEM is an approach to learning that integrates Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Students learn to develop key skills in problem solving, creativity, critical thinking, teamwork and digital literacy.

Our Science lessons are built on inquiry learning and this begins from the Early Years where play-based learning is incorporated into every Learning Area. Each year, we aim to provide our students with two incursions relevant to the Sub-Strand they have been learning in Science. In 2022, Einsteins Australia attended our school to deliver an all day incursion for our three phases of learning related to Physical Science, the substrand that was taught in class for that semester. This allowed students to consolidate their learning of Forces and extend on their knowledge. There was a range of activities relevant to the topic each students learnt:

Fun with Forces- Early Years Phase

Push! Pull! Slide! Bounce
Play and discovery how things move and the forces behind them.
Do I push or do I pull. I need you to move

Its round , its square its covered in hair move move move!

Light or heavy is it the same come on lets learn join in my game.

 

Forces Rocket Mania- Middle and Upper Years phase

Blast off! With Rocket Mania

Jump and release the fun

Fly your paper space shuttle

30 feet high the rocket will fly

For the last three years, Our National Science Week activities have got bigger and better. In 2020 and 2021, our Science specialist was involved in creating rotations for classes to attend and engage in activities related to all the Science sub-strands. This year we had the fantastic opportunity to integrate with our mainstream peers to attend an incursion with the Silly Scientist to investigate and explore various concepts within the Science curriculum where we were required to use our critical thinking skills to solve problems and ask lots of question with and without staff support.

This year we have invested in the purchase of resources from Primary Connections that we will incorporate into our STEM program to teach concepts within Earth and Space, providing students with a hands-on experience. We will continue to build on the bank of resources for every sub-strand we teach.

Currently in Term 4 Week 8, we are awaiting a Science incursion related to Biological Sciences which will be our focus for Semester 1 2023. The activity that the students will be involved in is called Algae Busters – Catchment Story: It is an interactive presentation where students learn about catchments, nutrients and algae. Students participate in a fun catchment story about nutrient sources and see first-hand what happens when nutrients enter our river and wetland systems. Students learn how to protect our rivers and wetlands. How lucky are we!

We welcome and encourage parent support and feedback to further improve in this area and we strongly believe in the importance of STEM as it empowers our learners with the skills to succeed and adapt to our changing world.