Outdoor Tinkering Studio( continued)
Outdoor Tinkering Studio( continued)
Computational Thinking Challenges) on iPads in the OTS. This seems to alleviate the stress associated with testing. Hopefully it might work with the NAPLAN tests!
The space is not yet completed, but the groundwork has included gabion work benches for lizard houses, a skat and track mat sand-pit and bush-log seating, and a frog pond, fire-pit for seed germination, a weather monitoring station, alternate energy devices, a music wall, tuned wind chimes, pendulum painting studio, Rube Goldberg Machines, Simple Automata Workshop, Outdoor Green Screen / Chalkboard for the creation of iMovies, Bio-diversity study, infra-red cameras, bird boxes, native bee houses, outdoor games such as Connect Four, Ker-Plunk and Boggle, and a Creation Table filled with hammers, nails, wood offcuts and junk material are all planned.
Every class has most STEAM lessons in the OTS, enabling pupils to discuss how the purpose of the space influenced its design: all had opportunities to contribute and make modifications to the plan.
I have used the EngQuest challenges http:// www. engquest. org. au / to provide hands-on experiences for each stage. We used the Construct a Water Wheel Challenge to prepare students for the Fluor Engineering Challenge,“ Follow the Flow, 2017”, http:// www. sciencebuddies. org / fluor-challenge, and we made our tiered water contraptions along the fence with run-off flowing back into the creek.
During Code Club, students will use the skills used in the automated hydroponic garden to code water monitoring systems operated by the micro-controllers Raspberry Pi and Arduino to maintain and assist with water monitoring of the creek, and log data on various projects such as Spring Bug Watch and Stream Watch.
Stage Two students utilise the OTS to comprehend how their actions affect the environment and the survival of living things by observing the life-cycle of various plants and animals, and by participating in bio-diversity studies including collection and interpretation of data.
Year 4. Students will investigate marine debris, and contribute their findings to the national database / monitoring system Australian Marine Debris Database Tangaroa, with emphasis on the life-cycles of animals in the different Ocean Zones.
Stage Three study Built Environments, aiming to understand how humanitarian engineers help rebuild disaster-affected communities. Students work in teams to design and construct buildings, bridges, etc. to form part of a model of a rebuilt disaster-affected community. They use the fire-pit to germinate native seeds, and at the end of the project students should be able to communicate how their model demonstrates principles of safer, more sustainable living.
All activities are structured to utilise a collaborative approach, providing opportunities for cooperative learning, a significant aspect of engineering and scientific work.
Stage Three Students Working on EngQuest – Rebuilding a Community
Stage 2 students working on Built Environments
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