ARTICLES
Teaching and learning STEM in context at Belrose Public School (continued)
• Introductory video for visitors to watch before entering the
museum to view exhibits;
Electronics, robots and digital technologies
The base levels of these models were physical only with moving
parts achieved using simple scientific principles of levers and
cam mechanisms that students were shown how to make.
• Green screen information videos to provide context and
sustain the theme;
• Enclosures to display the unnatural Mechanica animals along
with created habitats.
To extend the more capable students, electronic and robotic
elements were an option. LittleBits, electronic components
with no coding elements, were made available to Year 5, and
could be used to electronically control movement of the physical
mechanisms.
The museum was open to the whole school community during
Education Week. During the day approximately 150 grandparents
viewed the exhibits as part of Grandparent Day, including
students and teachers from Stage 1 and 2. This served as a
‘soft’ opening to trial the people flow through the Museum and
give the students an opportunity to practice talking to the public
about their displays. The grand opening was held in the evening
with 300 community members, local dignitaries, engineering and
educational experts and family members, including neighbours
(Figure 4).
Year 6 had access to Hummingbird robotics kits, which were
specifically chosen so that the coding was open-ended. It was
desirable for students to see what was going on. This was a
deliberate choice of robotics away from more rigid types that are
like a black box with unknown workings happening inside. We
used the Hummingbird with no chassis, just Adurino bread-board
and plug-in components coded using Scratch and Snap. Some
students opted to include MakeyMakeys as a human interface as
an alternative since there was only a limited number of sensors
for the students to use.
The final step was to create a school version of the museum. The
students used virtual reality to look at different museums around
the world, making use of the STEM share kits loaned from the
Department of Education. This technology enabled the children
to see what real museums look like.
In English classes students wrote invites to local community
members and dignitaries, including the Mayor. Representatives
from the University of Sydney STEM academy were also invited.
Fig.4 a) Teacher Tom Davidson at the Museum opening,
b) STEM Academy representatives Chris Preston (left) and
Katherine Cartwright (right) with students
The Museum of Unnatural History
A natural climax of the STEM project was the development of the
Museum of Unnatural History. With the aim of providing students
with a purpose for their work, an authentic learning experience
was created, in the form of a showcase. Their classrooms were
transformed into a museum, designed by the students, it was
open to the community as a real world audience.
To achieve the incredible result of an authentic museum
atmosphere, students investigated museums from around
the world using virtual reality. This research enabled them to
generate a list of success criteria for their museum displays. The
following museum features were considered and developed by
the students:
Fig.5 - Mechanica-style animal creations: a) Powerful owl and b)
Flapping fly.
• Flow through the museum, and directing people to the different
displays;
• Information about the animals to be displayed with each of the
exhibits;
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SCIENCE EDUCATIONAL NEWS VOL 68 NO 4