STEAM News | Preparatory School
Welcome one and welcome all!
Last Friday, we welcomed Year 4 families to celebrate and share their son’s learning in the transdisciplinary unit ‘How the World Works’. This ‘Forces Carnival’ allowed the boys to showcase their understanding of the Central Idea, ‘Harnessing Energy Advances Society.’
In the unit students inquired through the PYP Key Concepts of Form, Causation and Function. The lines of inquiry students explored were:
- Light, heat & electrical energy (Form)
- The interaction between two objects when a force is applied (Causation)
- How we can use forces and energy in a system (Function)
This Unit of Inquiry encouraged the Year 4 students to apply their knowledge by constructing their own models on an energy source of their choice. Each model had to demonstrate understanding of renewable energy and how these systems function. Additionally, the students produced an information report on an energy form and displayed this to their families.
Contact and non-contact forces were investigated in this through the development of carnival games in STEAM. I’m not sure what the students enjoyed more, using design thinking to develop the carnival games or showcasing these games to their families. This was a unique opportunity for the boys to apply and explain their knowledge in a physical context and it was great seeing all the supportive parents involved!
Jessica Newton | STEAM Teacher
