Recently our Primary students at the British School of Nanjing followed up the “Build Better Energy” assembly from our secondary School Science Team with a stunning week of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Maths).
YEAR 1
Taking inspiration from the collaboration with MIT, students explored magnets and plasma, the fourth state of matter. Plasma makes up 99.9% of the known universe and can be controlled with magnets. If scientists can find a way to control enough plasma, it could lead to cleaner, more efficient energy – and the scientists who learn how tomorrow, may well be the primary students of today.
YEAR 2
To start them on their journey, they learnt about ‘the fourth state of matter’, playing with plasma balls, learning about the Sun and plasma TVs; and unleashing their creativity through Aurora Borealis artwork using chalk, brushes, and paint… and even producing their own plasma, albeit briefly, by heating grapes in a microwave!
YEAR 3
During the week, students created homo polar motors, using three everyday objects, designed fantastic magnetism board games and mazes; and even re-designed the school, replacing our coal-generated electricity, our lights, and our sockets with plasma-fueled electricity.
YEAR 4
Asked about the aims of STEAM week, the school’s Head of Primary, Matthew Jones, said “the students of today will be scientists, the engineers and the creative thinkers of tomorrow; we want to inspire them to take those first steps on that journey through exposure to real, serious and meaningful science.”
YEAR 5
