STEAM Week at Abercorn!
It has been a delight to see all students engage in a number of exciting activities that took place this week to celebrate Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics. Students were tasked with designing, creating and developing several projects to explore and showcase their talents. The finished articles were truly fantastic!
Years 3-4 produced a shadow puppet show based on Hansel and Gretel, which combined ideas from Art, Drama and Science. The artistic process involved creating detailed puppets and enhancing visual skills. Drama came into play through storytelling and character development. Simultaneously, manipulating shadow puppets explored light and shadow, connecting the project to scientific principles. This interdisciplinary approach offered students a rich and immersive educational opportunity.
Year 5 explored the science of refraction by creating a 'Magic' drawing using the law of refraction. Refraction occurs when light changes direction after passing from one material to another. Students began by creating an image on card and then placing it into their Ziplock bags, after which they drew a shape with a marker on the Ziplock bag. This experiment makes it appear as though the drawing within the bag disappears.
Years 6-8 visited Warner Brother studios on Tuesday to learn more about how the incredible sets, props and costumes were created to produce the magical world of Harry Potter. This was brilliantly organised by our Head of Art, Mr Haverley. The children came back full of energy and enthusiasm, waving their new wands and reciting different spells.
Years 9-10 took part in a DNA forensic science workshop at the famous Royal Institution. They had the opportunity to explore advanced techniques used to collect evidence in order to convict a fictional criminal. Each group used gel electrophoresis to analyse DNA samples taken from the crime scene to compare against each suspect. Cleverly each group came to the same conclusion and were able to share their evidence successfully.
In addition to these workshops, students across the school were asked to present their creative ideas and enter the STEAM competitions. Ma’am Wrottesley kindly organised Abercorns first STEAM showcase where students from Years 3-6 came together to solve a series of challenges. During this morning's assembly, finalists from years 7-10 competed in the grand final of the catapult competition. It was very exciting to see a close competition, which was deservedly won by Dayul in year 7, well done.
Thank you to all the staff who helped to organise the week and we look forward to building upon these successes next year, to provide even more exciting opportunities for our students! - Many thanks, Gareth.
