During the STEM club this week, we had the challenge to investigate if paper and newspaper were materials that we could use to make a flag pole that could stand up. At the start everyone said that you can't make a flag pole out of paper as its not strong enough. We started off with a brain storming session to come up with different potential designs and how we could roll or fold the paper to make it stronger, next we drew our plans on some paper before constructing them.
Just like all investigations we had to test our theories to see if we were right or proven wrong. We found that we could build a paper flag pole that could stand up and hold the weight of a paper flag. However, we also found out that paper and newspaper was too light to withstand the outdoor elements such as rain and wind as it kept blowing over. In the end, we decided that our flag pole made from paper was more suited indoors where we can control the environment.
This week we carried out the experiment part of our scientific challenge which was to build a vehicle using different size wheels. We used 2 ramps for each vehicle and the same starting points to ensure it was a fair test. After we tested each vehicle we found that the bigger the wheels, the further the vehicle travels when going down the ramp. Lacie explained to the group that the small wheels get stuck at the bottom of the ramp and on the floor.
We then went outside for a bonus challenge to see which vehicle was the strongest and would best survive a crash off a cliff. We used the top of the climbing slope at our treehouse area to see which vehicle stayed in one piece. We found the vehicle with the thicker frame survived the best. Carter said “My vehicle broke because my frame was weak.” Carter went on to say that next time, he will make his frame stronger by adding more cardboard and tape to it.
Tonight, we took part in a very exciting challenge. The children had to design and make a vehicle that can move the furthest whilst travelling down a ramp. We had some amazing team work, communication and leadership on show. Next week, we will be testing our vehicles on ramps with different types of surfaces to see which design worked best.
It was amazing to see everyone’s light shine!
This week, we set a very difficult challenge for the children. The challenge was to make a boat that could carry as many plastic cubes as possible by only using tin foil. Everyone had to design, plan and make their own designs. The winning design managed to carry an impressive 159 cubes before sinking!
The whole STEM Club were shining their light throughout.