Graphic designer, Lindsay, has 2 children, ages 9 and 7. As well as being a governor at her children’s school, she designed and administers the school website. Last term she ran an after-school animation club, showing pupils how to make stop-motion films using an iPad app.
The early-years teacher at Lindsay’s school, Claire Eagling, heard from some of her pupils how much they were enjoying Lindsay’s club. Claire wanted to organise a “STEM” day during Science Week, specifically for Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. She had read about the “Electro-dough” activity on the School Gate SET website. Also, one of her pupils’ favourite activities is a “dough disco”, which promotes fine motor skills. All these ideas came together in her head and inspired her to plan a “Dough Day”.
The children would be divided into groups and cycle round several dough-themed STEM activities: electro-dough; stop motion “clay” animation; making play-dough; cornflour goop; and the dough disco. The day would begin and end with a discussion: asking all the children what it means to be a Scientist or Engineer, and seeing if their answers changed over the course of the day.
Lindsay ran the animation activity, with help from another two parents. As the school is local to me, and as I recently registered as a STEM ambassador, I went along to help with the electro-dough activity. The teachers and classroom assistants delivered the other activities.
Some of the children’s ideas before the day:
- “Science is making potions”
- “Science is finding out about bones and dinosaurs”
- “Science is doing experiments”
- “Science is concentrating”
- “Technology is making electric stuff that can change the world”
- “Technology is things that have plugs like computers and iPads and ovens”
- “Engineering is fixing stuff that’s broken – Iron Man does engineering”
- “Engineering is making stuff that people have never seen before”
- “Maths is adding up and finding what it is”
And during the day:
At the end of the day: