Our whole school theme, Their Past Our Future was explored through the technologies and innovations that took place during the time of war. Through the whole school project we aimed to bring together Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths (STEAM)
Year 3 looked at medicine and microbiology. They found out all about the development of medicine, especially the innovations that dealt with the casualties and the injuries of the First World War. Year 4 learnt about the developments of sound and communication, from early Morse code right up to modern day tweeting. Their very own Morse code machine, created through computer coding, featured at the exhibit. Year 5 took a close look at flight innovation and at those who influenced these amazing developments and the technology behind it. Year 6 looked at improvements that have been made in prosthetics since WW1. They also looked to the future and the creation of the ‘superhuman’.
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‘Magnifique’, ‘Fabuloso’, ‘Inspirational’, ‘Sick’
Just some of the many shouts that could be heard at the STEAM exhibition on Friday afternoon. The upstairs hall? It can’t be!
Following last year’s successful STEAMspeare exhibition, this year’s Engineering our Future exhibition was again a fusion of cardboard and fluorescent tape (à la Jack Cornell), entwined with the amazing, creative work by pupils and staff alike.
Immediately after stepping into the exhibition, you were pulled along by the psychedelic display of microbe art dangling from every point. After having been checked for germs and advised about cleanliness, you were then guided by hypnotic iPad screens, showing off the year 3 microbe dance. It is amazing what you can do with a goPro and a green screen!
Turning to the left you walked into the triage of trenches where medics ably wrapped wounded visitors with bandages and gave overwhelmed viewers a jab to calm them down. Exit right form the trench, mesmerised by the pulsating music, and you walked into the 3d printing area which led into a catacomb of galleries.
With the huge microbe costume display as the centre point, a musical sound barrage of microbe trance music, installed by Mr C’s whole school collective, added to the mystique of this incredible ‘show’.
First left again and you were welcomed by the white coat brigade into the prosthetic limb section and the drawing lab. They eagerly informed you about their research into the development of prosthetics since WW1. Looking to the future, they considered what kind of prosthetics could be made available for creating superhumans and designed and developed different types of prosthetics for a range of different purposes. Their working prototypes were displayed and explained.
Like stepping out of a tardis, the next section was a mix of grandma’s 1914 living room crossed with a NASA Space lab.
To the left there were secret messages written in Morse code and authentic artefacts to explore. All of the children’s hard work was there for all to see; their detailed information texts and photos of their dance performances brought communication to life, and their understanding of science allowed them to build their own Morse Code machines. Travelling through time, back to 2015, using their computing knowledge and D&T skills, the children also built and coded Raspberry Pi Morse Code machines.
Dit dit dit dah dah dah dit dit dit!!!
Passing by the Star-Trekky SOLE learning board into the final section of the exhibition, you could feel huge gusts of wind coming from what looked like an aircraft hangar.
Inspired by Wilbur and Orville Wright, visitors to the hangar were given the opportunity to design and create their own paper airplanes. The year 5 scientists were able to talk about their own flight experiments and how their knowledge of forces helped them to design paper planes. The visitors to the flight lab, who were incredibly impressed with the children’s knowledge about aviation during WW1, enjoyed designing their own WW1 aircraft with the help of expert advisors.
What a journey!
Many thanks to Emma Sampson (Science Lead) for her great enthusiasm and Jack Cornell (artist in residence) for his motivation and inspiration.
Can it be bettered? He reckons yes.
In the words of Roberto Martinez…it was phenomenal.
https://player.vimeo.com/video/123536960