Click the link to view the full version: WASCZ | Festival of STEAM 2023
Our WASCZ campus hosted the Festival of STEAM, which was a huge success. It was a week-long activity fair that included Lower School as well as Grades 7 and 8 of the Upper School. The festival’s theme, “Life by the Lake,” was motivated by the school’s proximity to the lovely Xitaihu Lake.
The event gave students a venue to demonstrate their aptitude for mathematics, science, technology, Chinese, engineering, English, music and art. It was a wonderful chance for the students to use practical exercises to relate ideas to issues in the outside world. The Festival of STEAM was created to promote problem-based and project-based learning in the classroom.
As part of a project-based learning approach, students collaborated with one another on a task or project that calls for their cooperation. Project-based learning is a teaching approach that promotes collaboration and creativity on a project or assignment that requires students to solve real-world problems.
Problem-based learning is a teaching method where students learn by working on specific problems or contexts.
Both teaching approaches emphasize the importance of applying knowledge in a practical setting.
The week was filled with numerous highlights. One of these was a project for Grade 2 in which the students looked into the past, present, and future of Xitaihu Lake, the surrounding area and the impacts of human activity on the ecosystem. Students had the opportunity to learn about the problems the lake is facing, such as pollution and how it affects the habitat, through this project. Students also learned how crucial it is to protect the lake ecosystem for both current and future generations.
The topic of lake ecosystems was the subject of another fascinating investigation by students across grades in our Lower School. Through this project, students learned about the diverse animal species that live in the lake and how different species interact with one another in the ecosystem. Students were able to gain a deeper understanding of the value of conservation and the natural world through this activity.
Students also worked on a project related to the Xitaihu Lake marathon theme. The project involved designing a marathon track as well as designing medals, trophies and T-shirts for the marathon. The project allowed students to apply their skills in art and design to a real-world scenario. Furthermore, one of our groups of students worked on a stop-motion animation project highlighting the importance of lake preservation and its effect on local ecosystems. The project allowed students to develop their storytelling skills while also raising awareness about the importance of conservation.
Our students had a wonderful opportunity to expand their critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills at the Festival of STEAM. Students were able to gain a more thorough understanding of how various fields of knowledge may be applied to problems in the real world by working on projects that encompassed a variety of subjects and disciplines.
Our students were able to improve their teamwork and communication abilities thanks to the Festival of STEAM. In order to properly express their ideas and accomplish common objectives, the students had to collaborate and communicate effectively with one another. On the final day of the activities week, a celebration of our students’ efforts took place, and groups that satisfied the requirements received prizes for “Outstanding” and “Excellence” in the form of blue and red ribbons.
From designing and creating prototypes of electronic microcontroller-based lake-water depth recognition systems for our rowing coaches, exit-entry systems for the boathouse, experiments proving the efficacy of particular plants in purifying water, creating from extensive board games with characters and decks of cards, to creating vlogs, music videos, writing lake themed music, making boats to celebrate the Dragon boat festival, and projects themed on mythical lake monsters across the globe, there are many things that can be done.
In conclusion, the Festival of STEAM provided students with a fantastic opportunity to apply their knowledge and abilities to real-world issues. Our students were able to hone their collaborative, communication, critical-thinking, and creative skills thanks to the festival. The festival served as a demonstration of the value of STEAM and the efficacy of project-based learning in enhancing and extending learners’ educational experiences. The festival’s success is a result of the diligence and commitment of our students, instructors and staff. We look forward to organizing more occasions like this in the future and are pleased with what our students have accomplished.
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