Year 6 Loreto STEM visit

We arrived at Loreto bright and early to take part in the STEM workshop (Science Technology Engineering Maths). We started by talking about a rolling bridge called the "Cauldron" designed by Thomas Heatherwick. He used a lot of mathematics and engineering to develop it

Our first task was to make a simple deployable structure - a party blower!

George said it was tricky at first because if the sellotape isn't placed in the right places the air escapes and it doesn't function. Abby G put too much glue on hers but the second attempt was a success. Rose had some condensation issues when she put too much glue inside the blower, but also managed to rectify it quickly!

Then we moved to another room where we were presented with two challenges - making your own mosquito net and designing a rolling bridge.

With the mosquito net challenge we first built different sized cuboids to replicate different styles of net. We calculated the surface area and volume to compare how they could be used. The problem with mosquito nets is that people find them difficult to hang over their beds without them touching their skin. So, we were tasked with making a frame for the net (against the clock) using straws and right angle connectors. 

During the break we were introduced to some robots which were controlled using Scratch on iPads. Giulio especially enjoyed having a go at this, and we challenged them to guide a path through a leg tunnel. 

The rolling bridge challenge still remains but we will complete that back at school. What a fantastic morning, thanks to all the talented girls at Loreto who looked after us very well. We even caught up with some past pupils from Loreto, including Jessica Taylor who recently won two categories in the TeenTech Awards.

The photos give an insight into all of the fun we had.