One Week of Wow at Risdon Park Primary School!

One Week of Wow! was designed to allow students to enjoy activities during lunch times that they may not get to experience in their Science classes during the year.

On Monday, we brought out our BrainBox circuit kits and students built simple circuits to light up bulbs, or worked with a Year 7 helper to build something more complicated (like a radio or buzzer). Almost 70 students came to do this activity. 

On Tuesday, we did Fireworks in Milk! It was very messy but really, really fun. Again, close to 70 students came to try this out.

On Wednesday, the Science Teachers did 3 demonstrations outside in the Back Yard that are way too messy for the classroom. There were exploding bags, elephant toothpaste and Diet Coke geysers. One of the local childcare groups visited, and with many of our students watching on enthusiastically too, we had close to 150 people watching. The local newspaper live streamed the event on Facebook, and did a big write up in the paper.

On Thursday, 10 teams of R-3 students competed in a STEM challenge to build a bridge between two chairs that was strong enough to hold a tissue box. 

On Friday, 7 teams of 4-7 students competed in a STEM challenge to build a ping pong ball roller coaster that had to end with the ball sitting in a bowl. Both STEM challenges had a time limit of just 15 minutes! 

It was frantic but fun, and I think that is probably the way I’d describe Science Week at Risdon Park. I could not have done this week without the help of my two STEM Ambassadors and a big team of amazing Year 7s who helped me every day. Also a huge thank you to all the teachers who tried some small experiments and activities in their classrooms during the week. Science is a NIT subject across the Pirie Partnership, so it was out of most people’s comfort zones.

- Karina Darling, Primary Science Teacher, Risdon Park Primary School