Prep 5 & 6 STEM Day

46 of our pupils from Prep 5 and 6 were lucky enough to attend a STEM day at Wycliffe School this week.

The day started with a demonstration of pyrotechnics. We learnt about the explosive properties of gunpowder which, combined with the brilliant colours of metal salts, produce a wonderful firework show.

The second lecture was with Greg Foot (of Blue Peter fame) who shared his experiences as an aquanaut, exploring a sea mount range under Bermuda. This involved taking a tiny submarine 245 m down to explore marine life. He was able to show us a Hof crab (named after the 1980’s celebrity!) a species only discovered recently upon exploring a hydrothermal vent. Greg ended with an important message of the human impact on the oceans and explaining how 50 percent of the world’s oxygen is produced in our seas.

Following this we split into our workshop groups. We enjoyed a range of chemistry, biology, physics, media, engineering and maths workshops. Some of the highlights included creating polymers, building an LED lamp, investigating acids and observing microscopic crustaceans.