Uplifiting Engineering
Yesterday 60 year 9 students had the opportunity to take part in a STEM Day delivered by The Smallpeice Trust, sponsored by the RAF. STEM Days are held in school for young people in Years 8 – 11. The day was hosted by a Smallpeice Trust educator Jonathan, the day was designed to complement the national curriculum in science, technology, engineering and maths.
Today’s activity was the AIRCRAFT CHALLENGE. Practically exploring the physics of flight through concepts such as aerodynamics and forces, students designed and constructed an aeroplane to see which can travel the furthest distance in the air. The plane was powered by a propeller mechanism and the fuselage was constructed out of balsa wood. The students took part in a range of planning, budgeting, design, marketing and construction activities throughout the day in teams of 6. At the end of the day, we went out onto the yard to see the fantastic creations fly – many of which were very successful. The students and staff involved have had a wonderful experience.