The supports in this e-bulletin have been chosen to support teachers in meaningfully integrating Maths & Science across the curriculum. Integration offers pupils the opportunities to build connections between classroom learning and the real world. It encourages a flexible use of knowledge and skills within and across subjects.

In a new feature for STEM Smaointe, each issue will look at some of the amazing people in our world contributing to STEM and the innovative developments that change our world for the better. Our inaugural ‘STEMTASTIC Person’ is…. Immunologist Luke O Neill.

This edition is divided into the following sections:

  • STEMTASTIC People: Luke O Neill

  • Maths Integration Across the Curriculum

  • Seasonal Maths: Data Delights

  • Seasonal STEM Decorations

  • Seasonal STEAM*

*See Advisory Note

We would love to see STEM Smaointe in action so please tag us in any work you share on Twitter. Our handle is @PDSTPrimarySTEM #stemsmaointe .

See Contact Us for information around further supports. For further guidance in using this site visit our home page.

STEMTASTIC People

In a new feature for STEM Smaointe, each issue will take a look at some of the amazing people in our world contributing to STEM and the innovative developments that change our world for the better.

By exploring the lives of those working in STEM, we can spark curiosity & interest in our pupils while also providing them with role models, who can inspire them towards what they too can achieve. This helps to create and maintain engagement in STEM and increases the likelihood that they will become innovators in the future.


On reading Luke’s biography suggested discussion questions could include;

● What did you learn from this person?

● What questions would you like to ask Luke?

● Can you name another person now or in history that also works in Immunology or in a Science career? (famous, local or family member) Describe their role.

● Luke O Neill is an immunologist. Can you research further information about this career?

● Can you think of any other careers that involve science?

● What other fun facts can you find out about this person from your own research?

Why not explore careers in STEM with your class! This will give pupils an understanding of the importance of STEM in their lives and the lives of others. Consider interviewing local people, past pupils, parents and others in your school community.

Integrating Maths across the Curriculum

Pupils often question the links between the maths they are learning in maths class and the real world around them. Sometimes, they don’t see how the sums in their copies apply to everyday situations and they wonder about the value of the maths knowledge they are being asked to learn which can, at times, be abstract in nature.


Our PDST Maths Integration Tasks, for junior and senior classes, can be used to draw the pupil’s awareness to the meaningful connections between maths and other curricular areas. This could develop the pupil’s maths eyes and interest in maths in class and beyond the school walls. See two samples below.

For further maths integration ideas in English & as Gaeilge, please see our Maths Week Integration Pack 2021 here.

Junior Classes

Integrating Maths & Art: ‘Cityscape’ by James Rizzi

Create your own Rizzi City! Consider the following;

● What shapes will you include, regular or irregular?

● Did you make a pattern?

● Estimate & measure the height and width of your buildings. Who has the tallest?


Looking & Responding to Art

Take a look at this painting recreated in Rang a hAon, St Peter’s NS Dromiskin

● Which building has the most windows?

● How would you sort these buildings? (by colour, height, facial expression)

● What time of day do you think it is? Why?

● Can you find the festive building? Why do you think this building is wearing a santa's hat for a roof?

Senior Classes

Integrating Maths & Drama: Life Without Numbers

You wake up one morning and all the numbers are gone! Is it possible to live without numbers?

Group work: Create a short drama to show the problems you face throughout the day, show that numbers matter/don’t matter.

Sample problems might include:

● No time/timetable

● No money/no shopping

● No speed limits

● No computers/computer games

● No phones

● No sports

● No cooking

Seasonal Maths

This activity could complement a literacy lesson exploring a festive story, such as "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" or engaging your STEAM Eyes through the world of movies with "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory".

It could provide a stimulus for many creative tasks such as;

  • What would your dream box of chocolates contain?

  • Can you design a new packaging and advertisement for your box of chocolates?

  • If you found a golden ticket in this box of chocolates, what would your dream prize be?

Junior Classes

Data Delights


With the Festive season upon us, what Maths can we notice around us? We have chosen some festive chocolate treats as the basis for our Data Delights task.


Using Image 1 provided (or a concrete example of a sweet box), pupils can be asked to firstly estimate;

  • How many sweets do you think there are in the box?

  • How many varieties will there be?

  • Will there be equal quantities of all varieties?

  • Will the sweets all weigh the same amount?


Pupils can be tasked with opening the box to explore further (or use Image 2);

  • How many sweets are there in the box altogether?

  • Are there equal quantities of all varieties?

  • Can you sort the sweets? Can you sort them in a different way?

  • What do you notice? What do you wonder?


Pupils can be tasked with organising the treats in order starting with the largest quantity (or use Image 3);


  • What sweets have the most / least amount in the box?

  • Are there any sweets that have the same amount in the box?

  • What is the same/different in this image?


Senior Classes

Data Delights


The above activity can be extended for senior classes with appropriate questioning.


Using Image 1 provided (or a concrete example of a sweet box), pupils can be asked to firstly estimate;

  • Can you predict how many sweets are in the box?

  • Estimate how many varieties will there be?

  • Will there be equal quantities of all varieties?

  • Will the sweets all weigh the same amount? How do you know?


Pupils can be tasked with opening the box to explore further (or use Image 2);

  • How many sweets are there in the box altogether? Record using a tally chart or table.

  • Are there equal quantities of all varieties? What percent of the sweets are caramel?

  • Can you categorise the sweets? Can you categorise them in a different way?

  • What do you notice? What do you wonder?


Pupils can be tasked with organising the treats in order starting with the largest quantity (or use Image 3);

  • Can you draw a graph to show the quantities of sweets in the box?

  • What sweets have the most/ least amount in the box?

  • Can you write some fraction stories to represent the sweets in the box?

Extension

If you would like to explore an extension activity, you might like to access this similar Fraction Fruit Salad activity

Seasonal STEM Decorations

Sustainable Decorations

Junior Classes

Many schools participating in the Green Schools programme, engage in creating Christmas decorations from recyclable materials or reusing left over materials around the house. Pupils in Junior classes can explore the properties & characteristics of a variety of materials, using their skills of sorting and classifying to identify certain criteria of texture, shape and colour.

Suggested questions:

  • What do we use these materials for?

  • What do the materials feel like?

  • Can any of these materials be recycled? What does recycled mean?

  • Can we reuse any of these materials? What does reuse mean?

Challenge your pupils to design and make a Christmas decoration that will last for many years. They can work collaboratively in pairs or small groups to nurture strategy sharing. Criteria could include;

  • You must use two materials that can be recycled

  • It must be able to hang from a tree / sit in the centre of the table

In developing ‘steam’ skills of problem solving, creativity & critical thinking, guiding questions could include;

  • How will you stick your materials together?

  • How can you make it hang from the tree?

  • In what ways will your design be different from your friends?

Remember evaluation is a key element of the stem process. This can be done through teacher questioning, pupil conferencing or the pupil learning journal to record reflections of successes, challenges that arose and future improvements.

Extension

  • Adapt or extend criteria depending on child’s ability

  • Share examples of age appropriate designs to inspire ideas

  • Introduce possibility of having a moving part

DIY Decorations

Senior Classes

This activity challenges pupils to create a more innovative decoration that can move or interact with its audience. With any design & make activity, take time to explore & plan before jumping into making. Therefore for this task, explore how materials and objects may be moved through pushing & pulling, using levers, pulleys and cogs, using trapped air pressure (pneumatics) and more. If pupils have had experience of constructing simple circuits, this too could be incorporated.

Challenge your pupils to take their imagination a little further and dream big! Design an interactive decoration that alerts the house when Santa arrives. They can work collaboratively in pairs or small groups to nurture strategy sharing. When creating a prototype, this seemingly innocent looking decoration should meet some criteria such as;

  • Incorporate a light or sound buzzer

  • Be hidden from sight from Santa

When problems arise, encourage collaborative brainstorming, problem solving and communication among your young inventors as they optimise the power of learning from their mistakes.

Extension

  • Adapt or extend criteria depending on child’s ability

  • Share examples of age appropriate designs to inspire ideas or take additional time to practice investigations with forces

  • Engage elements of coding to trigger a motion sensor.

In the following short clip from our webinar Seasonal STEAM, we have an example of incorporating levers & pulleys to create a moving Santa.

  • How are the arms being moved?

  • What materials are being used?

  • Could you improve upon this design?

Take a look at the example of exploring pneumatics to use trapped air to move Santa from his chimney.

  • How much air pressure is needed?

  • How will you attach the air system to your decoration?

Click here for a short video from DPSM presenting an investigation on pneumatics and hydraulics for primary school children.

Seasonal STEAM

*Advisory Note*

In this edition of STEM Smaointe, we use film to inspire STEAM challenges for your pupils to work on either at home or in school. Pupils could watch the film at home or perhaps share the trailer with the pupils on your digital learning platform as a stimulus to the challenge.

Before recommending, showing or sharing any film excerpts, please check your school's Acceptable Use Policy. Ensure parental supervision/permission is advised/sought where appropriate.

Extension

Being conscious of the challenges facing pupils with English as an additional language, why not consider the Snowman, a film without words but instead communicates through the medium of animation and music. Take one scene and ask the pupils to observe with STEAM Eyes. Pupils could respond through drawings.

STEAM EYES

A real holiday treat is to curl up on the sofa with a good movie. But have you ever looked at these movies with your STEAM Eyes? There is a wealth of innovations, creations and magical inspiration for a rich discussion on the role of STEAM in our world.

Home Alone is one of the most beloved holiday classics, and lends itself perfectly to set the stage for STEAM project inspiration. It is the perfect stimulus to explore innovation, creativity and ingenuity from a child’s perspective. When 8 year old Kevin Mc Callister is accidentally left home alone, he must protect his house from a pair of burglars. What STEAM questions can we draw from this movie?

Begin by taking one scene and ask the pupils to observe with STEAM Eyes.

  • What is the problem?

  • How does Kevin solve it?

  • What Science, Maths or creative inventions can you identify?

  • Are there any big ideas that strike you?

  • What forces are in use in this scene?


You can choose to show your pupils some further excerpts from the film to develop their STEAM eyes with the help of a guiding template such as this. As you can see from this example, it will help focus their observations and could be used afterwards for assessment of observation skills & content knowledge.


STEAM Challenge

Design and Make

"Designing and making is a process which draws on the whole curriculum and should be developed in association with and through visual arts, science and mathematics" (Science Curriculum, 1999, p. 8). Below you will find a STEAM challenge, which incorporate elements of visual arts, science and mathematics. Encourage your pupils to follow the design and make process (as outlined in the image) while engaging in a challenge.

This STEAM challenge below uses the film Home Alone as a stimuli. Choose from the suggested criteria or alternatively collaboratively devise criteria with your pupils.

Home Alone Challenge

Following the STEAM Eyes activity, set the challenge to explore, plan, design and make a trap to catch the burglars. Follow the design and make process as outlined in the image above.

Suggested criteria:

  • Label your design with the materials needed to create these traps.

  • Include any levers, cogs, twists, pull strings, push buttons or other mechanical features that allow your trap to function.

  • Your drawing might not be to scale. So include the measurements you would expect your design to meet in real life.

  • Build your prototype no bigger than 60cm in height. Remember to Explore, Plan, Make and Evaluate.

  • Include a short paragraph explaining how your prototype will trap the burglars.


While the movie offers a stimulus, pupils should be encouraged to come up with their own trap designs. Working collaboratively in groups will help with this, which makes this a perfect challenge for the multi-grade classroom.

Spend the necessary time on exploring, planning and evaluation, as often these can get lost in the excitement of building. It is through the design phase that creativity emerges. Evaluation is equally important to identify possible improvements and solutions when elements don’t work.

For a more detailed description of this task, click the further guidance button on the left.

Extension

Consider some of the following suggestions to extend or support pupils' learning:

  • Apply a budget. Offer pupils a link to a DIY store. Ask pupils to budget the overall cost of the design.

  • Integrate recyclable material. Can you design & make a trap using only recycled material from your Green Bin? What will you use and why?

  • Incorporate knowledge of circuits for added challenge, increasing the interactivity of the trap.

  • Simplify the challenge for Infants and pupils with learning difficulties to design & make a trap to catch an elf, a leprechaun or a ghost depending on the season.

This is an exploration of just one movie. Once you draw your awareness to STEAM possibilities, any movie can offer a stimulus.

Seasonal STEAM webinar

To see more activities through the theme of seasonal STEAM why not check out our webinar 'Seasonal STEAM' from the 'STEM ar Scoil' series available on Scoilnet.

School Support

PDST Primary STEM Advisors are available to offer your school bespoke support. If you wish to apply for same, please visit www.pdst.ie/schoolsupport. You will need your school roll number and password (schoolsupport2021).