The WASP STEM packages have been designed so that teachers from different STEM areas can pick and choose sections relevant to their subject area to work on. All activities in these packages do not need to be completed to get value for them – each activity can be completed as a stand-alone or can be approached, as a team, as a larger project. The packages have potential to be extended into much longer projects to include curriculum points from different STEM subjects.
There are three student workbooks -Open, Guided and Scaffolded, that go alongside each resource; all have the same suggestions for activities, however, they have been written and edited to provide differentiated learning options to support good teaching practice. Teachers may pick and choose which versions they give which students, and may wish to edit them further to address their learning needs.
The Student Challenge
As the global population increases more food will be required but there will be less space to grow/produce it. To cope with the demand, farmers currently do things like add fertilisers to their soils, to produce a larger yield. However, fertilisers can leach into the groundwater and be carried long distances, effecting much more than just the intended area. To cope with the demands for space, methods such as vertical farming and the use of hydroponics systems are being utilised more and more. Your task is to investigate the impacts of these methods of farming and to evaluate their suitability for use in your local area considering social, environmental and economic issues.
Possible Activities Background Research Testing Fertilisers Fertilised Algae Investigating the Health of your Local Lake Modern Methods of Farming
Do you have students completing this STEM challenge from home or another location? Click here to download an interactive pdf version which can be completed just about anywhere.
The Student Challenge One of the consequences of climate change that is projected to impact a large number of people globally is sea level rise. The effects of which are already being felt by some in Australia. With the majority of the country’s population living near the coast, it is imperative that there is forward planning to help reduce the impact of rising sea level on Australia’s population. Your role is to analyse evidence, research the effects and impacts and investigate means of mitigation of sea level rise in Western Australia.
Do you have students completing this STEM challenge from home or another location? Click here to download an interactive pdf version which can be completed just about anywhere.
The Student Challenge In a world where our understanding of the impacts of carbon dioxide (and other greenhouse gases) on our climate is expanding but our demand for energy is higher than ever, it is vital that energy production becomes more efficient and environmentally friendly. While there are renewable sources of energy, many of these are still expensive and/or inefficient. This means that for the foreseeable future, fossil fuels will play a role in our energy mix. One of the key ideas to minimise the amount of carbon dioxide, associated with fossil fuels, being released to the atmosphere is through using carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS) methods. Your job is to investigate the advantages and difficulties of CCUS and try to come up with a solution to minimise carbon release into the atmosphere.
Possible Activities
Background Research Enhanced Oil Recovery Investigating the Effect of Carbon Dioxide on the pH of Water Investigating the Effects of Acid on Materials Investigating the Effect of Temperature on Solubility of Carbon Dioxide Investigating the Effect of Pressure on the Solubility of Carbon Dioxide Investigating the Effect of Salinity on the Solubility of Carbon Dioxide Selecting Rocks Mineral Trapping 3D Models for Structural Trapping
Do you have students completing this STEM challenge from home or another location? Click here to download an interactive pdf version which can be completed just about anywhere.
The Student Challenge The global demand for transportation is constantly increasing. This includes aviation, trains and vehicles used for commercial, industrial, and logistical purposes, not to mention personal vehicles. In 2018, nearly a quarter of global CO2 emissions were from transportation (Our World in Data, 2020). This means that new technologies need to be developed and employed to meet transport demand, while minimising CO2 emissions. Due in part to this increase in demand, many governments around the world have agreed to work towards reducing their carbon emissions, some agreeing to net zero emissions by 2050. Your challenge will be to investigate different technologies and to assess and compare their feasibility.
