Topic outline

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  • 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.

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  • The Student Challenge

    Can you cook a meal without using electricity or gas? Is it possible to use just the power of the Sun to cook food?

    Your task is to investigate solar ovens and then use your findings to design and make a working oven.

  • Possible Activities

    Background Research
    Cooking Pot Colour
    Investigating Reflection
    Reflecting the Rays
    Covering the Cooker
    Increasing Insulation
    Focusing the Sunlight
    Designing a Solar Oven

  • Solar Oven - Teacher Resource File
  • Solar Oven - Scaffolded File
  • Solar Oven - Guided File
  • Solar Oven - Open File
  • 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.

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  • The Student Challenge

    During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it was believed by some that there were “canals” on Mars, this implied intelligent beings were living on the planet. This was found to be untrue as technology advanced and we were able to get more detailed pictures of the Martian surface. These pictures showed no evidence of infrastructure, however, many scientists believe there is other evidence to suggest there once was, and possibly still is, life on Mars.
    Your challenge is to investigate factors which might help us to plan a mission to Mars, in search for life.

  • Possible Activities

    Background Research
    Chronology of Mars Exploration
    Martian Landings
    Parachute Design
    Extremophiles
    Coding a Rover
    Designing a Martian Rover

  • Life on Mars - Teacher Resource File
  • Life on Mars - Scaffolded File
  • Life on Mars - Guided File
  • Life on Mars - Open File
  • 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.

  • Find out more about past missions to Mars here.

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  • The Student Challenge

    Every two years the World Solar Challenge takes place in Australia. This is a solar powered car race which starts in Darwin and finishes in Adelaide (3,022 km). It runs through the Australian outback and was created to foster the development of experimental, solar-powered vehicles. The race attracts teams from all across the globe, most of which are made of people from large corporations or universities. Sometimes high schools also enter teams.
    Your challenge is to investigate the factors which effect the efficiency of a solar car and to use your findings to design a solar car.

  • Possible Activities

    Background Research
    Weight and Speed
    Streamlining
    Temperature and Efficiency
    Time of Day
    Incident Light Angle
    Designing a Solar Car

     

  • Solar Car Challenge - Teacher Resource File
  • Solar Car Challenge - Scaffolded File
  • Solar Car Challenge - Guided File
  • Solar Car Challenge - Open File
  • 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.