STEM Focus
In 2019 Unley High School will offer two new STEM focused subjects. Sustainable Futures (STEM) in Year 8 and Year 10 STEM. In the Sustainable Futures (STEM) course, students will use the scientific method and engineering design processes to develop solutions to contemporary problems, with an emphasis on sustainability. Integration across the science and technologies subject areas will allow students to explore various perspectives on the themes of Sustainable Cities and Sustainable Food Production, using integrated STEM methodology. They will gain experience in using contemporary digital and clean technologies to produce designed solutions, and design and conduct scientific experiments to test hypotheses relating to problem-based learning projects such as; designing sustainable urban spaces, improving energy and water usage, and investigating food and fibre production techniques. In all cases, students will develop solutions designed for their local school or community context and communicate their solutions to a range of audiences.
In the Year 10 STEM course, Students will explore two main themes: Space and Biomedical Inventions. Students will be introduced to engineering and design thinking through a series of inquiry and problem-based learning tasks, including their participation in the Science and Engineering Challenge at Flinders University. They will design and undertake a range of experiments to develop skills and general capabilities including critical and creative thinking, problem-solving, and communication.
Through collaboration with local educational and research facilities, students will explore the possibilities of living in space. They will conduct research to learn more about our universe, design experiments to test a hypothesis relating to living in space and create a designed solution to a problem related to living on another planet.