http://www.sciencealert.com/live-update-big-gravitational-wave-announcement-is-happening-right-now
After 100 years of searching, an international team of physicists has confirmed the existence of Einstein’s gravitational waves, marking one of the biggest astrophysical discoveries of the past century. It’s a huge deal, because it not only improves our understanding of how the Universe works, it also opens up a whole new way of studying it.
If your school or homeschool group is based in our around the Brisbane area, we can visit with our robotic caterpillar and other critters as part of our FREE Robotics Incursion.
The caterpillar has quickly become our main mascot, as students, teachers and parents take a liking to it! It is an autonomous robot, with a 3D printed frame and Arduino controlled electronics.
The OpenSTEM caterpillar design and code are fully open and also serve as a good example of how subjects such as robotics can be explored at relatively low cost – that is, without expensive branded kits. This can be a real enabler for both school and home.
For more details on what we cover and do on this incursion, see the Robotics Incursion page, or contact us to discuss!
Responding to popular request, we have now made our FREE sample resource PDFs available directly from a page: Curriculum Samples in our new Curriculum overview section.
This means that you don’t have to login or fill in any details to download these files.
We make these free watermarked samples available at no charge so that you are able to see and assess the quality of our materials.
Here’s the video of Claire’s talk at the Open Source Developers’ Conference 2015 (November) in Hobart, TAS.
Open source has opened up huge opportunities for archaeologists. As well as high quality tools for research, we can use open source to engage kids with the past. Addressing the new National Curriculum, we use 3D printed fossil skulls and replicas of archaeological material to give kids a hands-on experience, making the past Funky and Fun!
Archaeologists are usually very good at sharing knowledge with each other and the wider world. Under Creative Commons licences many files are made available, including scans of fossil skulls, artefacts and other archaeological material. Using a suite of open source tools, including a 3D printer, a series of interactive experiences for school children has been developed allowing them hands-on involvement with this material.
The kids love examining the replica fossil skulls in their hands and learning about the changing features through time, as well as learning to measure and compare in a very real sense. These experiences are modern “we had 3D printed stuff in History class!”, engaging and fun for students and teachers alike, bringing the past alive.
This talk refers to some of the materials used in the OpenSTEM Introduction to Archaeology and Fossils Workshop. We have been fortunate to find quite a few more fossil skull models, and have already printed some of those also. The “family” is growing!
OpenSTEM also has an Integrated History/Geography Program for Primary Schools (full set of resources for F-6, including teacher handbooks, student workbooks and assessment guides), available from term 1, 2016.
There were many awesome talks at OSDC 2015 (Youtube playlist). See also the OSDC 2015 program overview.
In this new OpenSTEM workshop developed and run by our resident archaeologist Claire, we set up a mock archaeological dig in a sandpit (or long jump pit) so that students can get a taste of life as an archaeologist.
History has never been so cool!
Much more than just an interactive experience, we run the archaeological dig as a full scientific investigation. Students cover not only the basics of archaeology, but also how to conduct a scientific investigation.
For more information, see the Archaeological Dig workshop page.
The first Mirobot v2 kits have arrived in Australia! Ben Pirt at Pirt Design & Technology in the UK has once again delivered a very neat product. OpenSTEM is the main distributor for Australia, because we regularly get in quite a few for schools and individual students anyhow.
Most of our Mirobots are extra special, because we get them un-soldered. That is, there are a few SMD (surface mounted) components, but other than that students (of all ages!) can do a bit of soldering! This is part of our Robotics Program, where Soldering and otherwise assembling a moving product from all the loose parts is a real enabler – so with the v2 coming out in pre-soldered form by default, we had a word with Ben to ensure that we can keep doing the great stuff with the classes!
This does mean that for every shipment we get, we need to prep a few extra bits before sending on the kits or using them in the classroom. So we’re working on that now for this first shipment. There’ll be more – if you want a kit (un-soldered or pre-soldered), do get your order in soon!
Since implementing this program I've really noticed how the students are improving.
Trent Perry, Teacher