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Puxi Campus Grade 2: STEAM WEEK

May 31, 2023

The past week was STEAM Week for the second-grade students at Puxi Campus, a week where children embarked on adventures and explorations in the world of science with curiosity. The task for the second-grade STEAM Week was to design a roller coaster for a theme park. During the construction process, they needed to integrate knowledge from five disciplines: Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Art, while also validating the feasibility of their designs.

The first step in construction was the design concept. The students had to ensure that the roller coaster they were building was fun, which required designing curves, ups, and downs, and even 'inverted' tracks that defy gravity. At the same time, they had to prioritize safety and environmental protection at the same time, which posed a significant challenge for the children.

Therefore, during Monday's science class, the teachers helped the students select environmentally friendly materials for constructing the roller coaster. Then, using their acquired scientific knowledge, the children started sketching their ideas on paper, asking questions like 'what kind of curvature ensures maximum fun and energy efficiency?' or 'how can we rely solely on kinetic energy to drive the roller coaster without using fuel?' The children gradually discovered problems, made improvements, and engaged in continuous cycles of thinking and refining their designs, integrating their learnings along the way.

Once the design drafts were completed, the children needed to create a theme for their roller coaster park and decorate it in their art class. Look, on one side, the roller coaster has an animal theme, with the starting point being a lying-down bunny, guided by a little bird at the top. After a thrilling acceleration, it enters the body of a whale through a water fountain, embarking on an underwater roller coaster journey. On the other side, the theme of the roller coaster is 'future world.' The roller coaster itself is a rotating mechanical gear, which slowly turns under the influence of a battery, and the roller coaster journey begins. After traversing bends where light and shadows converge, the roller coaster stops in a garden filled with lush greenery, perfectly blending technology and nature. In math class, the children receive a glass marble, which they will use to test whether their roller coaster operates safely and smoothly. Additionally, they will measure the length, height, and speed of the roller coaster and select the class winners for the longest, highest, and fastest roller coasters.

On the final day of STEAM Week, the children bring their glass marbles to experience other classmates' 'roller coaster parks.' The transition from designers to participants encourages them to learn from others strengths, admire others creativity, and reflect on how to improve their designs at the next opportunity.

The children concluded this magical STEAM journey through mutual appreciation. Throughout this process, students showed their ability of independent thinking, creativity, craftsmanship, reflection, and testing. Every step was executed with the utmost effort. The small roller coasters carry scientific dreams, as well as self-appreciation and self-motivation.

Written by Chelsea Chen, Samuel James Alexander

Pictures by Puxi G2 Teachers

Edited by Serene Yang, Minghui Zhuang (Intern), Niall Keenan