Year 9 STEM activity day with the RAF

On Tuesday 21st November 120 Year 9 students enjoyed an amazing STEM day with the RAF and Engineering trust. 120 students.

In the morning students were challenged to build a radar tower using only paper and masking tape, which was capable of supporting weights at two heights. This activity allowed students to investigate the strength of different shapes in structures and the most efficient use of materials. This was followed by a robot rescue activity, students worked in teams to programme a robot in order to successfully navigate a ‘disaster zone’ course and reach stranded survivors. Accuracy, teamwork and planning were all essential factors in this challenge. The students then tested out their robots on a disaster zone map, with teachers judging their robots success in reaching the survivors. Any mistakes and the robots were taken away to have their codes rewritten. The students displayed amazing resilience as some teams rewrote their codes several times in their efforts to get to the survivors.

After lunch students got into teams to design and build their own aircraft model. Students then tested their models along a runway, the aim was to make your model travel as far as possible using only elastic power. Students learnt about mass, friction and aerodynamics. The students were also lucky enough to receive an engaging presentation on STEM careers from the RAF.

After adding up all the scores from all of the challenges the the winning teams were revealed. Dean Rickards, Lara Roper and Leeban Mahamud were in second place and won a pack of RAF goodies. Fergus Creaton, Charlie Ashdown, Courtney Dun and Daisy Cox were in first place and won an even bigger pack of RAF goodies. All year 9 students received the industrial cadet challenger award.