STEM Rationale

Throughout schooling an emphasis on literacy and numeracy has been present.

Although, as we progress into the future, it has become abundantly clear that critical and

creative thinking and digital technologies are just as essential to become informed and

educated 21st century citizens (National STEM School Education Strategy, Education

Council, 2015). The National STEM School Education Strategy states that, ‘ensuring that we

equip our primary students with essential skills and knowledge is of utmost importance, as

without these essential skills they will not succeed’ (National STEM School Education

Strategy, Education Council, 2015).

Though there are many ways to teach critical and creative thinking and digital

technologies, at the centre of both skills lies STEM. It is the role of teachers to implement

interesting and exciting STEM projects into the classroom. Through STEM and the

Technologies curriculum students are given the opportunity to analyse the world at the

present time, and also consider how the future may look if we continue on the path we are

currently taking. Students are given the opportunity and the tools to identify problems in our

current society and are then given the opportunity to design their ideal scenario for the future

– their preferred future. Through this notion students have an acute awareness of the issues

that potentially lie ahead and are then able to begin planning and developing potential

solutions for said issues.

One of the major issues the next generation is facing is sustainability and preserving

our resources as best they can. Throughout my program sustainability is imbedded

throughout. Student plan and implement ideas to restore destroyed habitats and loss of

animals. With this being my focus my program links directly to key ideas concept three

outlined on Australian Curriculum– “acting in ways that are necessary to create a more
STEM Rationale

sustainable future”. Students are asked to consider the effects of habitat loss on the bee

population and the implications that occur because of this – this directly responds to the UN

goal 15, life on land. Students are then tasked with the job of restoring bee habitats through

the design and production of ‘Air Bee and Bees’. Sustainability is a complex cross-

curriculum priority and is organised into 9 different ideas. Although all 9 ideas are important

my programs successfully cover organisation idea six and nine (Australian Curriculum,

Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2020). Organisation idea six is included within my

program as the student are explicitly educated and informed of the habitat destruction that

directly effects the bee population and are asked to consider the implication and the effects.

Students design and implement ideas that will contribute to their preferred future.

Organisation idea nine is also directly targeted as student are taking explicit action to restore

the quality of habitats.

This program directly responds to the UN goal of 15, life on land. The cross-

curriculum priority of sustainability it deeply imbedded throughout and encouraged students

to critically think about the action they could take to mend the issues at hand. Through this

STEM project students acquire skills that equip them for the 21st century society.