1. Introduction to STEM in the Victorian Curriculum
Victorian Curriculum F–10
Introduction to STEM in the Victorian Curriculum
Michael Rosenbrock
Specialist Teacher – STEM

2. Agenda Introductions What is STEM education?
Where does STEM fit into the Victorian Curriculum?
What does a STEM unit of work look like?
What ideas can I draw inspiration from?
How can we plan to successfully implement STEM?
Feedback

3. What is STEM education?

4. What is STEM?
STEM the acronym = Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics
Careers in STEM disciplines are predicted to be big job growth areas over coming decades, but fewer students are choosing to study these fields.
Engagement with and understanding of STEM is increasingly important in modern society
We live in a society exquisitely dependent on science and technology, in which hardly anyone knows anything about science’ –  Carl Sagan

5. What is STEM in education?
Definitions vary, including:
Any program involving one of the STEM fields
Programs that integrate two or more of the fields together
Highly integrated, student driven, inquiry focussed projects that draw on all areas
Giving our students an opportunity to find their passion and encourage them to develop 21st century skills
It can be helpful to conceptualise STEM education as a continuum, with increasing levels of integration and student independence characterising higher levels

6. What are the features of high-level STEM education?
Foundations – underlying knowledge, skills, processes and habits are explicitly taught
Transdisciplinary – incorporates two or more fields
Authentic – working with problems and ideas that are relevant to the lives students lead in modern society
Future skills – developing communication, collaboration, critical and creative thinking skills
Inquiry – project based, inquiry focussed programs that are increasingly student driven
Process – processes explicitly taught and applied to develop, create, test and refine products to meet a specific objective

7. Where does STEM fit into the Victorian Curriculum?

8. STEM in the Victorian Curriculum
The Victorian Curriculum F-10 is:
derived from the Australian Curriculum
comprised of eight learning areas and four capabilities, with each learning area/capability having their own content descriptions and achievement standards.
STEM is directly related to the learning areas of: Science, Technologies, and Mathematics

9. Victorian Curriculum Website

10. Victorian Curriculum website
Select Learning area or Capability

11. Victorian Curriculum website
Access curriculum and resources
Link to the curriculum
Useful resources

12. Getting to know the curriculum
Achievement standards
Statements that describe what students are typically able to understand, and are the basis of student reporting on achievement.
Content Descriptions
Specific and discrete information identifying what teachers are expected to teach and students expected to learn.
Elaborations
Non mandated, advisory examples that provide guidance on how the curriculum may be transformed into a learning opportunity.
Curriculum rather than a syllabus – schools develop their own learning program for their context
Developed as a continuum of learning – read across levels to understand student progression

13. Victorian Curriculum: Science
Science Understanding
Science as a Human Endeavour
Biological
Chemical
Earth and Space
Physical Sciences
Science Inquiry Skills
Questioning and Predicting
Planning and Conducting
Recording and Processing
Analysing and Evaluating
Communicating

14. Victorian Curriculum: Technologies
Design and Technologies
Technologies and Society
Technologies Contexts
Engineering principles and systems
Food and fibre production
Food specialisations
Materials and technology specialisations
Creating Designed Solutions
Investigating
Generating
Producing
Evaluating
Planning and Managing

15. Victorian Curriculum: Technologies
Digital Technologies
Digital Systems
Data and information
Creating digital solutions

16. Victorian Curriculum: Mathematics
Number and Algebra
Number and place value
Money and financial mathematics
Fractions and decimals
Patterns and algebra
Measurement and Geometry
Units of measurement
Shape
Location and transformation
Statistics and Probability
Chance
Data representation and interpretation

17. Where is Engineering?
Science (especially Physical and Chemical Science)
Technology (both Design and Technologies and Digital Technologies)
Mathematics (mostly Measurement and Geometry in primary, but also Algebra, Statistics and Probability and in secondary)
Provides an authentic context for these curriculum areas
Allows students to develop creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and problem-solving skills.

18. What does a STEM unit of work look like?

19. Rube Goldberg unit example
Effective STEM learning depends on context, however, examples can be informative
A Rube Goldberg machine is an unnecessarily complex devices that achieve simple tasks, often involving domino falls, rolling balls, ramps, tubes, levers and wheels.
This unit was developed based on work undertaken at Year 10 level at Wodonga Senior Secondary College

20. Curriculum focus Topic: Rube Goldberg machines
Students learn about the physics of forces and energy and apply this knowledge to design, build and test a Rube Goldberg machine.
Levels: 9 and 10
Curriculum explicitly taught and assessed:
Science Understanding: Physical sciences
Science Inquiry Skills: Communicating
Technologies Contexts: Engineering principles and systems
Creating Designed Solutions: Investigating, Generating, Producing, Evaluating

21. Options for varying focus
Many STEM units can be varied to alter the curriculum specifically addressed.
Alternatives that could be included in this unit:
Mathematics: Statistics and probability, Measurement and geometry, Number and algebra
Science: Science Inquiry Skills
Critical and Creative Thinking: Meta-Cognition
Personal and Social Capability: Social Awareness and Management
There is a temptation in STEM to overreach and cover myriad areas of the curriculum. It is crucial to only include that which is explicitly taught and assessed.

22. The challenge
There is a very clear and specific objective that the machine must achieve
Additional detail is required to spell out constraints, rules, criteria for assessment and methods of working

23. Resources
Careful management of available resources is crucial to the practical success of STEM units
Expensive resources and high tech equipment are not necessary for most STEM projects – consider using waste products, recycling and upcycling
Storage between classes also requires consideration

24. Constraints
Effective constraints allow creativity but also keep the scope manageable for the time and resources of a school setting

25. Timeframes
Clearly defined, ambitious time frames help to keep STEM projects focussed, rigorous and well paced
This project has a very specific time frame, with set objectives for each lesson
Objectives
Time (min)
Curriculum links
Ask and Imagine–introduction, forming groups, brainstorming 60
Science: Questioning and predicting
Design and Technologies: Investigating
Discover and Plan–explicit teaching of knowledge and skills, planning, designing
Science: Recording and processing and Planning and conducting
Design and Technologies: Generating and Planning and managing
Create–building and initial tests
Science: Planning and conducting
Design and Technologies: Producing
Evaluate and Improve–refinement and final test
Science: Analysing and evaluating
Design and Technologies: Evaluating
Communicate– preparation and delivery of presentation
120
Science: Communicating

26. Structuring student tasks
Clear and defined structures support students and teachers

27. Assessment
The assessment drives student learning and is crucial for ensuring that curriculum outcomes for inquiry projects are addressed with rigour
Clear assessment criteria or rubrics support students to achieve the desired outcomes

28. Assessment
The assessment drives student learning and is crucial for ensuring that curriculum outcomes for inquiry projects are addressed with rigour
Highly structured communication protocols, such as PechaKucha can assist to focus efforts

29. What ideas can I draw inspiration from?

30. Inspiration and STEM
Developing a STEM unit requires a combination of the curriculum with inspiration that suits your context
STEM ideas can often be adapted across levels, and can be paired with other curriculum areas. Look broadly for ideas
Students also bring their interests and passions. Consider how these can be incorporated whilst also meeting curriculum outcomes.
Here are a few examples to start with

31. Unconventional electric circuit creations
Made from:
Squishy: salt or sugar playdough
Paper: conductive tape on paper
Soft: conductive thread
Can use 3V coin batteries and LEDs
Many opportunities for creative circuit applications
SQUISHY
PAPER
Curriculum links include:
Physical sciences
Creating designed solutions
Engineering principles and systems
Measurement and geometry
SOFT

32. Creating a game Examples include:
Mini golf
Pinball machines
Constraints can be used to guide and define focus of student effort
Curriculum links include:
Physical sciences (forces)
Creating designed solutions
Measurement and geometry (properties of circles, angles)

33. Rockets Examples include: Curriculum links include: Water rockets
Film canister rockets
Curriculum links include:
Physical sciences (forces, energy)
Chemical sciences (chemical change)
Creating designed solutions
Science inquiry skills
Measurement and geometry (area of quadrilaterals, angles)

34. Biological science inspirations
Minibeast hotel
Nesting boxes

35. Biological science inspirations
Other ideas
Garden bed
Worm farm
Sensory trail
Frog bog
Living wall
Living structures
Composting system
Hydroponics
Aquaponics
Food and fibre garden

36. Earth and space science inspirations
Rain gardens
Other ideas
Mapping nature
Soil studies
Managing erosion

37. Creating a piece of technology
Examples include:
Bow and arrow
Trebuchet or catapult
Compass
Sun dial
Curriculum links include:
Physical sciences
Creating designed solutions
Measurement and geometry

38. Building structures Examples include: Curriculum links include: Towers
Bridges
Curriculum links include:
Physical sciences
Materials and technology specifications
Measurement and geometry

39. Creating machines Examples include: Curriculum links include:
Balancing
Marble run
Rube Goldberg
Curriculum links include:
Physical sciences
Engineering principles and systems
Measurement and geometry

40. Digital Technologies Examples include: Input devices (Makey Makey)
Robots (Sphere, Ozbots, dash and dot)
Programmable kits and components (Hummingbird, Arduino)

41. Other inspirations Solar hot water Zombie survival kit
Design an animal
Musical instruments
Solar oven
Storing energy
Surviving on Mars
Low energy house
Water filtration
Create a hologram

42. How can we plan to successfully implement STEM?

43. Key planning considerations
Choose a starting point where can you find the support and resources to start (or expand) STEM in your school
Identify topic or project using inspiration that suits your school context and is aligned with the curriculum outcomes
Make space in your program, identifying where, when and with whom the project can be run
Develop the learning sequence, clearly incorporating: explicit teaching of required knowledge and skills; assessment; and timelines
Implement and review, refining as you go and taking time to evaluate at the end

44. Evaluating your current situation
The best way to implement STEM will depend on your context
Conducting a SWOT analysis may be a useful starting point
Consider
Timetable
Expertise
Time
Physical space
Teaching and learning resources
School (or faculty) culture
Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats

45. Learning from failure
The experience of failure is central to learning, this is especially true in STEM.
But we still need to plan, have processes, hold expectations of rigour, and put in place supports.
‘Failure is instructive. The person, who really thinks, learns quite as much from his failures as from his successes’
- John Dewey

46. Explicit teaching
Explicit teaching is crucial to support students to succeed in STEM projects
This applies not only to content knowledge, but also processes and skills necessary for success

47. Evidence and assessment
Consider how evidence can be gathered and assessment can be undertaken to address the curriculum outcomes chosen
If you can’t gather evidence or assess an outcome in some effective way, then the unit of work isn’t covering that outcome

48. Recapping the agenda Introductions What is STEM education?
Where does STEM fit into the Victorian Curriculum?
What does a STEM unit of work look like?
What ideas can I draw inspiration from?
How can we plan to successfully implement STEM?
Feedback

49. Further resources
Secondary school STEM case studies by ACARA
STEM Programme Index by the Chief Scientist
STEM blog
VicSTEM
DigiPubs

50. Where to now?
What can you take away from today and implement in your class tomorrow?
What further questions do you have?
How valuable was this session for you?
Please leave your responses via the comments box.

51. Thanks! compton.leanne@edumail.vic.gov.au 9032 1698 Leanne Compton
Curriculum Manager, Design andTechnologies