Adalar Public Education Center is proud to share the first experience from our STEM Discovery Week events. We had organized a series of STEAM events dedicated to the STEM Discovery Week 2019 between 13-28 April.

During the STEM Discovery Week, we organized various activities for students in order to learn about sustainable development and understand the importance of the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals)
 
Activity 1

First of all, we visited the Istanbul Technical University robot Olympics Center with over 90 students. The purpose of this visit was to connect our students with students from other schools. We wanted them to experience STEM applications. Our students benefited from the conferences, studied the designed robots, learned about the materials and programs of the robots in the competitions. They also had the chance to work with 3D printers and were interviewed by the students at the stands. Some students found themselves in a university environment for the first time and talked to the robot. This trip has developed their goals and it was very useful for their future.

More Info: http://ituro.org/en/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoGwpPANjEM

Activity 2

In the second activity, we had organized a STEM festival in the Princes’ Islands on April 23 with the students of the STEM course and Harezmi course for more than 100 students from primary & secondary schools (3rd-7th grade) around the Adalar in Istanbul. Several STEAM related workshops have been prepared for them by STEAM-teachers and students of the school.

There was not only Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in our festival. Also, we provided a STEM and art meeting too. In our STEM and music event, our children’s orchestra performed live at Sabiha Gökçen Airport. Our students attended to the festival by singing and dancing English songs. Our students participated in our festival with their paintings “Sustainable World”.

Especially zero waste and organic farming stands attracted much attention. Our workshops included the production of worm castings, citrus jam making and the production of yoghurt by fermenting milk using stinging nettle. Hundreds of visitors attended the festival, especially our events.
 
Our students were giving information to the festival attendees. They explained what the problem was and how to solve it with their design. The students at the stands were able to manage the workshops, program the robots and make competitions.

During the festival, each student was able to tell a different friend’s project. They were acting as a team, not individually. This was the best time for all of us.
The list of our workshops is below.
? Scratch Coding
? Mbot Makeblock Coding
? Codeorg Coding
? Animation
? Lego Boost
? Lego MindStorm
? Arduino
? 3D Printing
? Unplugged Coding
? Maker – Bumerang

More Info: http://www.adalar.gov.tr/ogrencilerimizin-stem-sergisi-buyuk-ilgi-gordud
Videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7F-JmaK4YI

Activity 3

In our last activity, we made artworks with our students from household waste materials. We had attended “April Art Gateway” organized by the Municipality with our students. Famous painters, architects, designers and engineers in this event, mentored by the students, created scientific and artistic designs from plastic, wood, metal, paper, fabric, wool and similar waste materials. This work on the street attracted the attention of visitors to Buyukada which is a touristic area. They joined our workshops. At the end of the workshop children’s designs were exhibited.

More Info: http://www.adalar.bel.tr/haberler-sayfasi/bizden-haberler/283/nisan-sanat-gecidi-duzenlendi.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1zQcnJF_0o

At the end of our activities;
Our students developed 21st-century skills such as problem-solving, effective oral and written communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity etc.

Our students saw that people from different cultural backgrounds can interact in a different way.

In fact, at the end of the STEM Discovery Week all students received their gifts. It was an exciting journey for all of us.

Digital Publish Magazine: https://issuu.com/adalarstem/docs/makale-adalar-scientix-discovery-we

Social Media Hashtag: @adalarstem #adalarstem