STEM Week: Hands-On Discovery

DSKI came alive with curiosity and excitement as students celebrated STEM Week in the STEM Room through a series of engaging, hands-on experiments. The week provided young learners with meaningful opportunities to explore science concepts while developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

One of the highlights was the Static Electricity experiment, where students discovered how objects can attract or repel without touching. 

The Grade 2 students used different fabrics to create static energy that could move an empty soda can across the table. Their excitement grew even more when they discovered that a charged balloon could make their hair stand up, turning learning into a moment of laughter and wonder.

 

The Quicksand experiment was another favorite, allowing students to investigate how solids and liquids can act together in unusual ways. They eagerly tested on the dinosaurs how objects sink or stay afloat, deepening their understanding through exploration.

In the Rainbow Water activity, students explored color mixing and density, creating vibrant layers that sparked discussions about how liquids behave.

A particularly exciting challenge was designing the strongest boat that could hold the most marbles. Students worked collaboratively, testing and improving their designs while applying creativity and engineering skills.

STEM Week at DSKI was a wonderful celebration of inquiry, innovation, and discovery. It encouraged students to ask questions, take risks, and learn through experience—building a strong foundation for future scientific thinking.

STEM Week at DSKI was truly a celebration of exploration, discovery, and joyful learning.

 

Mission to Space

This week, the Grade 2 students took part in an exciting Mission to Space simulation as part of our unit of inquiry about the solar system. The young astronauts prepared for their journey by bringing a space bag filled with items they believed would help them survive in space. 

Students carefully thought about what astronauts might need, such as food, water, oxygen, and tools, showing creativity and problem-solving skills.

Before beginning their journey, the young astronauts attended an important mission briefing where they learned about safety procedures and their role in the space mission. 

To prepare for entering the spaceship, students passed through a special “space tunnel” where they practiced procedures to avoid contamination, just like real astronauts do before going into space.

Once the mission began, the classroom transformed into a space station as students imagined traveling through the solar system. 

They fastened their seat-belts, geared up and took off!! 

During their journey, they “visited” different planets and explored various celestial bodies such as the Moon, stars, comets, and the Sun. 

 

At each stop, students shared facts, asked questions, and recorded interesting discoveries about what makes each object in space special.

Through this simulation, students worked collaboratively, discussed their ideas, and deepened their understanding of how the solar system works. 

The activity sparked curiosity and excitement as students imagined themselves as space explorers. This hands-on experience encouraged them to ask questions, investigate new ideas, and develop a greater appreciation for our amazing planet Earth.

They also began to think more carefully about why Earth is a unique planet. Students discovered that Earth has the right conditions for life, including air, water, and the right temperature.

Moving on to the next finding out stage, through a series of simple experiments and investigations, students will begin to understand how different conditions on Earth support life. Next week they will explore the importance of water, air, sunlight, and the right temperature that makes it possible for plants, animals, and people to live on our planet. 

However, students will also discover that life on Earth is complex. Many different systems work together to create the environment that living things depend on. These experiences help students appreciate the unique conditions of our planet and understand that living things benefit from the special privileges provided by the place we call home—Earth.

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Book Talks

 

Talking with a book on hand  is a simple yet powerful activity that encourages students to become curious and engaged readers. In this activity, students discuss a book, share their thoughts, and ask questions based on the book they read. Instead of just reading quietly, students actively talk, listen, and learn from one another.

Working with a partner allows students to explore ideas more deeply. They might wonder about a word, the ideas, the information or ask questions about parts they do not fully understand. These conversations naturally spark curiosity, as students hear different perspectives and discover new ideas through discussion.

Book talk also builds confidence. Some students may feel shy about speaking in front of the whole class, but sharing with a partner creates a comfortable space where they feel safe to express their thoughts. As they exchange ideas, students learn to respect each other’s opinions and practice active listening.

Most importantly, this activity shows students that learning can happen together. When they ask questions and think collaboratively, they begin to see reading as an exciting journey of discovery. 

Through partner book talks, students not only strengthen their comprehension skills but also develop a love for asking questions, exploring ideas, and learning from one another.

As students inquire, they also take down important facts and information about the sun, moon, planets, and other celestial bodies. Writing these ideas helps them organize their thinking and record their learning. Students become young researchers as they identify interesting details, new vocabulary, and surprising discoveries from their reading.

The information they gather does not stop with the discussion. Their recorded facts and ideas are added to our unit wall, where the class displays key learning about the universe. This wall becomes a living space for knowledge that students can revisit throughout the unit. Each time we return to it, students reflect on what they already know and connect it to new learning.

Our Place in the Universe

Our new unit explores the central idea that Earth is surrounded by space and is part of a complex universe. 

What does that mean for us?

During this unit, Grade 2 students will learn about different celestial bodies such as the Sun, Moon, planets, stars, and asteroids. We will explore how these objects move and interact with each other in the solar system. 

We will also focus on why Earth is a unique planet. 

Students will think about what makes our planet different from other planets and why it is important to take care of it.

Through discussions, research, models, and creative projects, students will develop curiosity about space and our place in the universe. This unit encourages learners to ask questions, explore ideas, and understand that we are part of something vast and interconnected beyond our world.

To begin our unit, we started by exploring what we wonder, what we already know, and what we think about some elements of the solar system. Students reflected on their prior knowledge and shared their ideas through writing and discussion. This helped us see the different thoughts and understandings everyone brought to the classroom.

 

As we shared our ideas, we discovered that our curiosity about space is deep and exciting. Many of the things we talked about are objects we have never seen or experienced ourselves, yet we still have ideas and questions about them. 

Students eagerly asked questions and wrote down what they believe they know about the universe.

Through this process, we also realized something important: even when we think we know a lot, there is still so much more to learn and discover. Our conversations showed that the universe is full of mysteries that make us want to keep exploring. 

This beginning stage of our inquiry helped us understand that curiosity is an important part of learning and that our questions will guide us as we continue to learn about the solar system and our place within it.

Next week, students will focus on asking meaningful questions about space and the universe. We will begin with several provocation activities designed to spark curiosity and thinking. 

Students may observe images and videos of planets, stars, and galaxies, explore simple models of the solar system, and discuss surprising space facts. These experiences will encourage them to wonder, predict, and share their ideas with others. 

Learners will write and discuss questions to help develop inquiry skills and prepare them to investigate and discover new knowledge throughout our unit.

 

Egg Drop Challenge – Engineering for a Safe Baby Landing

In this exciting investigation, students take on the role of young engineers. The goal of the Egg Drop Challenge is to design a machine that will bring the “baby” (an egg) safely back to Earth without cracking when it is dropped from a height. 

Through this activity, students explore how thoughtful design, creativity, and testing can help solve real-world problems.

Using the IB Experiment Design Cycle, students follow a series of steps that guide their learning and help them improve their ideas.

Plan

Students begin by thinking about the problem: How can we protect the egg during the drop? They brainstorm ideas, discuss possible materials, and draw a design of their machine. At this stage, students think carefully about how their design might slow down the fall or cushion the landing.

Create

Next, students build their egg protection machine using selected materials. This is an opportunity for them to work collaboratively, apply their plans, and turn their ideas into a real structure that will hold and protect the egg.

Test

Once the designs are ready, students test their machines by dropping them from a set height. During the test, they observe what happens and check whether the egg lands safely or if improvements are needed.

Improve

After testing, students reflect on the results. They discuss what worked well and what could be improved. Students then redesign or adjust their machines to make them stronger, safer, and more effective for the next test.

Through this challenge, students develop important skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration. They also learn that mistakes and improvements are a valuable part of the learning process—just like real engineers and scientists who continue refining their designs to achieve success.

Throughout the activity, students discovered that a successful design does not always happen on the first try. Testing their machines allowed them to see what worked well and what needed to change. Some designs protected the egg by slowing down the fall, while others used soft materials or creative structures to absorb the impact. Each test gave students new information that helped them improve their designs.

In the end, the Egg Drop Challenge showed students how curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving can help us design solutions that keep our “baby” egg safe on its journey back to Earth. It also helped students build confidence in thinking new ideas and discoveries to respond to our needs.

 

Important Discoveries in Time

Over time, important discoveries have helped humans understand the world and improve lives. 

Discoveries in education, science, engineering, technology, and architecture have evolved and developed throughout the years. But what drives us, as people, to keep searching, questioning, and discovering new ideas year after year?

That is where our inquiry has led us in this unit. We chose one discovery that made a significant impact on the world. Through this discovery, we worked together to gather information, learn about its history, explore the timeline of events, and understand what motivated scientists to work on these discoveries.

As we continue to feed our curiosity, we have slowly begun to understand needs from scientists’ perspectives.

Curiosity feeds ideas.
Ideas feed needs.
Needs feed discoveries.
Discoveries feed progress.

Interestingly, all these also depends on where we are in place and time.