Be Prepared.

Through STEM curriculum at St Aloysius, students develop key skills including, problem solving, creativity, teamwork, independent thinking, communication, and digital literacy.

The world is changing. The jobs of our generation are disappearing and with the dawn of automation and new jobs are emerging as a result of technological advances. These advances in technology are changing the way our students learn, connect and interact every day. Skills developed by students through STEM provide them with the foundation to succeed at school and in the future world they will inherit.

Demand for STEM qualifications and skills is high, and will continue to increase in the future. Currently, 75 per cent of jobs in the fastest growing industries require workers with STEM skills. To be competitive, our students needs to be able to adapt to a changing world and an ever evolving workplace.

STEM empowers individuals with the skills to succeed and adapt to this changing world.STEM education covers the specific knowledge and skills found in science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines. It also covers the interrelationship between these areas, allowing learning to be delivered in an integrated way, helping a deeper engagement in the four disciplines. Through STEM education our students will develop key skills including, problem solving, creativity, teamwork, independent thinking, communication, and digital literacy. (STEM education in Victoria, 2022)

The STEM Curriculum

Years 7 & 8
Years 9 & 10
VCE

Years 7 & 8

In Years 7 and 8, all students undertake 3 periods of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths) per fortnightly cycle where they will engage in a range of activities aimed at developing the key skills required within the fields of STEM, whilst also deepening their understanding of the concepts covered within each subject discipline. Students work with industry mentors using the Design Thinking Process to develop novel solutions to real-world problems. Through this Design Thinking Process, students' development can be focused on key skills including, problem solving, creativity, teamwork, independent thinking, communication, and digital literacy.

Projects run across these year levels include:

  • Robotics
  • Coding
  • 3D Printing
  • App Design and Building
  • Geometric String Art
  • Wearable Technology
  • Engineering Challenges including the design and build of Hot Air Balloons
  • Sustainability Projects

Years 9 & 10

In Years 9 and 10 students can chose STEM as an elective subject. Here, they will look to consolidate their learnings from Years 7 and 8 and further develop their understanding of the challenges and problems we face as a society and how we can look to use innovation and technology to create novel solutions. Students will delve deeper into Design Thinking, through which they will investigate the first stage of the Design Thinking process, which is to gain an empathetic understanding of the problem they are trying to solve. This involves consulting experts to find out more about the area of concern through observing, engaging and empathising with people to understand their experiences and motivations, as well as immersion in the physical environment to gain a deeper personal understanding of the issues involved.

In Year 9, students work independently and collaboratively to complete three projects covering off different learning areas:

  1. Investigation of the forces that act on an object, the types of energy involved and how energy is transferred between objects
  2. Using their understanding of forces and motion, students design an overly complicated machine that completes a simple task
  3. Computer-Aided Design, culminating in the conversion of this design into a physical product with the use of a 3D Printer

Year 10 STEM showcases the skills developed in Year 7-9 STEM through the completion of the Future Earth Project. This involves

  • Researching a problem that affects an individual, community or nation, then designing and building a solution to solve the problem
  • Leaning about the United Nations Sustainability Goals, exploring:
    • Water, energy and food supply
    • Decarbonisation of socioeconomic systems
    • Safeguarding terrestrial, freshwater and marine natural assets
    • Building healthy, resilient and productive cities
    • Promoting sustainable rural futures
    • Improving human health
    • Encouraging sustainable consumption
    • Increasing social resilience to future threats

VCE

STEM is a rapidly changing field and as such the VCE subject offerings continually change and evolve with the demands of future studies and careers. The St Aloysius VCE curriculum is designed around the interests, career objectives and educational goals of each cohort, and STEM subjects are delivered by passionate staff who are experts in their chosen fields.

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