STEM in Sports and Dance (LS-MT-33)

STEM education through a cultural approach deepens learning through inquiry, problem-solving, and personalization of learning. This STEM learning scenario gives an opportunity for students to experience mathematical and scientific underpinnings they need for the 21st-century workforce. In addition, the cultural aspects of this STEM learning scenario are mainly sports and dance. Indeed, this learning scenario aims at promoting a growth mindset through the context of Paralympics.

Hence, this learning scenario, structures itself around 3 different activities:

• Maths (Data Handling) – Firstly, students learn how data handling can help them to sort the information they see in one of the Europeana collection. Therefore, they draw bar charts and frequency tables. Students interpret data, through specific questions related to the bar charts and frequency tables.

• Science, Technology, and Engineering (WeDo Lego Computational Thinking) – Secondly, students learn about the history of Paralympics. Next, they look at a certificate of Kay Espenhayn and learn about her life. Following the context of the Paralympics, they need to solve a problem for a visually impaired skier. After which, they have to find a solution for the skier to ski safely.  After discussing possible solutions together, students see a picture of the first toy robot produced in Japan, Lilliput, using one of the Europeana collections.  They talk about what robots do and understand that they can build a spy robot for the skier. Students build this robot using WeDo Lego and tablets.

• Maths (Creativity) – Students look at a dance poster from the Europeana collection.  Then, they think and discuss any mathematical information seen on the poster. After that students discuss what other mathematical information they need to be able to attend the particular event.

Would you like to know more about this learning scenario? Download it now:

Did you find this learning scenario interesting? You might also like:

• From the photon to the leaf
• Brain Challenges
• The life and work of Charles Darwin

CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 – The featured image used to illustrate this article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution. It has been published by the Battersea Arts Center. It has been resized and labeled to illustrate this article. To find the original image click here.