Emma Gray, Head of Infant Science

The Infant School marked STEAM week by exploring air, wind and flight- and we were blown away by the children's questioning and curiosity! 

In Nursery and Reception, they explored the concept of air through play. This involved kite flying, bubble blowing, plane gliding, rocket launching and dropping mini parachutes. The children also investigated air during their Forest School session, where they examined how air moved- there were so many examples to talk about! Some children watched the way the trees sway, others questioned how the air could move their windmills when we couldn’t see it! We considered how we need air to breathe and why we need to take care of our air.  

Our Year One and Two children have been learning about what causes our air to become polluted. First they thought about what air is, with children questioning “Where is the air, I can’t see it?” “Where is it coming from?” and others helpfully responding, “It is in your lungs and it keeps your breathing healthy.” Another child shared “You can’t see it, but if you blow it you can make a wish!”

After one child concluded, “The air isn’t as clean as it could be!” The children  then looked at  sustainable fuel solutions for aviation, and considered what an aeroplane of the future would look like. Children created aeroplane models using Lego Wedo, junk modelling, paper or model kits. As they did so, they talked about different ways that their models could be sustainable:

• Electric Engines instead of burning fuel
• Solar panels
• Wind turbines
• Wind powers fans inside the planes instead of air con
• Eco-friendly plane design inspired by nature
• Plane is made from recycled materials
• Built-in seed dispenser as the plane flies
• Glow in the dark wings (not run on electricity to save energy)

Child climbing a tree in order to launch his parachute in Forest School:

Some examples of Aeroplanes of the future:

Design Thinking:

“I have used batteries instead of oil, because oil planes, they pollute. Because I want the planet to be a safer place” Year 2 pupil

The STEAM week has allowed our children to learn more about forces and power and also discuss sustainable ideas around air travel. Discussion and learning moments like these are an important part of how we build a culture of  sustainability at Tanglin.