Learning and Teaching for STEM Education

As discussed in Section 3.4 of this Guide, promoting STEM education in the Mathematics Education KLA is one of the MRE/focal points of the ongoing renewal of school curriculum to enable students to become lifelong learners of science, technology and mathematics and to meet the changes and challenges in the era with rapid advancement in technology. When incorporating STEM learning activities in the school Mathematics curriculum, schools can adopt the following two approaches:

Approach One: Learning activities based on topics of the Mathematics Education KLA for students to integrate relevant learning elements from the Science Education and Technology Education KLAs

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Figure 5

In this approach, the design and development of the learning activity is based on a particular topic of the Mathematics curriculum (see Figure 5). For example, P6 students could be requested to design and build rubber band powered toy cars in the learning unit “Speed”. Students recognise and apply the related concepts through the attempts to improve the speed of the toy cars. Relevant learning elements are drawn from other KLAs such as recognizing energy conversion.

Students also need to integrate and apply the knowledge and skills they have learned in Mathematics and General Studies (see Example 6 of this Guide for details).

At the secondary level, knowledge and skills of the subjects of the Science or Technology Education KLAs can also be integrated with different topics in the Mathematics curriculum. For example, teachers could use designing a measuring spoon as a real-life application of the mathematical knowledge related to the volume of spheres. The technological knowledge in the design of the product, such as how the thickness of the material affects the volume and design can also be embedded (see Example 18 of this Guide for details).

Below is a table showing some examples of STEM activities and the related topics under different strands in the junior secondary Mathematics curriculum.

To Integrate & Apply

Topic

learning elements

learning

elements learning elements

A topic from Mathematics

Relevant learning elements from SE & TE KLAs

Topics Examples of STEM activities Number and Algebra Strand

Scientific notation The applications of scientific notation in science or technology subjects can be discussed in lessons to illustrate the advantages of using this notation to present and compare values. For example, students could be asked to compare the sizes of different cells in our body, and the computational speeds of different computer processing units.

Ratios Students could be asked to estimate the nutrition value of packed food product by applying knowledge on ratios and by referring to the nutrition information on food product labels.

Binary numbers The application of binary numbers in computer systems could be used as an example of applications of mathematics. In a computer, the binary system is adopted for the expression of numbers and characters, and for performing logical and mathematical operations. Interested students could be asked to investigate the amount of data that an 8-digit binary number holds.

Measures, Shape and Space Strand

Errors in measurement Students could be asked to design a method to investigate the errors in measurement by some common GPS tracking apps. Students may compare the measurement results of the apps with those of other measuring tools, and discuss the reliability of the apps and ways to reduce errors in measurement.

Volumes of 3-D figures Students could be asked to design a funnel or a box with specified volume and shape that would use the least amount of material to manufacture. Students could use spreadsheet software and apply the formulas for the volume and surface area of a circular cone or a cuboid for exploration. Students could also use 3D

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Topics Examples of STEM activities

printers to realise their design for verification of their calculations.

Trigonometric ratios Students could apply knowledge of trigonometric ratios to authentic problems. For example, students could find the distance between the school campus and a nearby building by measuring the angles of elevation of the building from two different levels using angle-measuring apps on a tablet computer or a mobile phone.

Data Handling Strand Organising data and

constructing statistical charts

Students can conduct a cross-disciplinary project on healthy diet menu for the school lunch box supplier.

They could analyse and estimate the nutritional values of different food ingredients and conduct a survey to collect information about the food preference of their fellow students. They can then design a diet menu meeting students’ nutritional needs and their food preference.

Uses and misuses of statistical charts

When doing project work for the Science, Technology, Mathematics KLAs or on cross-KLA topics, students can collect data from secondary sources (e.g. the average annual rainfall in Hong Kong and the energy consumption in Hong Kong) to assist their exploration. Students need to interpret the data and present the results appropriately. Sometimes if the data come from graphs through the printed or electronic media, students need to evaluate whether the graphs is misleading to avoid misinterpretation.

Approach Two: Projects for students to integrate relevant learning elements from different KLAs

Figure 6

In this approach, a project learning activity is adopted to integrate all related learning elements from the Science, Technology and Mathematics Education KLAs (see Figure 6). Students start with an authentic object of studies, for example, designing a healthy diet menu for the school lunch box supplier. If the project is carried out by upper primary students, they could design the menu by applying their mathematical knowledge on fractions and decimals, their computation skills, together with the knowledge on food pyramid and nutrition in General Studies.

Primary teachers could guide students to apply the concepts of percentages on studying the nutrients in different food and to construct statistical charts for presentation and analysis. For junior secondary students, their investigation could go further by applying their knowledge in Science about the contents of food, nutrient science and a balanced and healthy diet to formulate a theoretical framework in designing the lunch menu. They could apply suitable statistical methods learnt in Mathematics to collect and present data, such as students’ food preference, and use an appropriate choice of measures of central tendency. They could apply the concepts of ratio and errors in calculating food ingredients. For senior secondary students who have been equipped with knowledge of linear programming, they could be guided to extend the use of these mathematical concepts to formulate a mathematical model for this real-life scenario, and with the aids of IT, the mathematical model could be solved for a menu with optimised nutrition. Students could also make use of their knowledge on food preparation in the Technology Education curriculum to actualise a practical menu. Teachers of

To Integrate & Apply

ME learning elements TE

learning elements SE

learning elements