St Margaret’s pupils from 7 Junior enjoyed a visit to Duthie Park as part of their Stemovators project. Stemovators is an initiative designed to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers and tech experts, through providing award-winning STEM kits and teacher training to all Scottish primary and secondary schools.
Our very own Stemovators were in'tree'gued by their visit to Duthie Park, which saw them work closely with Rangers in two different sessions. The first was an investigation into tree classification, while the second was a practical lesson in tree measurement. The location of St Margaret’s means that the school is very fortunate to have local access to a variety of green spaces such as Duthie Park for outdoor learning opportunities.
As well as learning a lot of interesting facts about trees, the girls put their dexterity and critical thinking skills to the test when they got hands-on with the techniques used to work out the age, height and identity of a tree. Together with the Rangers, the girls looked at a cross-section of a 43-year-old tree and were amazed to reflect on all the events that the tree had lived through, including COVID, the invention of the internet, many Olympic Games and even the Mars Rover landing!
It was a great way to combine STEM with outdoor learning, encouraging curiosity and experimentation in real-world contexts, as well as fostering both respect for the environment and promoting teamwork, communication, and cooperation.