What is STEAM Education?
STEAM Education approaches Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics as one framework. By integrating these five disciplines, students get to use a creative process for their work.
The Life Cycle of a Plant
Did you know that our tiny island is home to almost 4,621 plant species? Wherever we look, we see flora and fauna. Singapore is not called a City in a Garden for nothing!
How did this begin? Just like you and me, a plant takes time to flourish. Refer to the diagram below to find out how plants grow!
Here’s how a plant grows:
The seed germinates in the soil to become a seedling. The seedling grows to become an adult that will produce flowers. The flowers can then bear fruits with seeds.
When the seeds are released from the adult plant, the cycle repeats itself again!
If you’re curious to learn how a seed germinates, you can check out a fun activity we have here!
Now, understanding and memorising the process of the life cycle of a plant can be tricky. So how can we make it easier?
Simple, through our movements! We can use our body as a learning tool. Memory and movement are connected — movement helps us associate concepts via actions. When we learn through play, it helps us remember things easier.
Instructions:
1. Reference the diagram below. Introduce Level One (Seed) and invite your child(ren) to suggest an action to accompany it.
2. Repeat with each subsequent level.
3. Start the activity by counting from Level One to Level Five and have everyone grow from a seed to a plant with flowers.
4. Next, try to replace Level One with its terminology. Repeat until everyone is confident.
5. To check for understanding, try calling out the different terms in random order.
6. Advanced: If everyone is familiar and ready to be challenged, name two or three different terms in a row. Check if they can physicalise them accordingly.
Through this fun and educational STEAM activity, your child(ren) will be able to learn about the plant cycle in an engaging way. You could try replacing the plant cycle with other cycles such as the life cycle of an animal or the water cycle!
What is the difference between STEM and STEAM Education?
STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
Believe it or not, the best STEM curriculums already integrate the arts! STEAM takes it to the next level by being more deliberate and calculated in the use of the Arts when guiding young learners’ inquiry, dialogue and critical thinking skills.
The aim of STEAM Education is to develop children and young people to take thoughtful risks, engage in experiential learning, persist in problem-solving, embrace collaboration, and work through the creative process.
Curious about the integration of Arts and Science in our STEAM approach? Check out our digital workshop — Growing Greens, a Creating Curiosity collaboration with Singapore Repertory Theatre and Science Centre Singapore! (**This workshop is already over.**) It features a series of immersive watch-along-and-learn videos that encourage learning about plants through hands-on activities and role-play. Click here to find out more.
This article was written in collaboration with Singapore Repertory Theatre.
Written by Jelaine Ng Sha-Men, Resident Learning & Engagement Officer, Singapore Repertory Theatre
Illustrations by Lim Daphne
