Students at CEWA schools across the state recently turned their attention to a topic with endless opportunities for STEM learning in National Science Week: food. 

Food played a role far beyond packed lunches, canteens and hospitality classes during National Science Week, with the 2021 theme of ‘Food: Different by Design’ acknowledging the United Nations International Year of Fruits and Vegetables, and International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development. 

At La Salle College, students enjoyed the results of a liquid nitrogen-powered ice cream production line, with Science teachers and staff donning lab coats and goggles one lunch time to whip up more than 200 servings.

Chocolate, strawberry and vanilla mixes were frozen instantly with the aid of the liquid nitrogen (with a temperature of about –210 degrees Celsius) in a demonstration of food science and servant leadership by the Science team. 

At Our Lady’s Assumption School in Dianella, students looked at some of the often overlooked science behind healthy, everyday foods. 

Pre-primary students learnt about how potatoes are grown, and sampled cooked and mashed potatoes; the Year 2s created salad plates, and Year 5s explored why apples have wax coatings (while apples are often waxed for transport, storage and sale, they also produce some wax naturally).

Students from Kindergarten to Year 6 (as well as staff) at St Luke’s Catholic Primary School in Woodvale enjoyed a rotation of five activities in the school’s science room. 

Fruits and vegetables played a starring role – the St Luke’s scientists used microscopes attached to iPads to get close-up looks at their structure, and made music using carrots, potatoes, celery and mandarins with Makey Makeys.

One of the St Luke’s parents visited to share with the Year 6 students what it was like to make a career in science, and helped them to isolate the DNA of strawberries. 

An Augmented Reality app enabled students to experience milking a cow in the classroom, and graphs were created to find out what the favourite fruits and vegetables of staff and students were. 

St Bosco College students learned about agriculture with the help of technology, and technology’s role in agriculture, and shared their National Science Week learning with the school community via a video: