The Year 7 Applied STEM Program has an Astronomy and a Marine Science focus. In Term one, students look at different space phenomena such as black holes, eclipses and construct their own telescopes. From Terms 2-4 students study marine science with topics ranging from Ocean acidification to behavioural and structural adaptations of fish and other aquatic organisms. Incorporated into the program is the School Pathways “Subs in Schools” competition, where students construct and test Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV’s) underwater, and then present their learning journey in a competition with other schools.

The Year 8 Applied STEM Program’s theme is Sustainability. In Semester 1 students focus on different types of energy use and compare renewable and non-renewable sources. Students gain some wonderful opportunities to learn about these energy sources through two main projects. The first involves the construction of a solar powered car, which students will race against their classmates constructions and then ultimately in the “Synergy Solar Car Challenge.” In the second project students build their own wind turbine to generate electricity, testing a number of variables that affect electrical output including gear ratios and blade pitch. Second semester sees a collaboration between Hampton SHS, Scitech and Shell in the NXplorers program, where students are asked to solve a real world problem. This culminates in a presentation to other schools and industry representatives at Scitech.

The Year 9 Applied STEM Program focuses on Engineering. Students follow the engineering process to take part in several long-term projects involving design and construction. Examples of projects in this course include boat building, robotics and automated systems. Groups will be tasked with producing a boat capable of carrying a student across the school swimming pool, designing an automated system in the school garden and building and programming robots able to complete simple tasks. Participation in external competitions is encouraged, with groups taking part in the Sleek Geeks Science Eureka Prize alongside their boat building project, requiring students to communicate a scientific concept to the general public through the creation of a 90 second video.

All projects in the course require groups to present their ideas, accept and incorporate feedback from their audience and refine their ideas to create a solution to a given problem or task. The ability to work collaboratively with a group is essential, with tasks relying on the equal participation of all members. Communication skills will be developed through the course, with all students given the opportunity to present ideas to both their peers and a wider audience.

The Year 10 Applied STEM Program focuses on Medical Technologies. Term 1 Students explore the world of the cell including the rich potential in applying stem cell technology to currently untreatable diseases. Term 2 provides an introduction to anatomy and physiology with the students conducting a number of dissections, including a heart, lungs, brain and eye. In Term 3 and 4, a number of investigations involving microscopy, agar plating, blood pressure and Forensic Science will challenge the students to think scientifically and formulate conclusions based on evidence. This investigative work the students carry out is consolidated in a day excursion at Edith Cowan University. At the ‘Follow Your Curiosity’ excursion, the students participate in laboratory activities including pipetting, centrifuging and simulations. By the end of the year, the Year 10 ASP students have participated in a wide variety of Medical Science activities, allowing them to practice a variety of skills and gain a deeper understanding of this field of Science.