STEM Design Challenge at Zoos Victoria
Design solutions for conservation problems by taking part in Zoos Victoria’s online STEM Design Challenge.
Foundation – Year 10 students are invited to use their STEM skills, knowledge, and an engineering framework called Design Thinking to innovate solutions to real-world conservation problems.
This online challenge is designed to be completed anytime during the term in your classroom, providing flexibility and enriching your students' learning experience without the need for an excursion.
Students can choose from two STEM Design Challenges:
1. Designing Zoo Enrichment – Our zookeepers need new enrichment ideas that safeguard the welfare of animals and enable them to use their senses, move their bodies and behave in natural ways. Students will design new and exciting enrichment ideas using the materials around them and share them with our Zoo staff.
2. Designing Conservation Technology – Our wildlife Conservation Scientists face several challenges when monitoring and tracking endangered species in the wild. Students will help to develop solutions to the problems Scientists face with using technology in wildlife conservation.
All schools that complete this challenge and share their story with us on our online platform will become a Fighting Extinction School and help secure a future rich in wildlife. You will also receive authentic feedback on your design by Zoos Victoria staff.
Submit your designs to the online platform before the 18 October 2024 to ensure you receive an invite to this year’s Showcase event on 15 November 2024 at Melbourne Zoo.
Here’s how to participate:
| Steps to complete the STEM Design Challenge | Designing Zoo Enrichment | Designing Conservation Technology |
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Step 1 - Watching the video introduction Learn more about each of the Design Challenges by watching the introductory video. Decide if you want to work on designing enrichment for zoo animals, or designing for wildlife conservationists in the field. |
Video intro | Video intro |
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Step 2 - Access the teaching guides Your teaching guide contains everything you need to work through the Design Thinking process with your students so they can ideate, design a prototype, build, test and refine their ideas. |
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Step 3 - Enjoy teacher professional development Before you start with your students complete this FREE optional 1-hour on-demand PD that will help you teach this program from beginning to end. |
STEM and Design Thinking PD F-6 STEM and Design Thinking PD 7-10
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Step 4 - Watch the STEM Design Challenge videos Explore the STEM Design Challenge videos for your selected species. Or watch them all to decide which species you want to work on. |
STEM Design Challenge -Animal Enrichment videos | |
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Step 5 - Use with additional teaching resources to extend student learning Use the additional teaching resources to help your students understand more about the species they are designing for. |
Animal teaching resources – Find the animal toolkit for other species |
Animal teaching resources – Find the animal toolkit for other species |
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Step 6 - Become a Fighting Extinction School Share and celebrate your students’ achievements by submitting pictures of your design via our online platform anytime. |
Want to work through the Design Thinking process with Zoos Victoria staff? We offer onsite excursions for STEM from Years 3-10.
