Science: Unlocking potential

Senior Research Engineer at NASA, Thomas Benson, said: “It’s funny how many guys in my building at NASA started out flying kites or building model airplanes. Future astronauts and aerospace engineers will likely begin their careers as children flying kites. To fly a kite is an excellent way for students to gain a feel for aerodynamic forces.” So with that in mind, at our Primary STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths) club we made our own kites and flew them.

Along with introducing a bit of trigonometry and Pythagoras theorem in order to determine the altitude of the kite, we also watched some Mary Poppins. And showing true British values, we didn’t let the weather get the better of us, and simply flew the kites indoors instead! Mr May, one of our Physics teachers, videoed the kites from the air using our air drone. I have to say, I was quite impressed with the flying, but then again he has spent eight years previously flying aircraft for the RAF.

We made our own kites and flew them

We also looked at current research in using kites as an alternative source of generating energy. It was great too, to have Colin Piper, from the Institute of Physics, visit our Primary STEM club, enthusing the next generation of physicists.

By bringing the strands of STEM together, these subjects come alive. Even more fun was had in developing our PACA Cosmetic Beauty Range that we will be running as a social enterprise; there’s lots of science involved in cosmetics, technology in the design and production of the packaging, and maths required for running a business. We are also really excited that Ricardo Engineering, one of the foremost Automotive Engineering Consultancies in the world, have kindly offered their services to help Quinty and the team construct the Greenpower car. It’s a hub of activity here at Portslade Aldridge Community Academy!