At Aspen Heights British School, we strongly believe in providing enriching and engaged learning opportunities that help all our children develop important skills to become leaders of the future. Launched by ADEK in 2012, Lema (meaning “why?” in Arabic) is a programme intended to cultivate a love of STEM (Science/Technology/Engineering/ Maths) in students throughout Abu Dhabi. Our students from Year 3 and Year 5 recently took part in “Energy Futures” and “Prepare for Take-off” workshops conducted by the Lema team that visited our school.
“It was a great programme that the children thoroughly enjoyed,” said Matthew Wilcox, Year 3 Teacher at Aspen Heights British School. “It made the learning fun, through practical demonstrations and age-appropriate humour that the children absolutely loved. The Lema project encourages children to “work scientifically” and apply their knowledge to real-life situations. This ensures the learning is worthwhile whilst invoking a sense of curiosity. Furthermore, the project allowed the children to play their part in setting up practical inquiries into renewable energy sources by playing the part of little engineers,” he continued.
Students participate in experiments and practical demonstrations, which will allow them to further their interest in Science topics in school and encourage creativity. The workshops also aim to develop student knowledge in STEM programs, with the belief if children express an interest in STEM subjects at this age, they are much more likely to pursue a career in a related field later in life.
Aljoory, a Year 3 Sunbirds student said: “I enjoyed the show. It was amazing, exciting and lots of fun. I really liked it because it was funny when they kept making jokes. I liked the experiments because they were cool activities.”
Jack Henderson, a Year 5 Teacher at Aspen Heights British School, explains one of the many reasons why this is an important programme for the school to be involved in. “At Aspen, we promote sustainability across our curriculum, and this opportunity aligns with our views. The children were able use their prior knowledge to help understand the difference between a variety of energy sources, evaluating which can be utilised most effectively,” he said.
To read more about our curriculum and our individualised approach to education visit https://ahbs.ae/primary-school/.
