Building A Life-Sized F1 Car is Now Part of Class! Nexus Makes STEAM Learning a Hands-on Fun Experience

Book your personalised school tour to find out how your child can get into pole position at Nexus International School (Singapore)

Parents, we know what you’re going to say: learning sure didn’t look like this when we were kids! These days Year 8 learners in the Middle Years Program (MYP) at Nexus International School (Singapore) are designing motor racing cars out of cardboard in collaboration with a top-class artist!

Learning about real-life applications of STEAM

Marking the return of the Singapore Grand Prix, this study of real life applications of STEAM principles – that’s science, technology, engineering, arts and maths – is just one example of how Nexus goes beyond the textbooks in their learning for children from 3-18 years old.

Working in collaboration with local Singapore artist butterNmilk (aka Bart), the process of building the F1 car had junior engineers considering both the technical and aesthetic in terms of designing a winning vehicle. Through this hands-on activity, kids learn about how STEAM concepts fit into real-life scenarios which makes the lesson more meaningful.

Learners discover concepts behind F1 design decisions

From designing liveries for the Nexus F1 car and testing different types of tyres, to exploring the design of F1 race tracks and race strategy and considering the various components to reduce drag, this experience required holistic and out-of-the-box thinking on a grand scale.

Using techniques similar to those used in the car design industry, students even sculpted 3D clay car prototypes and created a wind tunnel from recycled materials to test how aerodynamic their vehicles were. We’re sure a few future automotive engineers were created in the process, too!

Masses of fun aside, using real-life scenarios such as this has many benefits for learning, making it both immersive and meaningful. Nexus believes that when learners are engaged, they learn the best, and this was just one example of how Nexus learns differently. Creating a super-sized model draws on a combination of concepts and skills, as well as problem-solving, collaboration, innovation, communication and so much more.

Want to find out more about how your child can benefit from true interdisciplinary learning in action? Get in touch with Nexus to book a personalised tour of their outstanding campus.

Nexus International School (Singapore), 1 Aljunied Walk, Singapore 387293, [email protected], Tel: (+65) 6536 6566, www.nexus.edu.sg