Magnetic Minds at the Girls in STEM Club

Another exciting week at the Discovery Science and Technology Centre saw the Girls in STEM Club exploring the fascinating world of magnets.  During a lively discussion, the girls discovered that magnets play an important role in everyday life, with applications in household items, electronics, motors and generators, medical equipment, transportation, data storage, industry, and navigation.  They learned how magnets help hold objects together, create movement, store information, guide direction, convert energy, and enable many machines and technologies to operate efficiently.

The first challenge for the girls’ teams was to identify, from a variety of objects, which items contained magnets, which were attracted to magnets, which were repelled, and which were unaffected.  The biggest surprise came when craft strings were attracted to magnets because they contained metallic wire hidden inside.

The next activity challenged the girls to identify the magnetic field of each magnet by drawing circles on paper showing the distance from which the same object could be attracted.  Once again, the girls were surprised to learn that size alone does not determine strength.  The type of material, the quality of the magnet, and the alignment of its magnetic domains all influenced magnetic strength.

The final challenge was to design a game using magnets.  The room quickly filled with excitement as the girls debated ideas, explored advantages and disadvantages, and worked together creatively.  Their imagination produced outstanding results, and each team confidently presented its game to the others.  The girls demonstrated wonderful sportsmanship, enthusiastically applauding and celebrating the achievements of every group.

These activities continued to inspire curiosity, teamwork, problem solving, and confidence among the participants.  Through hands on learning, the Girls in STEM Club encourages young women to explore science and technology in creative and practical ways, while building communication skills, resilience, collaboration, and enthusiasm for STEM opportunities.