STEM and civic engagement activities for a broader educational experiences and career choice

ID 2025/2/STEM/118 

Activity description:

This topic is relevant and significant because it helps students connect their knowledge of electrical circuits and energy use with modern transportation technologies. The activity will help students understand how the chemical energy stored in a battery is converted into electrical energy and delivered to the electric motor, which converts it into mechanical motion. At the beginning of the activity, students will watch a short video about how electric cars work and discuss the question “How does electricity flow through a car’s systems?”, predicting the path of energy from the battery to the wheels. As the activity begins, concepts about the properties of series and parallel circuits, as well as the measurement of voltage and current, will be reviewed. In the practical activity, students will use educational stands to create electrical circuits and take measurements while adhering to safety requirements, as well as digitally analyse energy flows and simulate system failures. By participating in the course, students will strengthen their understanding of the relationships between electrical work, power, and energy, and will assess the importance of electricity in transportation and daily life.

Target audience: 7th-9th grade students

STEM field: Physics (Natural Sciences)

Topic/learning outcome: 9.3. How do we use electricity in our daily lives?

Duration: 80 minutes

Location: Students arrive at the activity organizer’s location—the Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Laboratory at LBTU Malnava College, Muižas iela 4, Malnava, Ludzas novads.

Suitability for participants with mobility impairments: no

Fee: EUR 60 per group. If necessary, payment terms can be adjusted or differentiated based on the number of participants, the duration of the session, or other objective circumstances.

Additional information: 
The achievement of the course objectives is supported by both the Electude digital learning environment available at the college and the LJ Create training stands. Electude provides interactive simulations, animations, and diagnostic exercises that allow students to understand the flow of energy in an electric vehicle from the battery to the motor in a safe, virtual environment. The training stands, in turn, offer the opportunity to reinforce this theoretical understanding through practical measurements, fault simulation, and visualization of energy flow under realistic conditions. The combination of both solutions provides a full cycle—from prediction and simulation to practical testing and evaluation—deepening students’ understanding of the importance of electricity in transportation and daily life.

CONTACT INFORMATION: Agita Zelča, Deputy Director for External Relations and Student Support; phone +371 27158686; email: agita.zelca@malnavaskoledza.lv

 

ID 2025/2/STEM/117

Activity description:

This topic is relevant and significant because it helps students deepen their understanding of the relatedness of organisms, their adaptation, and their importance in human agriculture. The activity will help students understand that species diversity and relatedness determine adaptive potential, while human selection and biotechnology influence this process. At the beginning of the activity, students will discuss the importance of determining relatedness in biology and agriculture, specifically regarding the selection and use of cereal crops in food. As the activity begins, the question of why different cereal crops have similarities and differences in appearance and characteristics will be raised. In the practical part, students will observe and compare the characteristics of rye, wheat, oats, and barley in a field/laboratory setting, as well as prepare biological drawings in the laboratory and create diagrams illustrating the relationships among these species. Finally, the results will be compared with systematic and phylogenetic diagrams, and a discussion will take place on how kinship and selection influence the adaptation and quality of cereal crops.

Target audience: 7th-9th grade students

STEM field: Biology (Natural Sciences)

Topic/learning outcome: 9.1. How are organisms connected to the environment in which they live?

Duration: 120 minutes

Location: Students arrive at the event organizer’s location at LBTU Malnava College, Kļavu iela 17, Malnava, Ludzas novads

Suitability for participants with mobility impairments: no

Fee: EUR 50 per group, regardless of the number of students. This amount covers the cost of materials, laboratory resources, and use of the experimental plot. All necessary samples, equipment, and supplies are prepared at LBTU Malnava College, giving students the opportunity to experience a real research environment and engage in hands-on work both in the field and in the laboratory.

Additional information: 
Malnava College is one of the national research centres where the evaluation of the agronomic characteristics of plant varieties is conducted. The aim of the research is to determine the differences in the yield, biological characteristics, production quality, and differences in chemical and technological properties compared to standard varieties, as well as the varieties’ resistance to diseases and pests and their suitability for cultivation under Latvia’s agroclimatic conditions. During the course, students will learn about research methodology, engage in practical work in experimental plots (during the growing season) and in the laboratory, analysing cereal characteristics and quality indicators. This allows the curriculum to be linked to real scientific research processes and demonstrates how genetic and morphological observations are used in breeding and variety evaluation.

CONTACT INFORMATION: Agita Zelča, Deputy Director for External Relations and Student Support; phone: +371 27158686; email: agita.zelca@malnavaskoledza.lv

 

ID 2025/2/STEM/115

Activity description: 
The topic “What Grows from a Seed?” is relevant and significant because it expands children’s prior knowledge about plants and their life cycles, allowing for a deeper understanding of natural processes. The activity will help children understand that every plant begins with a small seed and requires specific conditions—soil, water, and sunlight. At the start of the activity, children listen to a story about a grain’s journey to becoming bread, and examine and compare rye, wheat, and barley grains using real samples and images. This sets the stage by refreshing the children’s knowledge of plants and the food produced from grains. In the hands-on part, each child chooses a grain and plants it in a pot with soil, which they take back to the classroom for further observation. The children experimentally compare dry and moist soil, discussing the importance of water, sunlight, and soil in plant growth. Finally, the children draw one thing that helps a plant grow and use emotion cards for reflection. The teacher discusses with the children how they will care for their seed, thereby fostering a responsible and respectful attitude toward living nature. By participating in the activity, children learn practical skills, observation, comparison, and an understanding of the life processes of an organism—the plant.

Target audience: preschoolers

STEM field: Natural Sciences

Duration: 40 minutes

Location: Students arrive at the event organizer’s location at LBTU Malnava College, Kļavu iela 17, Malnava, Ludzas novads

Accessibility for participants with mobility impairments: no

Fee: free of charge

Additional information: 
The event will take place in the college’s Crop Science Laboratory, where children will be able to examine grain crops from experimental plots. This will foster children’s curiosity, build an understanding of the diversity of grain crops, and highlight their importance in daily life.

CONTACT INFORMATION: Agita Zelča, Deputy Director for External Relations and Student Support; phone: +371 27158686; email: agita.zelca@malnavaskoledza.lv