Science

Year 7 teachers have reengaged students with a Mini Science Expo. Students have been working through a series of work stations investigating the forces around them. The forces include gravity, magnetism, friction, buoyancy, surface tension and air resistance. This hands–on exploration prepares the students for their final Science CAT for the year, ‘The landing time of a parachute’. 

Our Year 8s are excitedly awaiting the dissection of a sheep’s heart upon their return. They have been investigating body systems over the past 4 weeks and now they will be able to observe the actual structure of the heart. A great way to deepen their understanding of how a mammalian heart functions.  

Year 9s have begun their inquiry project remotely, by designing, conducting and then evaluating their own scientific investigation. They have been guided through the process during their virtual lessons and we can’t wait to see their final reports that will be presented in the form of a scientific poster. This is fantastic preparation for practical investigations in senior school. 

Our Year 10 and 11 students are now putting the theory they have been learning into action by completing experiments as well as their independent practical investigations. In Chemistry, students have been learning about the properties of water, including how to analyse samples and methods for testing pollutants. Here are some of our Year 11s testing the amount of phosphorous in fertiliser. 

Year 12s have been busy both in class and at home consolidating their learning from Units 3 and 4. This involves a combination of theory lessons as well as applying their learning through activities and experiments. Our year 12 Chemistry class has been studying organic chemistry and the various methods that are used to identify and quantify organic compounds. Here the students are performing a titration to determine the actual mass of aspirin present in aspirin tablets. 

Skye Jennings
Science KLA Head