NEWS FROM SCIENCE
There is so much happening now in Science at St John’s it is not possible to include everything here, so we would like to share a snapshot of a few things happening in and around F block, since the return to school. It looks a little different learning under Level 3+ restrictions, but the Science teachers were really keen to see their students and have them learning kinesthetically. The ‘Science prac’ is back.
YEAR 7
YEAR 8
Students in Year 8 have been eggs-perimenting hard in the completion of their unit of work on Forces, trying to reduce the forces exerted on Eggbert while studying vehicle safety systems and how Eggbeth can withstand the forces when thrown at high speed into a bed sheet hanging from the clothesline (without safety equipment).
Investigating simple machines, such as pulley systems, inclined planes and an attempt to build a DC motor to demonstrate how an electric coil can generate a magnetic field that interact with magnets to generate rotational motion. Pretty Cool Stuff!!
YEAR 9
Students in Year 9 have been busy building and understanding the different types of electrical circuits, series and parallel. They have investigated the way in which voltage and current behave in each type of circuit, to help them decide how to get the best results from different types of circuits for different uses. Students then applied Ohms Law to calculate the resistance of electrical components, how this relates to both the voltage and the current in a circuit and finally electrical efficiency. Students have done really well applying their mathematical thinking skills while working scientifically, applying a number of formulas to their calculations.
Students then turned their investigations to Electromagnetic Waves and the wave equation, calculating the length of the radio waves from local South Coast radio stations. Students have also investigated the effects of reflection and refraction, and its effect on light passing through prisms and perspex blocks. With their new understanding students were able to build a small telescope using 2 lenses.
YEAR 10
Students in Year 10 are exploring the phenomena of Space from the beginning of time with the Big Bang, to exploring evidence to support the expanding universe. Students used a pinhole camera to accurately measure the diameter of the Sun.
The class also conducted chemical flame tests to help them understand how different elements emit a specific colour spectra, to help them understand why stars come in all different colours.
YEAR 10 SCIENCE BATTLE
SENIOR SCIENCES
Biology students have continued their start to their HSC year by investigating the cell’s heritable characteristics of mitosis and meiosis, images below show students preparing and viewing a wet mount of an onion root undergoing cell division by mitosis. Also modelling these processes as wall posters to hang in their classrooms throughout the HSC year as a reference point as they progress through the units.
HSC Chemistry (2021) students undertake their final practical revision activity, investigating carbonated soft drinks and the effects of disrupting the chemical bonding in proteins to enable us to make yummy treats like meringue.
Plans for National Science Week 2021 were disrupted due to the latest lockdown, the theme for this year was; 'Food - Different by Design', and so the Science staff decided that in light of the Climate Crisis we would offer our students and staff an alternative protein source to Beef and Lamb, by way of a Blind Taste Challenge. Check out some of the videos of this event below!