YEAR 8

Year 8 have been getting their heads around a range of topics this year. Investigating the structure of the Earth, Chemical Change and Resources. Getting their hands busy modelling the rock cycle with lollies, making fossils and modelling conglomerate rocks by making rocky road we explored the geology of the Earth. Through the Chemical change topic students investigated the properties of materials culminating in the production of a bioplastic as an alternative to conventional plastics which led into the next topic Resources. Where they investigated the conflicting need for resources with the environmental impact. Students then completed an assessment task on the benefits of technology on society. Students were required to complete a research scaffold before they completed the write up in class. 

YEAR 9

Students in Year 9 this semester have been learning about Global Systems and Energy and Matter in Ecosystems. Students have learnt about many aspects of Ecosystems including food webs and the interrelated relationships in different ecosystems, the impact of Greenhouse gases and global warming and the hole in the Ozone layer and global strategies that were employed to fix the hole including the Kyoto Protocol.  Students also learnt about the spheres of the Earth and how they are interconnected and the impact of natural disasters such as cyclones and volcanoes on these spheres. 

Students completed an assessment task on the Great Barrier Reef and investigated why it is a UNESCO site and researched human impacts on the Reef and management strategies to reduce these risks. Many students created websites to demonstrate their understanding and show their findings for this task.

YEAR 10

Year 10 Students are embarking on the serious end of stage 5 science and will soon be discussing subject selections as they determine a pattern of study for years 11 & 12. As such our students learning this semester have focussed on Genetics and Evolution, with their in-depth investigation focussing on human adaptations to live at high altitude. Exploring the genetic and physiological changes of Tibetans and the benefits of altitude training for athletes. Term 2 investigates chemical reactions with each topic the content becomes more abstract allowing students to utilise models to help with their understanding. In week 6 all students experience a formal exam in the hall on the first 3 topics, followed by subject selection discussions,  students are encouraged to ask their science teachers for advice and explore the information provided to assist in their decisions.

BIOLOGY

YEAR 11

Year 11 Biology students undertook a field trip to the Mt Kiera escarpment to investigate a rainforest remnant at its base. This is a mandatory component of the Biology syllabus and students soon got to grips with field sampling techniques and investigated the unique flora and fauna that is very different to their local bushland communities. 

YEAR 12

HSC Biology students in term 1 participated in a 2 day incursion here at St John’s to learn more about biotechnology - what it is, the science involved, and how it can be used to make biotech medicines.

The program featured a hands-on molecular biology approach, and gave students the opportunity to explore the methods scientists use to create biotechnology medicines. St John’s teachers in partnership with the University of Sydney and AMGEN Pharmaceuticals lead students through the molecular engineering process that allows human insulin to be mass produced in vats by bacteria. As we are unable to experiment on human genes, a red fluorescent gene from a sea urchin was engineered by the students into E. coli bacterium. Students had to manipulate the plasmids with restriction enzymes, run confirmation electrophoresis gels and amplify the target gene using Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a method widely used to rapidly make millions to billions of copies (complete copies or partial copies) of a specific DNA sample, allowing scientists (aka yr12 Bio students) to take a very small sample of DNA and amplify it (or a part of it) to a large enough amount to study/visualise in detail.

EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

YEAR 11

Year 11 Earth and Environmental Science students participated in a field trip around the Shoalhaven region, focusing on the Kiama Blowholes, Bombo Quarry, and Shoalhaven River. While on the field trip, they took water samples and tested the pH, salinity and for the presence of copper, took soil samples and tested similar things, looking at the human impacts on the environment. They also looked at a range of geological formations like columnar jointing that were previously covered in their classwork. This was a mandatory component of the course that provided students with skills necessary for future field trips.

 

YEAR 12

Fossils, concretions and dykes, oh my. A highlight of the Year 12 Earth and Environmental Science course was the field trip to Ulladulla at the beginning of the course. We travelled in inclement conditions down the coast towards the hotbed of geological sites that surround the Ulladulla region. The weather cleared up “mostly” as we combed the coastal rock platforms looking for clues into the geological past of the south coast. Mr Chard’s lyrical musings recorded at each site may have driven students slightly mad while writing up their field reports but nothing beats a bit of hands-on geological analysis.

INVESTIGATING SCIENCE

YEAR 11

Year 11 Investigating Science class have been busy this term working through their 30 hour Mandatory Depth Study. This depth study is based on Sustainable Housing, with a focus on energy conservation, integrating mathematical, technological and societal issues. Students have been able to select the focus of their Depth Study. Some students have elected to investigate impacts of heat resistant roofing materials, while others have a focus on insulation materials or to incorporate how the placement of a home may impact its ability to retain or reduce high levels of heat. We are looking forward to seeing their final results next term.

                           PHYSICS

YEAR 

Year 11 Physics students have just finished their second module which studied Dynamics. Students also recently completed their first Assessment task where they were required to calculate the value of gravity through the use of a pendulum. The new topic that has just commenced will introduce them to the properties of waves and heat.

YEAR 12

Year 12 Physics students have completed their final in class assessment task on Young's double slit experiment. This is a famous physics experiment that proved that light has wave-like properties. Over the next few weeks students will be learning about other features of light, including the quantum model. This model suggests that light is actually made of ‘packets’ of light called photons. Finally Einstein will be studied, including his contribution to our understanding of modern physics. 

SCIENCE EXTENSION

YEAR 12

Science Extension students have been working with their university mentors to produce high quality real-world research projects. The structure of the science extension course mimics academic research - students must produce a research proposal, undertake research, then produce a final 3000 word report as their major work. 

Isaac Sleath is currently writing some code that can be used to predict thermal degradation in solar panels. 

Liv Bendall is extracting compounds from native plants to test for antimicrobial activity.

Darcy Davis is designing a baffle (a cone that stops stray light) for an iphone camera lens as a proof of concept for the deployment of such baffles on satellites. 

All students travelled to the University of Wollongong on Wednesday 5th of June to present their research so far. 

CHEMISTRY

YEAR 11

We are thrilled to share the exciting progress of our Year 11 Chemistry students. They've been deeply immersed in discovering the composition and traits of various substances, gaining insights into the behaviour of different materials. This term, they've embarked on the quantitative chemistry topic, embracing it as a fresh challenge to conquer. The class have successfully completed their first assessment task for the year, a practical investigation demonstrating their mastery in applying the law of conservation of mass. In this assignment, they showed their creativity by designing and conducting their own experiments. 

Year 12 Chemistry students are working on a couple of experiments that are tied to organic chemistry and chemical analysis. Students will be producing ethanol from the fermentation of sucrose and distilling the final product, as well as producing methyl salicylate using an esterification reaction. 

The class has also been working on organic chemistry - this involves a lot of different reaction pathways!

Mr Charlie Coulson-Knight