What's happening in Science
Yr 11 Biology
On Friday 17 March, students in the Year 11 Biology course conducted their mandatory fieldwork studies as part of the ‘Ecosystem Dynamics’ module at Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park. Students had the opportunity to participate in a depth study through a workshop involving the adaptations of various Australian wildlife, relating these to their environment, investigating the interdependence of species and the roles in the ecosystem, and assessing the impact of human activities on wildlife populations and habitats.
Students were able to observe animals in the entire wildlife park, with animals such as the penguins, quokkas, koalas and kangaroos being the most popular. As many students hadn’t visited Featherdale since they were in primary school, they found it very exciting to be able to gently pat and feed some animals if the animal felt comfortable enough to approach them.
Despite the hot, humid weather, we all still enjoyed ourselves, and students gained a deeper insight into the various adaptations of animals, how these help them survive in their natural habitat, the impacts of human activities on wildlife, and what we can do to help.
Junior Science
There has been a lot happening in Science on the Junior campus lately, as students continue to develop their understanding of various scientific concepts and practise different scientific skills.
- Year 7 students have conducted their Bunsen burner licence tests, and have now conducted practical investigations involving the Bunsen burner and other equipment found in the science laboratories. Students truly feel like scientists now!
- Year 8 students are learning about physical and chemical changes, with a keen focus on different chemical reactions. This topic allows students to conduct investigations involving some everyday chemical reactions such as corrosion, and other reactions done in the science laboratory such as that of magnesium and hydrochloric acid - very interesting indeed.
- Year 9 students had the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to design and conduct their own experiment! What a great way to showcase their learning, creativity and scientific thinking.
- Year 10 students have been studying genetics including extracting the DNA from fruit, learning of different biotechnologies and the ethics surrounding them. Students are now learning about how genetics and geology play a part in understanding evolution, and the different misconceptions and misunderstandings relating to evolution.
Overall it has been a very interesting few weeks in Science. We hope that while students rest, reflect and recharge over the coming Easter break, that students also continue to feed their curiosity and learn about the world (and even universe) around them, because Science is everywhere!
Mrs Hollero
Assistant Leader of Learning Science