Sydney Science Park Challenge

In Term 2 Year 9 and Year 10 students were given an opportunity to participate in a real-world Inquiry Based Learning project.

Students had an opportunity to use their scientific knowledge and research skills to collaborate, develop concepts and innovations that are sustainable, resilient, environmentally friendly and ensure a liveable city. This new city is proposed to be established in the Penrith and Liverpool local government areas.

Students looked at three Inquiry Based Learning questions relating to: Energy Needs; Recycled Water; and Urban Heat.

The proposed questions were:

• How can Celestino meet a future suburb’s energy needs from renewable sources?
• Can Sydney Science Park be completely self-reliant for power using renewable energy generation and storage?
• What are the most appropriate ways to use recycled water in a residential development?
• How can Sydney Science Park best manage water use that delivers the greatest economic and ecological benefits?
• How can Sydney Science Park deal with increasing urban heat?
• How do we make Sydney Science Park the most liveable city that supports the natural fauna and flora in the area?

Our Year 9 students decided to tackle urban heat and our Year 10 students renewable energy. During sport for the past two terms Ms Robinski facilitated the students during their Inquiry Based Learning. The students were visited by Mr Paul Stenning and Mr Chris Maguire, Science staff from the CEDP, who gave workshops to assist the students in their learning process.

On Tuesday the 3rd of November our students presented their findings and innovations to a small audience including Mr Kennaugh, staff from various faculties, Mr Stenning and, via technology we have mastered through COVID, special guest Mr Simon Toze from CSIRO in Brisbane.

The students are to be congratulated on their wonderful research, innovation and presentation skills. Mr Toze has asked the students to provide a report for submission to Celestino, the Luddenham property developer.

Year 9 Team:

Dominique Grepo

Kayla Marafioti

Alysha Pillay

Ameline Sen

Year 9 students looked at urban heat and how urban areas tend to generate more heat due to the mass amounts of concrete and other heat attracting materials used in infrastructure. As part of their research for the Sydney Science Park Challenge, they conducted an experiment to see what levels of heat different materials and surfaces absorb.

The results highlighted that certain colours absorb a certain amount of light, which is then produced as thermal energy. Darker colours, such as the colour black, absorb more light, creating more heat, whereas lighter colours, such as the colour white, produce a lot less. Taking the effect of colours into account, the production of thermal energy can be reduced significantly, just by having white roofs. White reflects all wavelengths of light from the sun and therefore absorbs the least amount of heat.

From their research the students also discovered that green infrastructure such as natural grass, trees and parks are environmentally friendly, cost-effective ways to reduce heat in our urban spaces as they absorb sunlight, shade hard surfaces, and create better air quality.

The students discovered through their Inquiry Based Learning that cities could reduce their urban heat significantly if they combined whites roofs with substantial natural green spaces. 

Year 10 Team: 

Raminder Saund

Nicole Suarez

Pankti Patel

Mark Cruz

Ishaan Pathak

Jeffrey Wong

Yuvraj Thind

Year 10 students looked at the benefits green energies such as solar panels, wind turbines and hydroelectric dams have on our environment, our finances and our health. The students also considered the contamination, ecological deterioration and global greenhouse emissions energy sources such as coal, gas and oil have on our world and our health due to the loss of clean air.

The students’ solution is to have a layer of piezoelectric tiles providing foot traffic sensors that generate electricity as people walk along them, while having a border of light-producing stones that take advantage of the sun’s exposure to absorb heat. This eco-friendly lighting solution provides a beautiful yet subtle outdoor lighting that requires no electrical power source making it ideal for pathways in public places that have high foot traffic. The students believe that these pathways are the future of green energy generation and can be used as an innovative substitute for street lights which are in extensive use today.