SCIENCE NEWS
TERM 1
Year 7 studied a unit called “Working as a Scientist”. Students were introduced to working safely in a laboratory and conducting experiments. Moving into this term, Year 7 will use their new skills and knowledge to learn about the science behind their favourite sport.
Year 8 spent Term 1 investigating and designing a sustainable house. Students conducted their own investigations using the STELR house kits which allows students to build models of a house and test the different aspects of building materials and how these materials add to the sustainability and energy efficiency of a house. As Year 8 progress into Term 2 and their scientific knowledge improves, they will learn about the solar system and the structure of the Earth.
Year 9 studied the immune system this term and wrote a persuasive text on the question “Do vaccines do more harm than good?”. As Year 9 eagerly advances through to Term 2, they will be introduced to the world of chemistry. Discovering the structure of the atom and chemical reactions.
Year 10 were introduced to advanced Chemistry in Term 1 in preparation for Year 11. Term 2 sees Year 10 discovering the world of kinematics through designing and building a car made from everyday materials. This car will be used to investigate the effects of design on the speed of the vehicle and the distance it travels. The study of kinematics is a great lead into studying Physics in senior years.
EXTENSION SCIENCE
Year 12 students, Thomas Augustine and Leyla Boustani are completing research in Science Extension.
Thomas is researching thermal paste conductivity. Thomas is hoping to prove that thermal paste will improve a computer's ability to cool, leading to better performance of computers.
Leyla is researching mushrooms. Leyla is experimenting with growing mushrooms under different LED light regimes. Mushrooms are being grown under green, red and blue LED lights. Leyla is hoping to prove that mushrooms fruit more efficiently under blue light.
STAFF NEWS
The start of 2022 has been busy for the Science teachers at JTCC. We love a good competition and this year is no different. All the staff have been participating in the STILE Super Teacher Challenge. This challenge helps teachers develop skills in planning; formative assessment; blended learning and using student data.
Completing these challenges ignites Science teachers' super powers and gives us the opportunity to win prizes for the school and our students, such as the Van Der Graaf generator we won in a competition run over term 1.
Mr Damian Hatton has been invited to participate in a research project undertaken by NESA to support the Higher School Certificate Standards Setting process. The research will involve small groups of highly experienced teachers using their knowledge, understanding and professional judgement to simulate the standards setting process that is carried out as part of the HSC marking operation. Knowledge gained from this experience can be used to enhance Damians teaching, learning and assessment practices.