The school year is quickly drawing to a close, but things are not slowing down in the Science domain here at the College. Here is an update from around the labs.

Year 7

Moving into their last topic for the year, our Year 7 students are studying Classification of Organisms. Pictured below are students team teaching each other about the classification of vertebrates. This is in preparation for their zoo incursion coming up on 16 November. Wild Action will be bringing the zoo to us, from Kangaroo joeys to Shingle Back Skinks. Students will have the opportunity to apply their knowledge of classification to animals through live encounters.

Year 9

With the warmer weather arriving, the much-anticipated solar oven STEM project is upon us. Using their knowledge of heat transfer and global warming, students are challenged to design a solar oven that can trap enough heat from the sun to make smores. The engineering design process is used in this activity, including a research, design, build and trial phase and then adjustments are made before the final cook-off. The ovens were constructed from recycled materials and required students to build their problem-solving skills to overcome challenges during the design process. So far this year, we have reached temperatures of above 70 degrees Celsius.

Year 11 Physics

In the new Physics study design, students research and present their stance on an issue, giving evidence based on physics concepts. There is a choice of 18 diverse areas of study for the task. Students embraced the diversity of the task, with some students researching the ethics of using radiation in medicine, to the pros and cons of nuclear power as an energy source, to what the weight limits should be for flight, through to how the shape of an instrument affects its sound and even whether we can trust the images we see.

We have included two examples below.

Please note when saving PowerPoint presentations to a PDF, all of the formatting is not exactly the same as the original designs and the animation can not be included.

Student Work

I chose the topic of F1 as a way of demonstrating something that isn’t commonly associated with a physics concept but which is so heavily involved that the information never stops. The g-force the drivers experience needs to be as controlled as possible for safety reasons and for the fastest car possible. The project allowed me to express a major interest and educate others as well!

Camryn Stubbs
Year 11

I chose the ethical issue relating to the value for our population of Physicists searching for Extra-terrestrial life in our universe. I chose this topic because I am interested in the evidence that supports the existence of aliens.

Mali Sullivan
Year 11

Summer Holiday Enhancement Opportunities

The Science Experience

Who: Year 9 and 10
Where: RMIT University, Melbourne
When: 23 to 25 January 2024
What: Year 9 and 10 students will engage in a three-day program and will work within teams to collaborate, learn and solve real-world problems using STEM principles. The workshops will be across a range of disciplines such as:

• Space science
• Technology
• Biomedical science
• Food science
• Allied health sciences
• Engineering

Students will have the opportunity over the three days to interact with academics, RMIT staff and current students. Teams will be led by our Women in STEM Ambassadors which will provide further opportunities for students to ask questions about university life and what a STEM career path might look like. The RMIT University Science Experience will engage, build curiosity and inspire the next generation of STEM superstars to explore career paths in STEM, make like-minded new friends, and see what University is all about in a supportive and safe environment.

Cost: $210 (3-day program)

Rotary sponsorship opportunities are available (please contact sarah.chuck@kilbreda.vic.edu.au)

For more information go to https://www.scienceexperience.com.au/

ENGage ENGineer

Who: Year 9 and 10
Where: Monash University, Clayton Campus
When: 15 and 16 January
What: Engage Engineer is a two-day event where Year 9 and 10 students have the opportunity to participate in various engineering related workshops to gain hands on experience about engineering. Activities include paper rocket launching, designing sustainable buildings, participating in a race using mini rovers you get to make and so much more! The workshops are presented by Monash Engineering Student Teams, and a tour of on campus laboratories and a Q&A panel is included!

Cost: Free

For more information visit https://www.monash.edu/engineering/meg/activities

Due to limited spots, registration is done via first come first serve.

Sarah Chuck
Learning Leader: Science