Science News
Balloon Challenge
In Term 2, Year 7 science students completed an investigation on forces which culminated in the development and testing of a balloon powered vehicle. Students competed against their classmates and classes completed against classes until the supreme car building team was unearthed at our annual completion. The winning teams are below:
1st - 7M - Joel, Jye and Max
2nd - 7O - Malia, Oakley and Danielle
3rd - 7P - Matilda
4th- 7B - Charlotte, Rebecca and Ava
Well done all!
Term 3
Term 3 will be a busy time for our scientists! Year 7 students will be investigating the Earth, Sun and Moon systems and how these systems interact to influence us here on the Earth. Students will explore Tides, Moon Phases, Eclipses and Solar Phenomena. This term students’ knowledge will be assessed in an examination in Week 8. Be sure to remind your budding scientist to start revision in Week 7!
Year 8 students are studying Energy. This term students will complete an investigation on the elastic energy of balls. Students will examine and analyse how changing ball type, drop height, temperature, air pressure or surface type affects a balls rebound height. Ask your child how many energy transfers and transformations occur from a ball’s release to the height of its rebound. Students will communicate their findings in a scientific report (this terms assessment) and should commence working on this at home in Week 4. The draft will be due in Week 6 and the final in Week 9 (9 September).
Year 9 science students will explore Exothermic and Endothermic chemical reactions in this term’s ‘Everyday Chemistry’ unit (chemical reactions often involve a change in energy due to breaking and forming of bonds - reactions that release energy as heat are known as exothermic reactions while those that absorb heat are endothermic reactions). For their assessment, students will be required to design and conduct an experimental investigation to analyse how energy in a reaction can be utilised. Students are required to write a report detailing their findings. Assessment will be assigned in Week 4; please check that your child is working on their assessment for homework from this date. The draft will be due in Week 6 and the final in Week 9 (9 September).
CE4K – Cutting Edge for Kids Conference – Griffith University
Cutting Edge for Kids 2019 was an incredibly rewarding experience. It provided us, as students, with the opportunity to experience firsthand what it is like to present in front of a group of students. As kids who all enjoy STEM it allowed us to further explore an area we are passionate about and instil some of that passion in the next generation of students. Seeing the excitement on all of the students’ faces was certainly one of the most rewarding parts of the day as it showed us the difference we are able to make.
On the day we were divided into two separate groups. One group led a forensics workshop that involved the students testing and identifying their fingerprints, as well as using pH to identify a solution; this allowed them to catch a ‘criminal’. The other workshop was on Rube Goldberg Machines and consisted of the students being separated into groups to create their own.
This day is definitely a highlight of the STEM year and one that I am very grateful to have the opportunity to be involved in.
Jaime Pryor, Year 11, PBC STEM Ambassador
PBC Students who conducted the workshops were STEM Ambassadors Jaime Pryor, Erin Woods, Jarreth Bisley, and Reef Thompson, assisted by Harrison Younie, Jaida Flynn, Matilda Heufel, Sarah Place, Matthew Lee, Jazmine Jones and Talulah Ratcliffe.