Science

Perth Zoo, Science Cafe, Titration Competition and Forensic Science

Term 3 Science

Students have been engaged in a range of science activities over the last few weeks including an excursion to the zoo, a visit from the Curtin ‘ChemCentre’ as well as discussion with STEM professionals in UWA. 

 

The College also recently celebrated this year’s Science week theme of ‘food – different by design’. This year’s theme explores the role of science in food production as well as sustainable agriculture. It gives the opportunity to increase community understanding as well as support young people being active in a growing area of science-driven research and innovation. Students were able to sample some creepy crawly foods of the future in Science classes. They learnt that two billion people already eat insects as part of their regular diet. Insects are a great source of nutrients like protein, they are abundant and have less of a carbon footprint to produce.

 

Thank you to all staff and students who have participated in these activities over the last few weeks.

Mr R D’Almeida

(Head of Learning Area – Science)

 

Perth Zoo

On Friday 30 July 2021, the Year 12 ATAR Psychology and Human Biological Sciences students attended presentations at the Perth Zoo. 

 

First up was an engaging interactive lecture on Primate evolution tailored to our Human Biology students. They examined why humans are classified as primates and the evolutionary trends within the Primates order. The students were given different Primate skulls to visually assess for similarities and differences and wowed the lecturer in their ability to rank them from most primitive to least. 

 

Following the primates presentation was the fun-filled Psychology presentation. The Psychology students discovered how the principles of learning are applied to the care and management of Perth Zoo’s animals, including Komodo dragons, dingos, and orangutans. By far the favourite experience was being able to touch a real-life snake. 

 

During the break, students were able to walk around the Perth Zoo, observing animal social behaviour. Some of the favourite animals were the orangutans and rhinoceros’. Many students were keen to buy hot food and drinks due to cold and wet weather. 

 

Thank you Mr McGoorty for driving the school bus and Mrs Kremer for helping supervise the students. The Year 12 students represented the College wonderfully. 

 

Mrs A Gustafsson (Teacher of ATAR Psychology)

​​I had an awesome time at the zoo! Both the psychology and human biology lectures were fascinating as well as discovering just how smart our fellow primates can be. We were able to see and spend time with many animals and explore many exhibits. The whole day it felt as if the pages of our textbooks erupted into life.                                                                                  Juphil Jiji

 

My experience at Perth Zoo was very interesting, learning about the evolution of humans from apes and the use of psychological theories that assisted in the training and health care check of the animals was very inspiring, from an outside perspective, many don't realise the importance of psychology not only on humans but also on animals, knowing this was the key takeaway from the day. The lectures we attended were very engaging and seeing the zookeepers develop bonds with animals opened up my perspective on how significant their role is in taking care of our wildlife.                                                      Vaishikha Dhunookdharee

Forensic Science “Chem Centre” Incursion

On Monday 2 August, Forensic Scientist guest speaker Miss Jasmine McGann spoke to the Year 11 General Integrated Science classes about her work at the Chem Centre at Curtin University. She was accompanied by Mrs Jane Mitchell, a member of the Communications Team.

 

Our students are currently studying Forensic Science as part of their course, so this was a unique opportunity to obtain ‘inside’ information about the requirements, role and daily work routine of a Forensic Scientist, and more specifically in Miss McGann’s case, a chemical Forensic Scientist, specialising in analysing illicit drugs.

Here are some student comments after the presentation:

 

“The presentation was very interesting and informative, explaining what happens behind the scenes of crimes”.                  Jacinta Barraza

 

I learnt that I could identify various chemical substances easily and that the PPE worn by Forensic scientists is heavy and at times uncomfortable to wear. The real-life work of a Forensic scientist is not as ‘glamorous’ as what you see in TV crime series”.                                                                                  Thanos Snooks-Holding

 

“The incursion was well presented and we were shown some equipment used to analyse various substances. We were also informed of the different pathway requirements to study Forensic science after high school”.                                                                                                 Eriq Mills

   

“The presentation was related to content that we are studying in class. I learnt about this career and about the real-life situations where Forensic techniques are used”.                                                                                                Thayne Bridge

 

“It was interesting to find out about the many illegal drug labs (clan labs) in WA and how dangerous they can be, even for a Forensic scientist, who needs to dispose of these drugs in a safe and environmentally secure way”.                                                                       Raphael Amaro

 

Thank you to the Chem Centre at Curtin University for facilitating this experience for our students.

Ms D Tersigni 

(Year 11 General Integrated Science Teacher)

 

Science Cafe

On Wednesday 25 August 2021, eight students from Year 10 Science had the opportunity to attend the Scitech Science Café held at UWA. 

 

The keynote speech was given by Dr Paola Magni, a forensic entomologist, she gave a brief overview of her career and the diverse range of work she has accomplished, including working behind the scenes of movies. She talked about how having an interest in STEM can lead to careers that you might not imagine right now, as well as leading you to places around the globe. 

 

The students then had an opportunity to meet and ask professionals about their careers and experiences. The professionals varied from across STEM as well as from different countries. 

 

The event was a fantastic opportunity for the students to interact with their peers from other schools and learn from STEM professionals.

 

Miss K MaGee

(Chemistry and Science Teacher)

Student Reflections:

It was an experience that opened my eyes allowing me to be better informed about the different pathways branching from STEM. This opportunity allowed us to communicate with professors, UWA students and teachers who gave advice based on experience with the science industry.                       Sharie Fernandez

 

The Science Café was held by Scitech at UWA. Many people talked about their field of study at the podium and shared their experiences at the things they knew. We also had a chance to speak to professionals and uni students who were currently studying course that we might be interested in. It was a delightful experience to receive a professional’s perspective on university and their specialisations.

                    Jeann Valdez and Matthew Sanchez

 

Titration Competition

On Tuesday, 22 June 2021, Sonna Jacob, Matilda Seroney, and Isioma Onyemgba represented St Norbert College in the Royal Australian Chemical Institute’s (RACI) annual Titration Stakes. The ‘stakes’ were high as the competition tested their practical skills and knowledge of acid & base chemistry.

 

The competition involved students standardizing a solution before using it to find the number of moles of an unknown sample. The SNC team competed against 64 teams from schools across the wider Perth metropolitan area and placed 39th in a competition where the results were very close and came down to the fourth decimal place. 

 

The 2021 RACI titration competition was different to previous years to account for the COVID restrictions that were in place at the time. This year it was a true statewide competition, where schools had the opportunity to compete at either Curtin, ECU Joondalup or from schools in regional WA. The students did a great job adapting to a new format of the competition with very little notice.

During the competition the students were able to experience an undergraduate laboratory facility, as well as interact with students from other schools, and university students.

 

The students are to be commended for their enthusiasm, maturity, and dedication towards the competition.

 

Thank you to our lab technicians Ms Debbie Nugent and Ms Patrica Re for preparing the practice solutions and glassware for the competition.

Miss K MaGee

(Chemistry and Science Teacher)

 

We were overjoyed to be granted the opportunity to be the St Norbert College team. Entering the Curtin chemistry labs and comparing our school labs to the elevated facilities at Curtin was inspiring as all of us were able to imagine the possibility of completing our future learning in such a wonderful space. Also to see our very own chemistry teacher, Ms MaGee, interacting with her former colleagues and seeing some of her work displayed on the walls was extra motivation for us. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience of being in a high pressure, fast-paced lab environment, competing with other schools aiming for accuracy, precision and overall team work. It was a remarkable experience and an exciting way to spend the evening.

Sonna Jacob, Matilda Seroney, 

Isioma Onyemgba