SCIENCE WEEK

Science Week 2026

Last week, our school celebrated National Science Week with a range of exciting hands-on activities designed to inspire curiosity and creativity. Our grade 2/3 students became engineers, building and testing their own paddle-pop stick catapults and launching pom-poms. They investigated how pushing the launcher down different distances changed how far the pom-pom travelled, exploring how stored energy is transferred into movement.

Also, this term, the Year 2/3 students have been learning about ‘Earth’s Natural Resources’. They discovered where the everyday products we use come from, and how we can care for these valuable resources. As part of their learning, students had lots of fun making ice cream in a bag. They investigated where ingredients such as cream, sugar, cocoa, ice and salt come from, before exploring how we can reduce, reuse and recycle to help conserve Earth’s resources. 

The 4/5s have been exploring food chains and have been busy setting up an experiment showing how decomposers work within an ecosystem. The grade 5/6s were fortunate enough to go on an exciting excursion to Warrnambool for Science and Engineering discovery day! 

Secondary students have been studying different topics relating to Chemistry and Physics. The year 7/8 classes have been learning about the particle theory of matter and discovering the differences between physical and chemical changes of substances.

Our Y7/8 STEM students took a closer look at the fascinating world of plants through leaf chromatography. They carried out a hands-on investigation to separate and observe the different pigments found in leaves, discovering that leaves contain a variety of colours beyond the green we see on the surface.

Meanwhile, our Year 9 and 10 students have been exploring the fascinating topic of ‘Light as Waves’. They investigated refraction, observing how light changes direction as it passes through plane surfaces and lenses. These practical experiences helped students connect scientific theory with real-world observations like ‘why does a pencil appear bent when inside a glass of water?, ‘How is a rainbow formed?’ etc. and deepen their understanding of how light behaves.

It has been wonderful to see our students learning through curiosity, experimentation and hands-on investigation throughout Science Week! 

Year 5/6 Science & Engineering Discovery Day

On Tuesday 11th August, our Year 5 and 6 students travelled to Deakin University, Warrnambool to participate in the Great South Coast National Science and Engineering Challenge Discovery Day. Throughout the day, students worked in small teams to complete a variety of exciting hands-on STEM challenges, including designing and testing bridges, building gliders, creating eco-friendly shelters, constructing mechanical grabbers, solving engineering problems and exploring communication, electricity and aerodynamics. 

Our students represented Mortlake College very well, demonstrating excellent teamwork, problem-solving skills and perseverance as they collaborated with students from schools across the Great South Coast. It was wonderful to see them sharing ideas, encouraging one another and embracing new challenges throughout the day. We are delighted that they had such a fun and rewarding experience.