Science News

Year 7 Science/STEM

Year 7 students have finished their second major STEM project – building a working ice cream maker! Students learned about phases of matter (solids, liquids and gases) and the Particle Model, then applied their learning to design and construct a working ice cream machine. Although some machines were more successful than others, this is all part of the Engineering Design Process! Students have reflected on their designs and identified modifications to improve their design if they were to do try again.

Year 8 Science/STEM

Year 8 students have successfully completed their project based learning unit on endangered species. The project culminated in viewing a range of ads the students had created, raising awareness and promoting the conservation of Earth’s biodiversity. Students voted on which ads were the most compelling, then held a BBQ to raise money to symbolically adopt these animals through the World Wildlife Fund. Thank you to our school community for their support in this endeavour! Students decided to put the funds toward adopting a red panda, koala, three-toed sloth and emperor penguin. See our school Facebook page to see a sample of this wonderful student work.

Year 8 students are now investigating the marine environment, and have been discussing the huge issue of plastic pollution. We have investigated alternatives to traditional petroleum-based plastic, and have made samples of bio-plastic using cornflour. Students have found that bio-plastics have many of the same properties as traditional plastic, but will decompose in about 6 months (compared to up to 1000 years for traditional plastic).

Students have also investigated the consequences of oil spills, and put their engineering hats on to try and successfully clean up a simulation oil spill in the classroom.

Year 9 Science

LIHS has partnered with the University of Wollongong to offer our Year 9 students a fantastic opportunity to participate in the STEM+X Program. Students have been given application forms in class; selected students will attend a STEM Bootcamp on the UOW campus, and then act as STEM Ambassadors in our local learning community. These STEM Ambassadors will work with local primary schools, leading STEM challenges with primary students and helping them to developing their problem-solving skills.

Year 10 Science

Year 10 students have begun investigating physics concepts of motion and energy. They have been learning practical applications of these ideas, including the methods used in average speed cameras on the highway. Students used the same concept to calculate the speed of drivers on Reddall Parade. Unfortunately, most classes found that the majority of drivers speed by the school, with the top offender traveling at 74 km/h in the 50km/h zone! The data also shows that P platers are most likely to be speeding. A friendly reminder from our Year 10 students to drive safely and responsibly! Students have also investigated reaction time and the effect of reaction time and the effect of distractions, such as chatting and mobile phones, when behind the wheel. We hope that these lessons stay with our students as they move toward gaining their own driver’s licence.

A reminder to all that the Year 10 Mid-course Examination is scheduled for Friday May 24. A formal assessment notice was issued to students on May 6.

Agriculture

LIHS is so excited to have defended their First Place position at the Sydney Royal Easter Show in the District Exhibits (Schools) category. Our agriculture staff and students worked tirelessly for months, gluing individual seeds and legumes on the backboards to form a mosaic, and constructing 3-D objects from wool and other materials. We have already begun planning for the 2020 display! All students are welcome to get involved – see us in the Science staffroom for more information.

A big congratulations also goes to the Harbour Centre for their First Place win in the Decorated Pumpkins category, and Stage 5 Agriculture for winning Third Place in the Giant Pumpkins category.

Upcoming Opportunities in Science

Australian BIG Science competition (May 29, 2019)

The Science competition is open to any students in Year 7-10. Students complete an online test, demonstrating their knowledge and understanding of scientific concepts and skills. Entries close soon – see your Science teacher for more information. Best of luck to all of our competitors!

Year 9/10 STEM Careers Expo (June 3, 2019)

Mrs Willingham (LIHS’s Careers Advisor) has been hard at work organising a STEM Careers Expo for our Stage 5 students. Students will meet with local people who work in fields including Medicine, Engineering, Surveying, Finance, IT, Research, Environmental Science, etc. We look forward to welcoming these members of our local community into the school and learning about the broad range of careers to which a STEM education can lead.

Year 7 Taronga Zoo excursion (June 13, 2019)

Year 7 students will be studying the classification of plant and animal species later in Term 2. All Year 7 students have the opportunity to attend an excursion to Taronga Zoo to apply their learning. This excursion includes a lesson at the Taronga Zoo School, during which time students will meet some of the animals at the zoo and discuss their classification and adaptations to their natural environment. See your Science teacher for more information.

Year 10 Exploring STEM Careers @ UNSW (July 8 & 9, 2019)

Where can STEM take you? Join Science 50:50 and UNSW Women in Engineering for an exciting one-day holiday program exploring careers in STEM! Together we will visit various organisations, meet professional scientists and engineers, discover where they work and what they do. The holiday program is designed for female Year 10 students who have an interest in STEM. Applications close June 7. Spaces are limited. See Ms McKinlay for information.

Year 8 Organ Donation presentation (Term 3 – Date TBA)

Year 8 will learn about the human body and related innovations and advances in technology in Term 3. We are organising a community talk for this year group regarding organ donation and would like to extend an invitation to anyone who has been affected by organ transplant (donor, recipient, family members, etc). If you are interested in participating and sharing your story, please contact Kerry McKinlay (Head Teacher Science) on 4296 3844 or at kerry.mckinlay@det.nsw.edu.au for more information.

ConocoPhillips Science Experience (October 2019/January 2020)

The ConocoPhillips Science Experience is a 3-4 day hands-on STEM program. There are 4 programs running in universities across Sydney; 1 in October and 3 in the January school holidays. Each of the venues offer different focus areas – see the brochure to find a program that interests you. Please see www.scienceexperience.com.au, Ms McKinlay or your Science teacher for more information/how to register. Lake Illawarra High School students have attended in the past and have had a great experience.