Teaching & Learning

Science

Science has been really busy! 7A have had a very exciting introduction to science and built structures using spaghetti and marshmallows.  Nameera & Conor wanted to tell you all about their experiences!

For our first science lesson we did a team building activity that requires everyone to work as a team, and build a structure out of spaghetti and marshmallows. The structures varied from team to team, but the most important thing was that we had fun, aside from cleaning up large marshmallow stains off the table. -  Nameera

My experience was slightly different. Everyone was in teams of 5 or 4, it was a simple task but very frustrating if our marshmallow towers fell down or broke. Some groups found a way to split the marshmallows in half to have more marshmallows; others kept the marshmallows how they were, to make a more solid structure. Overall everyone liked the experience and I think most of us would love to do it again.-Conor

This week, the fabulous 7A used the bunsen burner for the first time so there was lots of excitement and nervousness! They all did a fantastic job and managed to light the bunsen burner with success! Well done 7A - they will soon be receiving their bunsen burner licences!

In year 12 chemistry we calculated the heat of combustion of ethanol and propanol and it was great to be back at school again doing experimentation! 

The year 12's also did their practical on producing hydrogen gas from a reaction between magnesium and hydrochloric acid - they measured the volume of hydrogen gas produced and from this calculated the expected molar volume and compared this to the molar volume at SLC.

Great job year 12's! Photos are below to see our amazing experimentation.

I thought I would also include some chemistry jokes, just to prove that scientists do have a sense of humour !!!!!

1. Old chemists never die. They just stop reacting!
2. Did you hear oxygen went on a date with potassium? It went OK!
3. Why do chemists like nitrates so much? They're cheaper than day rates!
4. Why can you never trust atoms? They make up everything!
5. What did the thermometer say to the graduated cylinder? "You may have graduated, but I've got many degrees."
6. What did one charged atom say to the other? I got my ion you!

For all year 7's , please don't forget we have a special incursion called "Reptile Encounters" in early March - its so much fun & very exciting !!!! Payment can be made through compass, which is on all the year 7 students and their parents compass account.

Did you know we have our own reptile and amphibian friends here at CHS? Ella is here holding our lizard friend Regina:

And this is the lovely smiling Chives, their friend Bubbles is somewhere hidden in the tank!

Many thanks

Lakshmi Sharma

Learning Area Leader - Science

Humanities

Humanities is underway for 2022! 

Year 7 classes took the tram to the Melbourne Museum last week to see the First People’s exhibition. They also explored other displays including the Forest Gallery and Melbourne Story. Thanks to the year 7 teachers as well as extra staff volunteers who escorted students on the tram and carried sports equipment for lunch in Carlton Gardens. (see the Year 7 page for photos)

Year 8 are exploring global megacities as part of their first geography unit. Their KLT will focus on the growing pains of one global city. Keep an eye out for this one as it as it will be due shortly!

Year 9 are probably thankful to be at school given that they are learning about the social changes of the industrial revolution, an era when young people of their age were often to be found down mines or up chimneys. Ask your child what they have learned about nineteenth century cholera outbreaks. Their upcoming source analysis task will focus specifically on the issue child labour and may prompt an interesting dinner table conversation.

Year 10 are powering towards their first KLT on rights and freedoms. They have been learning about the Civil Rights movement in the United States and the Indigenous rights movement in Australia. Their first KLT, an essay, will be due shortly. 

Jaan Butler

Learning Area Leader - Humanities

Health & PE

In PE this term, students in Years 7 and 8 are focussing on developing their athletics skills to get ready for our upcoming CHS Athletics Carnival on the 30th March. They are learning how to throw further, jump higher, run faster and jump longer to help steer their house towards an Athletics Carnival victory. Events students are participating in are the javelin, discus, shot put, sprints, long distance running, high jump, triple jump, long jump, hurdles and relays. Something for everybody! 

In Health our Year 7 students are investigating their identity and core values, and why they believe and behave the way they do. Year 8s are studying nutrition and what influences and impacts their food choices. 

Samara Harris

Learning Area Leader - Health & PE

VET

The VET students have had their first 3 weeks of VET classes and have loved their different courses! COVID has caused a few hiccups with some of their VET classes being disrupted but all VET students have shown a great deal of independence and responsibility, being organised, responding to emails and demonstrating the Coburg values out in the community. We look forward to seeing the awesome and exciting things they start to learn and create at VET! If your child feels like they might be interested in VET in the future and has any questions, please encourage them to come and find me in the bottom of A block staffroom or the kitchen in B block to discuss the programs! 

Olivia Stray - VET Coordinator

Languages

In both Spanish and Mandarin, it has been a delight welcoming the Year 7 students to their new language. In Spanish this term, students have been practising greetings, the alphabet and important classroom phrases (such as the most commonly said, "cierren las computadoras", or "close your computers"). In Mandarin, students have been practising classroom phrases using both pinyin and characters, as well as learning about the historical background of Mandarin Chinese. In Year 8 Spanish, students are challenging themselves to write and speak about Spain's geography and people in full sentences, whereas in Mandarin, students are learning how to describe the world and themselves using colours, face vocabulary and other adjectives.

In Year 9 Spanish, students are studying Coburg High School from a Spanish language perspective, so that they can discuss their thoughts, opinions and concerns of school life in Spanish. Year 10s have enjoyed a challenging and thought provoking study of protest songs in Spanish, particularly those of Ana Tijoux and Calle 13.

Our VCE students are learning about what multi-country travel around South America is like, doing in depth case studies of travelling in Uruguay and rehearsing different spontaneous speaking scenarios they might have with Spanish-speaking people while living and travelling in the region.

Emma Webley

Learning Area Leader - Languages

Maths

This year, the Maths department will continue to run Maths club every Wednesday lunch in AU.06.

The Math department is also running extension and enrichment programs.

Semester 1 Maths Challenge:

The Maths Challenge is a three-week program where students individually attempt to solve up to 6 problems for students in years 7-10.  Each problem has several parts and should take about 1-2 hours to solve. This is an excellent chance for students to build their problem-solving skills which relate back to their standard maths classes. Each student needs to submit their work individually. Support is provided to entrants during Maths Club on Wednesday Lunchtimes. Students will receive a certificate of achievement from the AMT.

Semester 2 Maths Enrichment:

The Maths Enrichment is a 12-week program for dedicated students who want to extend their mathematical skills to investigate and solve 12-16 problems on a variety of topics. This is excellent preparation for students to succeed at VCE mathematics, especially Mathematical Methods and Specialist Mathematics. Students will receive a Notes book with many advanced techniques, a set of problems suited to their ability and will be provided with up to 3 sessions a week during term three to help guide and assist them with the program. Students will be expected to complete a problem a week, and submit work as they progress. Students will receive a certificate of achievement from the AMT.

Mem Oztas

Learning Area Leader - Mathematics

DigiTech

Students from Years 9-12 have been enjoying their Digital Technologies classes this term. In Year 9, Game Design students are exploring how games are created and the processes behind 'good' game design, such as consideration of risks and rewards, game mechanics, mapping and player engagement. They're about to begin their first KLT, building a text-based game using the Python programming language. In Year 11, students have been looking at how data is collected and shown in contemporary Australia. From basic charts to dynamically processing and visualising big data, our Year 11s are learning applied computing skills that are necessary in almost all fields of industry. In Year 12, Software Development students are finding real-life clients to build programming solutions for the School Assessed Coursework task that begins later this term. At the same time, they're considering the different ways we manipulate and store data and learning how to write efficient algorithms to simplify tedious tasks.

Selina Dennis

Learning Area Leader - Digital Technologies

English

Students across Coburg High School are working diligently on setting up their reading practices for the year. Many classes have already had a session in the library to establish a Reading Log and to begin borrowing for reading at home. We'd love families to support their learners in their reading, and if students have any recommendations for books to read in the library, please let us know. 

Students are participating in exploring and writing about the following topics in their year levels: 

Year 7 students are investigating the Hero's Journey, or interviewing a passionate person. 

Year 8 students are investigating the film 'Bend it Like Beckham'. 

Year 9 students are reading and analysing 'The Outsiders'.

Year 10 students are working with the graphic novel 'Maus'.

Year 11 English students are reading and analysing 'The White Tiger'.

Year 12 students are getting ready for their first essay on 'In Cold Blood'. 

Year 11 English Language:

50 students have joined the inaugural CHS English Language VCE class and have embraced its linguistic content with excitement, curiosity and passion. Students have been learning about speech sound production and how to document sounds using the International Phonetic Alphabet and they have been exploring some of the subsystems of our language, such as the morphological components of words, the lexicological study of words and word creation, and how the syntactic structure of sentences is hierarchical and rule-bound. Many have found the content challenging yet interesting, and students are really looking forward to our next outcome, the study of child language acquisition. Great start to the year, English Language students! -Selina Dennis

Angela Greet

Learning Area Leader English

Visual Art

Our Visual Arts team is so excited to be back from remote learning and giving students every opportunity to build practical skills in mark making, print making and developing a visual identity through art making. 

We’ve designed our subjects with the aim of not just supporting the wellbeing of our students but giving them opportunities to explore and express through different mediums, materials and methods. This term we will be focusing on giving every opportunity for exploration, skill refinement and enhancement.

Year 10 Visual Arts: students have been experimenting with different mark making techniques as part of the 'Practise and Process' unit. Students have been mastering different mark making techniques using different materials and methods. Here they are using 'Frottage' to collect texture rubbings of natural and industrial objects to collage into a final artwork.

Natacha Malkin

Learning Area Leader - Visual Arts

Design & Food Technology

Year 12 Food students have started the semester off by learning about how food is broken down into substances that are absorbed and utilised by the body. Students have then analysed the reasons for eating food and the differences between hunger and appetite. Students completed an activity where they used play doh to model the digestive system.

Year 11s have been learning about the origins of food and the Ancient Hunter Gatherer. They have made a Cypriot Grain Salad, Teff Pancakes with Butter Chicken, and a Quinoa Crusted Chicken with Roasted Carrot Salad. Wow! We hope some of the results (or at least an offer to cook) have made it home.

Year 10 have taken their study of food preservation and food styling into the kitchen to make Korean inspired San Choy Bow and scones with homemade jam and cream.

Year 9s have begun their Food Tech journey with the beginnings of a culinary world tour. First stop was Australia; they made lemon myrtle shortbread and meat pies. From sautéing onions to preparing their pastry they did an amazing job! Next was Italy and students started with the classic pizza, and this week gnocchi! Well done to all students on their concentration and efforts in the Foods room so far, we look forward to many more tantalising smells coming from Building B!

Jeanette Williams - Learning Area Leader Design & Food Technologies