Year 7 - Forces of Nature!

Michelle O'Brien

Teacher - Science

This term, Year 7 students have been diving into the fascinating world of Forces in Science! 

Students have been learning that a force is simply a push or pull that occurs when two objects interact.  Students have developed their skills in drawing force diagrams and using a spring balance to measure forces accurately.

In a hands-on experiment, students have also had the opportunity to investigate the effect of friction on the amount of force required to move an object. Through designing and conducting their own experiments, students have been able to gain a deeper understanding of how forces work in the real world. 

Amber Stroh

Teacher - Science

Students got to put their learned knowledge of air resistance and gravity to the test -  tasked to design a parachute which could safely deliver an egg down to earth from a great height.

Working in teams of 4 (each member with a dedicated role) they researched parachute designs, drafted plans, and chose a design to suit them. They budgeted for materials, and planned their design around these constrictions. Students produced multiple sketches of their final plan before they were got to build their design.  Teams had to build their design in just  30 minutes and put them to the test.

We had some successful egg drops where the parachute opened, and other tests that resulted in some cracked eggs - but overwhelmingly there were lots of smiles and enthusiasm from all the students!  after the tests, students then reflected on their design and considered impacts of extraneous variables and how cushioning their egg in its ziplock bag could support safe delivery.

Altogether, an eggcellent day!

This 'hands-on' learning is critical to Science education: it is a fundamental way to increase student engagement and to encourage their curiosity.  Conducting trials and experiments can also spark a student's initiative by giving them the license to formulate and answer their own questions - testing out their own theories and exploring their own ideas.  

Velvet Pollard – Science

In Year 7 we have been learning about forces and friction. For forces we have been learning about all the different types of forces such as pulleys, levers, pushing and pulling objects.

Taylor Fletcher 

Year 7

In Science we have been learning about the different forces. We also watched a video on a guy who bungee jumped off a cliff  using a bungee cord only being held up by 2 phone books intertwined together - using friction and tension to keep him safe!

Katie Lumsden

Year 7

We  have learned about forces; it was very fun. We learned that space has zero gravity but it is also spinning towards the earth at the same time. We also learned that in space when you put water onto a dry towel, it sticks to your hands more and feels like moisturiser!

Marcos Sardina

Year 7

In Science we have learned about Forces and if they are balanced or unbalanced. We are currently conducting an experiment about what surfaces have more or less friction.