Science Learning Area Snapshot

🔬 Science Week

Lauren Pascoe, Acting HoLA

Science Week has officially wrapped up, and it was an experiment in success! 

Festivities began early on Thursday 31 July, with a Forensic Investigation workshop that was truly crime-scene-sational. Students were presented with a mysterious case: a man found near a burnt-out car in the national forest. Armed with eleven evidence stations, including fingerprinting, microscope analysis, and postmortem clues, our Year 9 sleuths worked hard to piece the evidence together atom by atom. With so many students positively engaged, it’s safe to say we may have a few ‘Sherlock Holmes’ among us!

Lunchtime activities in Week 4 followed this year’s theme, “Decoding the Universe.” Students searched for Fibonacci’s sequence in nature (it really adds up), tasted some delicious DNA (a recipe worth replicating), explored seed shapes, and built kaleidoscopes that turned into bright ideas. The week concluded with voting for the Science Week Art Competition, where Audrey Khose took first place with her hand-crocheted diorama, a project that was truly woven with genius. Congratulations, Audrey!

And of course, no Science Week would be complete without some friendly competition. The daily CORE quizzes featured 25 tricky questions that really tested who had the right formula for success. Winners walked away with a box of chocolates, proof that knowledge really is a treat.

The Bayliss Youth Lecture

Lauren Pascoe, Acting HoLA

On Tuesday 6 August, a group of our students had the exciting opportunity to attend a Bayliss Youth Lecture presented by Helen Coleman, a PhD student, Curtinnovation scholarship recipient, and accomplished researcher and artist.

Helen’s presentation, “Plants Worth Dyeing For: Backyard Chemistry for Natural Dyers,” explored the fascinating world of natural dyes. Students observed live demonstrations showing how Marri gum, Madder roots, and Geranium flowers can produce different colours when treated with various solutions. She also highlighted how some dyes remain colourfast while others fade, and showcased an innovative dyed jacket that darkens under UV light, the opposite of what usually happens when clothing is left in the sun for too long!

Students from the Year 10 Academic Extension and Enrichment classes, as well as Year 11 and 12 ATAR Chemistry, were invited to attend. It was wonderful to see them highly engaged, asking thoughtful questions, and making connections between classroom science and real-world applications. Events like this also give students a valuable glimpse into the diverse career pathways available in science.

STEM in Science

Kathleen Booth, Science Teacher

Year 7 – SaiLab

At the end of Term 2, our Year 7 Extension STEM group took their learning to the water with an excursion to the South Perth Yacht Club. Students rotated through three hands-on activities: designing and building their own anemometers to measure wind speed, teaming up to sail surf cats on the Derbal Yerrigan (Swan River), and racing radio-controlled yachts from the jetty. Science, teamwork, and a splash of competition made for an unforgettable day!

This term, the group will be bringing their nautical insights back to land. Using what they learned about sails, hulls, and wind, they’ll be designing and constructing their own land-based blow carts - integrating technologies and engineering design to see whose cart can harness the power of the wind most effectively.

Year 9 – STEM Engagement

A small group of Year 9 girls recently stepped into the quantum world at the Australian Institute of Physics Girls in Physics Breakfast. Guided by the 2025 Marie Curie Lecturer, Dr Danielle Holmes from the University of New South Wales, they discovered that this “small world” is full of very big ideas. From stars to computers, Dr Holmes shared the wonders of quantum physics, while the students dived into hands-on activities that made the invisible visible and the impossible feel within reach.

For many, the event opened their eyes to possibilities they had never imagined. One student even recognised that a career in quantum physics could mean contributing to the development of the world’s first quantum computer — a breakthrough with the potential to transform fields like medical diagnosis and treatment. Big thinking from a very tiny world!

Year Group & Subject Updates

Year 10 Science 

Kathleen Booth, Science Teacher

In Year 10 Science this term, we’ve been on the move — quite literally — as students explored the physics of motion. They’ve been measuring how far things travel, how long it takes, and turning those numbers into speed, velocity, and acceleration, all while uncovering how Newton’s Laws of Motion quietly govern everything from rolling tennis balls to rocket launches. Later this term, these skills will take the driver’s seat in our Vehicle Safety Investigation, where science meets road safety in some very practical ways.

Meanwhile, a small but mighty group of students stepped beyond the syllabus to take on the Chemistry and Earth & Environmental Science Olympiads — tackling problems that would challenge even seasoned scientists and proving that curiosity really does have no limits.

Year 10 Psychology 

Lauren Pascoe, Acting HoLA

Students in the Semester I elective concluded the course by focusing on the field of Forensic Psychology. Many students loved the rather macabre topic, exploring how our famous serial killers were identified and caught. Students were given the opportunity to familiarise themselves with infamous cases, such as Ted Bundy. Students may have done extra homework from this course, perhaps watching many of the tapes that have been released via Netflix. I can confirm that if they were watching these shows and claiming to be doing homework, they were!

This semester's class has once again kicked off with students exploring personality and getting started on their personality masks. 

Year 11 Biology

Renae Callander, Science Teacher

So far this term in Year 11 ATAR Biology, students have enhanced their understanding of how biochemical processes in cells are regulated, with a focus on enzyme function. They have investigated the effects of temperature and pH on enzyme activity by designing and conducting their own experiments to test how these factors influence enzyme action. 

In the coming weeks, students will shift their focus to the biochemical processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration. They will explore how these processes provide energy for living organisms and how they are affected by environmental conditions. Students will also examine the role of respiratory systems, in particular the specialised structures of alveoli and gills.  To complement their learning, students will be attending an excursion to the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and AQWA towards the end of the term.

Year 11 Physics

Kathleen Booth, Science Teacher

In Year 11 Physics this term, students have been exploring the physics of sound, investigating waves and harmonics in string and air columns to see how standing waves and tone are produced. Recently, we have shifted our focus to the nuclear atom, examining the properties of different types of radiation, learning to write decay equations, and applying half-life calculations to real-world problems. Students are also exploring how nuclear technology is used in medical diagnosis and treatment, as well as in a range of industrial applications.

Looking ahead, the STAWA Adventure World Physics Day will be held on Thursday of Week 10, 25th September. Parents will soon receive an invitation via Consent2Go for their child to attend. This event is a much-anticipated highlight for many Physics students, offering a unique opportunity to see physics concepts in action while enjoying a memorable day with classmates.

Year 11 Psychology

Renae Callander, Science Teacher and Lauren Pascoe, Acting HoLA 

Students had the opportunity last term to visit the Ardross Primary School kindy class when exploring Piaget’s theory of cognitive development. Students loved the experience, getting to play with the ‘little kids’ and applying concepts being explored in Psychology to the real world. This term, students have been investigating how attitudes and stereotypes are formed and maintained within society. As part of this focus, students planned, conducted, and evaluated their own scientific investigations to explore whether there has been a generational shift in gender stereotypes. 

In the coming weeks, students will delve further into social influences on behaviour. They will investigate the relationship between attitudes, prejudice and discrimination, including strategies for reducing prejudice. Students will also become familiar with Milgram’s obedience experiment and conduct further research on the topic. 

Year 12 Psychology

Renae Callander, Science Teacher

This term in Year 12 ATAR Psychology, students have been examining how stress impacts health and wellbeing through a range of theoretical models. They explored stress as a stimulus using the Social Readjustment Rating Scale and as a transaction through Lazarus and Folkman’s Transactional Model of Stress and Coping, and learnt the health consequences of prolonged stress. 

In the coming weeks, students will shift their focus to the psychological and biological importance of sleep. They will learn about the structure of sleep, the effects of sleep deprivation, and the effects of mobile phone usage before bed on a person’s mood and cognitive functioning. This section of the course provides students with real-world coping strategies, including effective stress management and sleep hygiene techniques, to support their mental wellbeing as they approach the demands of their final ATAR examinations.

Year 12 Biology 

Emily Postlethwaite, Science Teacher

In Week 1, we journeyed to the zoo and had the entire place almost to ourselves. We were able to meet some reptiles, were followed by kangaroos and got to see the beautiful new koala joey. 

In Year 12 Biology this term, we have studied a diverse range of topics; from homeostasis: how elephants stay cool, how the feet of penguin stay warm, why marine fish drink saltwater, the purpose of aerial roots for mangrove trees; and to disease: why malaria is only transmitted by female mosquitos of the Anopheles genus, diseases with devastating impacts but amazing names, such as Chytridiomycosis and Phytophthora, and Agrobacterium can be used by humans for the betterment of society. 

Our legendary Year 12 Biology students are dedicated to their learning, working hard in class and attending our Rise and Revise sessions before school each week on Tuesdays. It’s been a great term so far; full of curiosity and ‘infectious’ enthusiasm!

Year 12 Human Biology (ATAR)

Lauren Pascoe , Acting HoLA

Students have been studying the theory of evolution and had the opportunity to explore this concept during Tuesday’s excursion to Perth Zoo, where they heard a talk about “Past & Present Primates” and observed the Monkeys and Apes up close. Although it was a very wet day, the students enjoyed their day out. Students are nearing the end of the course, with a final focus on our own Hominid evolution.