Department News

HSIE Department

Year 7 geography has been finalising their investigation into water in the world. Students have had the opportunity to demonstrate their best "weather person" skills in providing a weather report on a significant hydrological hazard in Australia. Well done to those students that embraced the task by using graphics, sound effects and costumes!

Year 8 history recently had the opportunity to take part in a medieval day incursion. Our junior historians learnt all about the steps in becoming a knight and got to experience some of the weapons and armour used throughout this time period.

Each culture has its own stories about transition points between seasons, ages and life stages. As Term 4 begins, there is a shift from spring to summer, even as we enter the thirdLa Nina event of the year. This paradox, brought on with climate change and global warming, is reflected in how old myths are being written about, in new ways. The myth of Persephone for instance, reflects her walking into the Underworld to bring on winter, while as she returned from there to her mother, Demeter, summer is ushered in. Environmental changes are reflected in personal ones: they can range from gradual to sudden, enduring as well as less significant.

In this spirit of transition, BCCR’s HSC students are currently sitting their HSC exams, and there are a plethora of practice papers that their teachers are still reading over and correcting in the background. This is perhaps the uncomfortable part of such a stage: It both crystallizes the work that this cohort has put in, over the past five years, while also being the product of so much that is unmeasurable. Likewise, our Year 11 classes have begun their first HSC units, as if in a mirror-image to what they will be finishing off at this time next year. On behalf of the Stage 6 HSIE Teachers, you’ve absolutely got this!

David Martin      &     David Nally

Head of HSIE            Head of HSIE

(Stages 4 & 5)           (Stage 6)

Mathematics Department

Miss D'Arcy's Year 10 class investigated shapes and the maximum area. Given a perimeter of 100 cm, students were tasked to find the area of a regular polygon. Each group was given a different shape: Triangle, Square, Pentagon, Hexagon, Heptagon, Octagon and culminating in a Circle. 

Students had to use skills from different areas of Mathematics, in order to find the area of a polygon.

Geometry: Angle Sum at a Point and Angle Sum of a Polygon.

Non Right - Angle Trigonometry: Pythagoras' Theorem, Sine Rule and Area of a triangle.

The students found that the area of the shape increases as the number of sides of a polygon increases. This culminated in a Circle having the maximum area with perimeter 100 cm. You could think of a Circle being a polygon with infinitely many small sides.

This investigation is preparing students for their senior studies where calculus is used to find the maximum. Students also had to present their findings in a formal proof and label each step, assisting them to organise their ideas.

This lesson started with the students in disbelief that a square will always have a greater area than a rectangle with equal perimeter. It ended with an in - depth understanding of finding the area of a polygon and maximising the area of a polygon.

Seven, Year 11 (now Year 12) students have embarked on the challenge that is Extension 2 Mathematics. A very big congratulations to these students.

Mathematics Department 

TAS Department

This Semester in the TAS department has been full of exciting projects and opportunities for our students.

Year 7 Technology Mandatory:

Throughout this Semester, our students have been exploring the topics of “Materials Technology” and “Engineering Technology”. We have been learning new skills and engaging with new equipment to create some wonderful projects that we will be bringing home towards the end of term.

Our young textile designers have fully mastered the use of the sewing machine and are well on their way to constructing their own Pyjama Set, inspired by the works of Peter Alexander. We are fast learning about patience as we become familiar with our new best friend the “Quick Unpick” and the importance of planning and preparation for our project.

Look out Peter Alexander, we could have the next biggest sleepwear designer in our midst! 

At the beginning of the Semester, our Engineers found themselves “stranded” on a Mystery Island needing to look to our design minds to help us find a way to survive and find a way back home. We have studied sustainability and alternate forms of energy, in particular - Wind Energy. We are in the process of constructing our very own Wind Spinner that we will be able to use to generate electricity to send an SOS to allow for our rescue! 

Year 8 Technology Mandatory:

We are fascinated by the creativity that year 8 are demonstrating in the units of “Food and Agriculture” and “Digital Technologies”.

In the kitchen, our Food Technologists have been delving into nutrition and what a healthy diet consists of. In our latest assessment task, we have learnt about the modification and substitution of recipes to incorporate ingredients consisting of healthier food choices that will provide our bodies with beneficial nutrients. We have also been practicing our practical skills and the importance of safety and hygiene in the kitchen. Check out some photos of our practical work below.

Our Digital Creators have been really focussing on the importance of needs based design. We have created “Tiny Villages” and are now in the process of designing a Robotic Unicorn that will assist the Village or people, with a task or job that has been identified by our year 8 students. While we are learning to code, and program our Unicorn to move, we are also learning about binary code, how data is transmitted from our various forms of technology. For example:

To say “Year 8 are awesome” the computer reads it as the following:

01011001 01100101 01100001 01110010 00100000 00111000 00100000 01100001 01110010 01100101 00100000 01100001 01110111 01100101 01110011 01101111 01101101 01100101 00100001

Stage 5 Food Technology:

In Year 9 Food Technology, we have looked into the fascinating field of Food Product Development. Our Young designers explored what goes into creating and launching a successful product. We may have promised you that our homework was to try the new Ben and Jerry’s flavour of  ice cream or Cadbury’s Marvellous Creations Birthday Cake flavour! Our teachers can vouch for us that it was extremely beneficial for our learning!

We designed a “line extension” for a cinema snack, as part of our assessment. 

Earlier this year, our Year 10 students perfected their practical skills in the field of cake decorating. As part of their “Food for Celebrations” unit, we explored reasons for celebrations across the globe and the of role food in various kinds of celebrations. For our assessment, we planned a 16th birthday party and decorated a cake in class, which reflected the theme.

See our work below:

Year 10 Design and Technology:

This semester in Design and Technology, Year 10 have been exploring built environments in their “Architronics” unit of work. In this unit of work, we have been given the tasks of designing and creating a Google Sketch Up drawing and Mini model of a commercial or community engineered structure. Our design needed to consider the purpose and surrounding environment for which it is intended. See some samples of our design skills using 3D modelling on Google Sketch Up and CAM technology on the 3D printer below.

Senior Design and Technology:

Firstly, the TAS Department would like to congratulate all Year 12 Design and Technology students on completing their Major Design Projects. You all have worked so well and have produced some truly inspiring and innovative works. We wish you all the best in your upcoming HSC exam. 

Year 11 Design and Technology have been working hard this year and have produced some outstanding work. From researching an Australian Designer to creating a product that evokes emotion, they have been extending their knowledge and understanding of the design process and of the impact design has in our lives.

We are looking forward to our upcoming year as they begin to explore their own Major Design Projects.

News to be celebrated, Sophie Hammann of Year 12 has recently been announced as the winner of the Under 19's category of the Circle Awards. She entered her Design and Technology Major Design Project which was a Biodegradable takeaway packaging made from fruit skin waste.

TAS Department