Science Education

Miss Julie: jgarbutt@srprestonwest.catholic.edu.au

National Science Week

Students celebrated National Science Week from 14 - 22 August. National Science Week is Australia’s annual celebration of science and technology. The school theme this year was Food: Different by Design. It honours the United Nations International Year of Fruits and Vegetables and the International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development. 

 

Foundation students designed and created a salad that they could enjoy tomorrow:

Year 1/2 students explained how potatoes get from the farm to plate:

 

Year 3/4 students investigated how yoghurt responds to changes in temperature:

Year 5/6 students designed packaging for a dairy food that is effective and environmentally friendly:

 

Remote learning

During remote learning, students are continuing to investigate their planned Term 3 units:

  • Foundation – That’s my hat! addresses the scientific understanding that objects are made of materials that have observable properties
  • Year 1 and 2 - Up, down and all around addresses the scientific understanding that observable changes occur in the sky and landscape
  • Year 3 and 4 – Night and day addresses the scientific understanding that Earth’s rotation on its axis causes regular changes, including night and day
  • Year 5 and 6 - Earth’s place in space addresses the scientific understanding that the Earth is part of a system of planets orbiting around a star (the sun).

On Wednesday, 25th August many students participated in Science Live! During this short zoom, students participated in two, hands-on experiments exploring surface tension. The first was called Panicked Pepper and the second, Magic Milk. It was great fun!

Science at home

Here’s some other great ways to get involved in science at home:

  • commemorate Threatened Species Day (7th September) by baking a dessert in the shape of a threatened species. This year focuses on ecosystem engineers (an animal or plant that modifies, maintains, improves, or creates habitat) like the Greater Bilby and the Eastern Barred Bandicoot. Entries open until 5pm, Wednesday, 8 September.
Threatened Species Bake Off 2020
Threatened Species Bake Off 2020