Specialists

Science week:

HEPS will be participating in Science Week this year. Students will be engaging in a range of activities during Grandparent and Special person day, in their classroom and during lunchtime clubs. This year Science Week will run from 12th-20th August.

After the success of last year’s Science Fair, this year we will be offering the HEPS community the opportunity to purchase a range of science products from an online science fair. To view and purchase the products on offer, please visit: www.funscience.com.au/discount/HEPS. All goods will be delivered to school and provided to students. The online store is open now and will remain open until the 20th August.

The products available are varied and aim to inspire an interest in science.

All profits from the sales received will be re-invested into the STEAM program.

STEAM NEWS

Grade 2 focus Smart farms:

This week students from grade 2 have started their inquiry unit, exploring smart farming practices.  Students have identified a farm of choice within their collaborative groups and started to think how they could include smart features including robotics, satellite imagery, water sensors within their designs. Students have enjoyed learning about robots that pick apples and strawberries and seeing how wild cattle can be tracked by satellites.

Below are some examples of our student work.

Science Talent Search:

This week, I have enjoyed seeing the impressive work of our Science Talent Search participants. The students are now on the home stretch.  Please enjoy a sneak peak of some of the project overviews:

William, Grade 6, Working Model

The idea is a shoe that can transfer kinetic energy to electric energy to charge a battery to charge your phone as you walk.   The Oxford Dictionary describes kinetic energy as ‘energy, which a body possesses by virtue of being in motion’. The purpose is to generate power to charge a mobile phone whilst walking.  The problem it solves is it avoids the need to charge by a battery pack, wall socket or other means.  This has safety advantages because if you are lost in remote areas, you can call for help and potentially save lives.

Charlotte, Grade 6, Working Model:

My model represents the water filtration process and aims to explore how dirty water can be transformed into clean water that is safe to drink. My first thought was to do something for spoiled dirty water. This model is an information model due to it being more innovative than being used for scale. When I started building my model, I encountered a devastating problem. The sand within the filtration system started making the clean water orange making the water look the opposite of clean and so I removed the sand, but afterwards it made it harder for it to clear. So I mixed in a few strong liquids and boiling water and afterwards, the sand didn’t turn the water orange so I continued designing.