7 minute read
Science
With a global pandemic changing the way we conduct our daily lives and the urgent call for a cooperative approach to the climate crisis, the Science faculty remained committed to facilitating lessons that were accurate, valid and reliable starting points for deciphering the masses of available information. This has seen our students embrace every aspect of their learning in Science.
The first semester was an exciting one, with experiments and ‘depth studies’ conducted across all stages, taking on an assessment format for senior subjects. These ‘depth studies’ enabled the students to delve deeper into chosen topics that were relevant and interesting to them. The inaugural ‘Walkabout Wildlife Sanctuary’ at Calga with Year 7 focused on biodiversity, with many opportunities to meet rescued and rehabilitated animals.
The second semester was redesigned for learning and experimenting at home, with sundial creations, density columns and the opportunity to observe ecosystems within their urban or rural environment. With many changes occurring in the second semester, the students grew in their independence while maintaining their connection with their teachers and classmates.
National Science Week 2021 washeld during August and the theme was ‘Food: Different by Design’. This honoured the United Nations International Year of Fruits and Vegetables and the International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development. Loreto Normanhurst celebrated as a school with a variety of online activities, including students and staff submitting photos of their edible produce gardens.
Mrs Simone Bryant Head of Science
The Future Project
The Future Project Senior Internship is an extra-curricular opportunity at The King’s School, where we got to work with scientists and like minded peers in a stateof-the-art laboratory space, to brainstorm and formulate solutions to scientific problems. This year, we collaborated with scientists from two companies: Quantal Bioscience and Algatex. Quantal Bioscience was focused on microbiology and how to reduce the impact of pathogens on agricultural practices. Algatex’s aim is to create eco-friendly dyes out of algae to support a sustainable fashion industry. This opportunity was a great way to meet people who are also passionate about Science and learning. It was a hands-on experience – we got to work in the labs at Kings and analyse DNA! We also got to go on excursions and to Western Sydney University to collect samples and learn from professionals. It built our confidence in talking about science and presenting pitches for proposals of our projects, and was also great for non-sciencerelated learning, as we weren’t limited to biology or chemistry. Some people made an app, did logistics, planned transportation and designed drones. Thank you to the Loreto Normanhurst Science Faculty and The King’s School for allowing us this opportunity in STEM; it opened our eyes to real-life science and we enjoyed the many connections and discoveries made along the way. If you want to see more, check out The Future Project on Facebook
Chloe, Kate, Sarah & Alice Senior Interns
“My favourite Science lesson this year was ‘Continental Drift’ because it was so interesting to see how much the earth has changed and is still changing.”
Sophie Critchlow, Year 9
“The best topic we learnt about in Science this year was the universe. I found it so interesting learning about how our universe was created billions of years ago. The lessons were well planned out making learning the topic so much easier. Through this topic I learnt a lot about how science was a big contribution to our universe. I was so amazed learning about the planets, the universe, black holes. I loved learning about the history of ice ages up to the first living organism.”
Ashlee Kim, Year 9
“My favourite Science lesson this year was dissecting a fish and identifying different parts of its body. The best thing I learnt this year was about the different cultural stories involving space. I have loved Science this year because of all the new ideas I learnt and seeing them inaction.”
Eve Deloughery, Year 7
“I have loved Science this year as we were able to learn and evaluate the Aboriginal land management strategies and methods that were practiced for many years. It was a very informative topic as I was able to have a better understanding of the importance and rich influence these cultural practices have on our cherished land, as well as the ecological impacts it has had on the way we live and appreciate the land around us. Overall, Science this year has allowed us to connect with the land culturally as well as scientifically and I am very thankful to have learnt this topic.”
Tahlia Moses, Year 9
“The resilience of the HSC Biology class of 2021 will never be forgotten. My class just kept on working and adjusting to the ever-constant changes. Their motivation and support of each other was admirable. The joy of seeing them face to face, on site, clapping will never be forgotten”. “Science has been one of the most interesting and productive subjects this year. The practical activities we do every lesson always make me wonder and think really deeply and be super excited.”
Amber Wang, Year 7
Simone Turkovic, Teacher of Biology & Science
“My favourite part of Science this year was learning about the universe. Although it’s daunting to know that there are parts of the universe that we’ll never truly understand or discover in our lifetime, I loved to think of the theories and ideas behind our world.”
Jane Dobeson, Year 9
“My favourite Science lesson this year was when we looked as cells using microscopes. We looked through a microscope at different objects including our own hair. It was really fun because we could see what cells actually looked like.”
Isabella Hunt, Year 7
Agricultural Technology
2021 has been a productive third year for the teaching and learning of Agriculture at Loreto. The Stage 5 course brings together a range of different areas such as sustainability, ethics, marketing and management. Year 10 students studied Mushroom Production, Lamb Production and Hydroponic Production. Year 9 engaged with Vegetable Production, Egg Production and Sugarcane Production. During National Science Week, Year 10 Agriculture students participated in a range of online workshops hosted by the University of Sydney. This event allowed students to engage with different career opportunities and to consider the value of agricultural and scientific research in meeting increasing demands for sustainable food and fibre production coupled with the challenges of a changing climate. Over the remote learning period, students performed a range of practical activities at home. This included designing a vegetable garden, collecting and identifying grasses and weeds, and drying pasture species to calculate the dry matter percentage. Over Zoom, students engaged in a range of activities including a debate over the ethics of mulesing, working in groups to find solutions to erosion and researching the effects of sugarcane production on the Great Barrier Reef.
“Agriculture has been an engaging and interesting subject. The mix between practical and theory work keeps you actively engaged and constant hands-on activities have helped me to understand the courses topics while making the experience enjoyable. The theory work has been fascinating as we learn about all different aspects of some of Australia’s highest grossing industries.Overall, this course has taught me valuable skills which I will continue to use in my senior years.”
Elizabeth Carroll, Year 10
“During Agriculture this year, I loved the practical element of going down to the plot and seeing the progress made by things I’ve planted. I also love taking care of the chickens each practical lesson.”
Franziska Wegner, Year 9
“Overall, I found the course to be an interesting way to learn about what happens to food before it goes on our grocery shelves, and about the role our own awareness of agricultural production has on the future of the industry. It was also eye-opening to discover the variety of careers available in the agriculture industry; not just with the typically known jobs of animal husbandry and farming, but also other STEM-based careers. Notable highlights I enjoyed in Agriculture were the practicals at the Ag plot, where we got to apply our learning in interesting practical activities outside of a typical classroom.”
