Head of science Chris McPhail steps students through the finer details of making and managing fire at an assembly as part of National Science Week activities at Endeavour Christian College. Photo: Facebook.
Fire experiments, bread making and a trip to Canberra were just some of the activities that helped Endeavour Christian College (ECC) students discover the wonders of science during National Science Week.
The Cooktown school celebrated this year’s National Science Week theme – Species Survival – More Than Just Sustainability – with a range of hands-on experiences that explored their interconnectedness of life on Earth.
“At ECC, we believe it’s hard to think of an aspect of life that doesn’t lean on science to some extent,” principal Jenny Nelson said.
“The theme encourages understanding that we’re all part of the big, interconnected web of life; every creature, from the bees that pollinate our fruit trees to the worms that enrich our soil, plays an essential part.
“Their survival doesn’t just protect nature’s beauty, it ensures the health of the ecosystems that provide our food, clean water and the air we breathe.”
Starting with a whole-of-school assembly presentation, students from all year levels got the opportunity to explore and learn about what makes their planet so unique.
“Our head of science, along with the year 11 and 12 chemistry students, presented an engaging and hands-on segment on fire,” Ms Nelson said.
“They had the students on the edge of their seats as they conducted experiments on the properties of fire and its impact on our environment.”
ECC head of science Chris McPhail said prep and year 1 students learned about chemical reactions using yeast – they were mesmerised as they watched it inflate a balloon, before making bread with the yeast to finish their National Science Week learning with full bellies and brains.
Year 5 and 6 students bundled up for a cold trip to Canberra, where they participated in activities at Questacon, the National Science and Technology Centre, while year 9 and 10 students visited the Valley Farm in Lakeland as part of their biome and food security studies.
Year 7 and 8 students built on their exploration of flocculation, a water treatment process which encourages small particles to form larger clusters, and the role seagrass beds play in filtering rivers and reefs.
“Seagrass beds provide food and habitat for marine organisms, improve water quality by reducing nutrient levels, and reduce coastal erosion through stabilisation of sediment,” Mr McPhail said.
“As part of the unit, Jessie from Cape York Natural Resource Management, with Nick from Riverbend Tours, took the class on a tour of the seagrass beds at the mouth of the Endeavour River or near Archer Point, and [taught] us how seagrass was cleverly designed to help our river and reefs.”
Ms Nelson said the response from students had been extremely positive, and everyone had learned something new.
“Students love to get involved with their learning, and science is the perfect topic for hands-on classes,” she said.
“[They] have enjoyed every aspect of the learning opportunities, and a lot of learning has occurred this week.”
Endeavour Christian College prep and year 1 students kick off this year’s National Science Week with a paper-making experiment in the classroom. Photo: Facebook.
