2023 School Magazine

SCIENCE

SIX YEARS OF SCIENCE: A REPORT-STYLE RETROSPECTIVE

INTRODUCTION/METHODOLOGY

Take one glance at our Science Learning Centre: with levels representing the evolution of a star, magnificent interior design reflecting the curvature of a black hole, and our enthusiastic teachers and lab-techs, anyone can see our passion for the sciences. As the class of 2023’s final year of Science reaches its final chapter, we can’t help but reminisce about the past six years. Looking back on our journey, we aim to answer one last research question: what makes Science so special?

RESULTS

through a microscope, dissected hearts and kidneys, even altered the DNA of bacteria. And, who could forget our iconic excursion to the Sunshine Coast? Travelling from mangroves and sand dunes to intertidal rockpools, we went birdwatching and studied various lichens, plants, and invertebrates. We even saw a decomposing dugong with its skull exposed! Senior Chemistry explored the inside out of various chemical systems and reactions, such as the reversibility of reactions at different scales of various chemical systems, acid-base equilibrium, oxidation and reduction, the production of electricity from electrochemical cells, green chemistry, and organic chemical synthesis. Using this knowledge, we studied various real-world applications like fuel cells, biofuels, chemical synthesis, as well as environmental issues such as acid rain and oceanic acidification, food and wine

From Year 7 we were thrown into a melting pot of Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Astronomy and Earth Science. We shuttled through energy, circuits, and forces; we advanced from dissecting flowers to sheep hearts and from studying the human body to entire ecosystems. We earned our Bunsen burner license, performed a myriad of experiments, and mastered the language of chemical reactions—the periodic table its dictionary. Our scope of learning was limitless; we travelled from the depths of Earth to the vast universe, all while producing photos of star clusters, nebulas, and galaxies, with our brilliant Dorothy Hill Observatory telescopes. In senior Biology, from Years 10 to 12 we explored cell/molecular biology, physiology, biotechnology, genetics, ecology, and evolution—an impressive range of content! We studied primate skulls, observed microorganisms

production, insecticides and herbicides, and corrosion prevention. We completed numerous experiments that solidified our knowledge and expanded our curiosity and love for the subject. It was truly shocking to find out what the world was really made of! Senior Physics delved deep into the makings of the universe. Across the senior years, topics such as gravity and motion, electromagnetism, quantum physics, and nuclear physics kept our eyes glued to our books in an attempt to find out more. There was never a boring lesson in Physics. With concepts that will blow your mind, the Physics classroom was the perfect place to begin to understand the foundations of everything we experience in our lives. Learn about the speed of light, the sheer size of the universe, or the unbelievable mechanics of sub-atomic particles— when we studied Physics, a plethora of knowledge was at our fingertips.

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