Science
Week
A varied program of activities was held during science
week, 8th – 12th
May 2006.
On Tuesday and Wednesday a STEM Fair (Science Technology
Engineering and Mathematics) was held in the Sports Hall.
All Year 10 students from Sherburn together with
students from other high schools attended a series of workshops to help them
understand Science, Technology, Engineering and Math’s applications in
industry and commerce. The workshops focused on structural challenge construction
Skills; engineering design of highways; Math’s and technology involved
in horse racing; go kart construction; road safety in respect of stopping
distances and car speeds; plaster casts and broken bones; data logging using
sensors;
chemical analysis of water and modeling the nervous system.
On Thursday there were two birds of prey demonstrations involving Y7 and Y9
pupils.
On
Thursday and Friday, year 8 pupils visited a mobile planetarium
which had been set up in the drama studio.
On
Friday all year groups attended a 40 minute presentation in
the main hall followed by a chance to see, and ask questions
about, the 11 metre Starchaser rocket, which when launched
in 2001 was the largest rocket ever to have been flown from
the UK mainland! In addition there were two rocket factories.
All of Y9 made and fired rockets using compressed air, while
a selected group of over 30 Year 9 and 10 students built motorized
rockets which were fired reaching a height in excess of 300
feet before coming down by parachute! Science
Week Photographs New
Scientists’ club
A thriving ‘New Scientists’ club is organised by
Mrs Walker, for year 7 pupils. Earlier in the year, some pupils
from this club achieved success when they were awarded first
place in the Salter’s Festival of Chemistry University
Challenge, held at York University. Years 4 and 5 day
As well as year 6 day, pupils from years 4 and 5 of our local
primary schools are invited to visit the department each summer.
They carry out a range of activities on this day, to which
the Geography department also contributes. Key Stage 3 curriculum
At Key Stage 3 the department has developed its own schemes of
work to implement the Science National Curriculum. The subject
is taught as a series of topics, each lasting about three weeks.
Assessment is ongoing using topic tests, and progress through
the whole key stage is tracked by the use of a record card
for each pupil. The pupils are able to monitor their own progress
as they help to complete the record cards themselves. Topics taught in year 7 include cells, energy, light, chemicals
and where they come from, reproduction, acids and alkalis, variation
and classification, sound, burning, forces, environment and gases. Topics in taught year 8 include astronomy, food and digestion,
physical changes, elements and compounds, electricity, photosynthesis,
respiration, reactivity, generating electricity and energy resources,
and heat transfer. In
year 8, pupils visit Drax power station as part of the course,
linked
to the ‘generating electricity and energy resources’ topic. Key stage 4 curriculum
At Key stage 4, the majority of pupils follow a modular double
award GCSE course, but some opt to take the three sciences
as three separate GCSEs. A small number of pupils who would
have great difficulty achieving a good GCSE grade take an entry
level course (Science Plus), although they are still given
the option of being entered for GCSE as well. Pupils who began year 10 in September 2005 are following the
AQA Modular syllabuses. From
September 2006, the department plans to adopt the OCR ‘21st
Century Science’ suite of syllabuses. Assessment of this
course is by means of module tests, a data analysis question,
and a case study. The case study is also the coursework component
of the course, and is 20% of the final mark. For more information visit
www.gcse-science.com
www.21stcenturyscience.org Post 16 curriculum
The department offers Biology, Chemistry and Physics at AS and
A2 level. In
Biology, we teach the Edexcel Salters Nuffield ‘A’ level
Biology course.
For more information, visit www.advancedbiology.org/ In Chemistry, we teach the Edexcel Nuffield Chemistry course,
with food science as a special study.
For more information, visit www.nuffieldchemistry.org/ In Physics, we teach the OCR Advancing Physics course.
For more information, visit http://advancingphysics.iop.org/ All these courses have a strong emphasis on practical work.
Course materials include a range of activities including practical
work, data analysis and review questions. In the case of Biology,
the course is developed around a substantial internet based system
of resources.
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