Year 8 and 9 Science

Studying ecosystems in Year 9 means leaving the books behind and getting outside, at least for a quick search of the school gardens to see who lives where. Cooper, David and Emily outdid the rest with their capture of a centipede, which was handled carefully using a petri dish rather than hands before being safely returned to the wild. Our mission was to investigate the leaf litter layer for decomposers and detritivores.

Year 8s learnt a new trick: getting a party balloon to stay ‘stuck’ to the ceiling, after rubbing it on their hair first. This was part of practical work generating static charges and testing the Charge Rule of opposites attracting. Baxter and Nate had the most success, the balloon staying put for several minutes before descending. The all-time record stands at 15 minutes!

Lindesay Pound
Science Teacher