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Bang! Bubble! React! – Year 7 Meets Group 1 Metals
Bang! Bubble! React! – Year 7 Meets Group 1 Metals
This month in Year 7 Science, students enjoyed an exciting and memorable lesson as they observed a live demonstration of how Group 1 elements – lithium, sodium and potassium – react with water.
The lesson focused not only on observing the reactions, but also on developing students’ ability to use accurate scientific vocabulary to describe what they saw. Students carefully recorded their observations using key terms such as shiny, soft, melting, dissolving, reacting, rapidly and vigorously. These observations helped students identify a clear pattern in reactivity: the reactions became more vigorous as we moved down the group from lithium to potassium. Students also learned why alkali metals are stored under oil — to prevent them from reacting with oxygen and moisture in the air, which could be dangerous.
A key part of the lesson was understanding and applying risk assessment in the science laboratory. Before the demonstration, students identified potential hazards and discussed safety measures. They learned the importance of wearing appropriate protective equipment, including lab coats, safety goggles, and gloves. They also understood the role of equipment such as safety shields, tongs/tweezers, and knives, and why these must be handled carefully and responsibly.
The lesson successfully combined scientific knowledge with practical safety awareness, helping students build confidence in using correct terminology while reinforcing the importance of keeping themselves and others safe in a laboratory environment.
Well done to Year 7 for their enthusiasm, thoughtful observations, and responsible attitude throughout this exciting practical lesson!
Anshu Sharma
Year 10 Global Perspectives Individual Report: Active, student-led coursework development.
Year 10 Global Perspectives Individual Report: Active, student-led coursework development.
The most challenging component of GP IGCSE? The Individual Report (IR): 1800 - 2000 words on a controversial topic of each student’s choice, which requires the development of courses of action to address the issue, discussion of causes, consequences and various perspectives, detailed research and analysis, evaluation of sources, a reflection on learning, and a conclusion. Reports commence with a question-title; for instance: Are justice systems fair to all citizens? Should billionaires share their wealth with the poor? Is globalisation leading to a loss of culture and identity?
How can we inspire our Year 10 students to become actively and enthusiastically engaged, to lead classes, to think analytically and critically, and to consider how their IRs could relate to their future careers?
Strategy 1: Student-led learning.
Before the lesson, students are asked if they would like to lead the class by designing content based on the report criteria, requirements, and success strategies. One agrees to design a quiz -- encouraging and exciting; a student-led learning experience coming to fruition!
Strategy 2: Discuss, share, regroup.
Students, in groups, are asked to share their report plans and align them with what they have learnt in the quiz. They are also instructed to identify potential challenges and opportunities in terms of report research and completion. The resulting output will be shared with other groups.
Strategy 3: IR-careers considerations.
In a recent audit of student satisfaction, some students felt that GP would not be relevant to their careers. The teacher of 2026 does not tell their students how GP can relate to becoming a successful doctor, entrepreneur, engineer, or legal professional. Alternatively, the process of elicitation is employed. Classroom task: 'Find 3+ ways in which your IR can relate to your future career. Consider GP topics and skills.'
The group work, active and enthusiastic student engagement, as well as the feedback, was certainly impressive and insightful.
Students were reminded that GP relies on focused research, skills-development, assimilating assorted perspectives, and identifying elements to complete their reports. Analysis, critical thinking, communication, evaluation, reflection, compassion, open-mindedness, a growth mindset, and a passion for their issue all come into play; relevant to whatever career they opt for.
Significant contributions:
• Medical practitioners ensuring everyone receives medical care through the provision of affordable, alternative frameworks.
• Leaders promoting job-creation within local communities.
• Students becoming more confident and innovative.
Thus, ideally, we will see caring, compassionate (even altruistic) professionals working for the benefit of others, having developed themselves through their IR completion, utilising the perspectives and skills they have acquired.
Mr. Xavier F.
WHEN FRIENDSHIP CROSSED THE FENCE
WHEN FRIENDSHIP CROSSED THE FENCE
Year 7 English class Explores Innocence, Empathy, and History in ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’" "Beyond the Stripes:
Our Year 7 Students Ask: What Does It Mean to ‘Look the Other Way’?"
"The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas" is a powerful and moving novel that sparks deep thinking and emotional response. "Walking into the Year 7 English class, school main library, you could feel a hush of concentration—the kind that comes not from silence, but from deep thinking. As students turned the pages of John Boyne’s novel, they were not just reading a story; they were stepping into another world."
Why This Book?
"We chose this book not only for its historical significance, but for its profound exploration of friendship, innocence, and moral choices. It encourages students to read between the lines, to question perspective, and to build empathy—a core skill in both literature and life." Student Voices and Reactions
"What surprised me most was that Bruno did not really understand what was happening—it made me think about how children see the world differently." – Graham Y7
"I kept hoping Shmuel and Bruno would find a way to be friends openly. The ending made me so sad, but it also made me want to learn more about real history." – Farisha Y7
A Message from the Teacher
"I have been so moved by the maturity and empathy shown by our Year 7s. They have engaged with difficult questions thoughtfully and respectfully."
– Ms. Ursula Patience
Looking Forward "Next week students will create their own diary entries’ from Bruno or Shmuel’s point of view, deepening their connection to the characters and their circumstances." Reflective Question "What would you have done if you were Bruno? How do we recognize the ‘fences’ in our own world?"
Year 10 Geography: Water Resources and Management
Year 10 Geography: Water Resources and Management
During this term, Year 10 Geography students have been studying water as a global resource, developing their understanding of how water supply and management vary between countries at different levels of development. The unit reflects key content from the IGCSE Geography syllabus, with a strong focus on skills, case studies, and evaluation.
Students began by identifying and explaining a range of water supply strategies, including surface water storage through reservoirs and transfer schemes, groundwater extraction via wells, boreholes, and aquifers, and desalination as a response to water scarcity. Case studies from Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia were used to illustrate how countries in arid environments secure reliable water supplies.
The class then analysed patterns of water use in countries at contrasting levels of economic development—Brazil, the USA, the UK, India, and Uganda. Using Google Sheets, students processed and presented data through graphs showing the relative proportions of water used for agriculture, domestic consumption, and industry. This activity supported the development of key geographical skills, including data interpretation, comparison, and analysis.
To explore water management, students investigated the role of large dams and hydroelectric power (HEP) in meeting energy and water demands. Local case studies included the Bujagali and Isimba Dams in Uganda, while international examples focused on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam in Ethiopia, highlighting the issue of transboundary water conflict with Sudan and Egypt. Students also examined the Katse Dam in Lesotho as part of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, assessing its benefits for water supply and electricity generation alongside the social and environmental costs, including settlement displacement. The unit concluded with an evaluation of the advantages and disadvantages of the Three Gorges Dam on the River Yangtze in China.
Overall, the unit strengthened students’ understanding of sustainable water management and encouraged them to evaluate how geographical decisions can bring both opportunities and challenges. Students also developed essential examination skills, particularly in case study application, graphical skills, and extended written responses.
By Ismail Nsubuga
Geography Teacher
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