Nadia-Zahra Jessa (Y12): IB Science

This year, the science prefect team aims to create a fun yet informative environment for all students in school. We plan to have eye-catching displays that update regularly and relate to current events in the science world as well as what students are studying in their science classes.

In IB Chemistry we are looking at atomic structure and calculations and consolidating our learning at a level that is beyond what we learnt during our GCSE course. In order to put our knowledge into action, we carried out a practical where we heated strips of magnesium and observed the reaction when exposed to oxygen. We then calculated the change in mass to the strip after the oxygen had reacted with the magnesium. Afterwards we wrote lab reports to test our critical thinking skills as the outcome may not have been what we expected it to be! This practical experiment built the IB Learner Profile characteristics of being Reflective and Thinkers.

In our IB Biology classes we are continuing our topic on populations and communities. We took our learning outside the classroom to nearby Westbourne park where we completed a practical on sessile (non-moving) organisms, and tested our ability to formulate a research question and collect data to support it. Through this experiment we could see how biologists work in the real world as well as apply our learning. This supported development  of the Inquirers  aspect of the IB Learner Profile.

Keep an eye out for different science clubs popping up soon! We plan to have subject-specific clubs, as well as a ‘fun’ science club for the younger years, consisting of a ‘mad-science’ style of interactive practicals. Additionally we will run a GCSE study club where we could carry out practicals that you'd like to see re-done or those that interest you outside of the curriculum! The prefect team is always open to ideas, so feel free to let your teachers know or find one of us and we shall definitely take it into consideration!

Nadia (Y12)