Science
Sarah Bishop – Science Teacher and Year 10 Tutor
View from the Kleinleherer Family Science Building
Do you swim at Neilson Park? Then read on…
Do Shark Nets really work? What sharks do they aim to target? How often are people really attacked by sharks along Sydney beaches? Do the nets only catch the target sharks to protect swimmers or do they pose a threat to endangered sharks? How related to each other are the nasty sharks and harmless sharks? These are just a few of the questions Year 12 Biology have been seeking answers to in class over the past two weeks.
Early in Week 5, students travelled the great distance across the bridge to Macquarie University to run genetic tests on tissue samples collected from shark nets in Sydney. Their samples were analysed by a South Korean company who sent back a genetic sequence which the students then ran through databases to determine the species identity of the sample. Students are now using this data and conducting research to answer some of their controversial questions regarding shark nets. We look forward to hearing about what they have found!
You are what you eat?
Alerted by squeals of excitement, I snuck into K20 the other day to find Year 8 peering with fascination at a lump of clay-like gunk. They assured me this was the best thing ever … and the squeals were delight. They had been learning about adaptations in our topic: ‘A Home Among the Mangroves.’ A part of their learning, they dissected owl pellets, finding claws and bones … even whole skulls! A great way to find out how Scientists work out what eats what, with a bit of gruesome enjoyment thrown in. In the words of one Year 8 (quoted on condition of anonymity) “It was yucky but amazing at the same time!”
Year 8 also headed off to explore the mangroves in reality on our annual excursion to Bicentennial Park. I have it on good authority that the main organism observed were mosquitos, which were received with squeals of a different kind. However, the students also assure us that they learnt a lot about the different biotic and abiotic features of the area and there is no substitute for actually going to the place that you are learning so much about.
