National Science Week
Last week, National Science Week was celebrated at Cranbrook School with an assortment of exciting and enriching activities.
Year 7s became EcoChefs – using native Australian ingredients to spark their creativity in producing amazing dishes whilst considering food miles, environmental impacts and sustainability. Each group pitched their dishes and votes were cast for the most delicious and most marketable creations. There were some very impressive dishes!
Year 8s explored the world of marvellous metals – they had a play with the revolutionary shape memory alloy called nitinol, seeing it return to its original shape after bending and heating. They also had a go at some metal alchemy, using metal plating techniques to transform a copper coin into a gold one!
Year 9s delved into the colour changing concept of iridescence – they explored how light interacts with microscopic structures to produce vibrant, shifting colours through bubbles and making their own iridescent rocks with thin film nail polish. They also tested their knowledge with a fun trivia game!
Year 10s partnered with the Junior School to lead the students in many hands-on activities. The Year 3 students ventured up to the Senior School science labs and had a wonderful time exploring flame colours, making copper tape cards and electric circuits, testing the pH of common substances and using microscopes. They finished the session with a demonstration of elephant’s toothpaste which is always a crowd favourite. The other half of Year 10 went to the Junior School and worked with Year 4s to show them mini volcano reaction, paper plane making, joint creation and movement with reaction times and speed. Despite the weather, everyone had a blast during the collaboration.
The success of Science Week is attributed to the great work of the coordinators in developing each program, the science staff for delivering the amazing lessons and the technician team for preparing the resources and ensuring everything runs smoothly!
Kathryn Whiten
Laboratory Technician
