Starting the Year with Science in Action
I like to start a year with some (hopefully fun) hands-on practical work! Rather than beginning with lots of theory, our students are getting straight into investigating, experimenting and thinking like scientists.
Our DP students are using some of their mandatory practical work to revise the full investigation process — how to plan an investigation, identify variables, collect reliable data, analyse results and draw meaningful conclusions. It is a great opportunity to refresh these skills and remind ourselves that good science depends on careful planning and attention to detail and proper evaluation.
Meanwhile, our Lower High School students started by revisiting the key elements of the investigation cycle: research questions, hypotheses and variables. They came to class with a simple idea for an investigation and put their understanding to the test. They developed their own question and hypothesis, identified the variables, carried out the experiment, collected data and tried to analyse their results.
We then discussed the main strengths and weaknesses of their investigations. The focus was on critical thinking and understanding why the way an investigation is designed matters — especially when we want our results to be specific, measurable and meaningful.
A fun way to start the year, but also an important foundation for everything we will be doing in Science and Chemistry!
Good Luck and have fun!
