CoRE learning journey

Years 5&6 “Too Salty”

In a quest to deepen their understanding of salty waters, our students recently embarked on an engaging investigation centred around evaporation. Armed with their evaporation pods, each budding scientist worked with diverse saline solutions, meticulously tracking the weight changes multiple times weekly to calculate the evaporation rate. Currently, they are analysing and evaluating their findings, fostering critical thinking and scientific inquiry.

This practical experience deepened the students' understanding of evaporation and showcased its real-world applications, particularly in salt production. As a valuable extension of their previous project on crystal gardens, this investigation not only enriched their knowledge but also sparked their curiosity for further scientific exploration.

Year 7 “Martian Invaders”

In an exciting venture into space exploration, our students have been actively involved in designing their investigation into Mars, including crafting innovative landing devices. Each student-led Business Unit (BU) has contributed diverse designs, undergoing rigorous testing and iteration to enhance functionality.

Furthermore, several units have dedicated efforts to refine their crushers to achieve more stability and efficiency. Throughout this iterative process, students have applied principles of gravity and speed to optimise their designs, fostering a deeper understanding of engineering concepts.

Notably, encountering challenges has prompted students to explore alternative methodologies, reinforcing resilience and problem-solving skills. This holistic approach to learning embodies the engineering design process and is seamlessly integrated into our curriculum.

As our students continue to refine their designs and overcome obstacles, they exemplify the spirit of exploration and innovation inherent in scientific inquiry. We eagerly anticipate witnessing their continued growth and ingenuity as they embark on this thrilling journey into the unknown.

Year 8/9 “Rusty Rocks”

As part of their Project Component 1 (PC1), students showcased their comprehension of iron ore by creating an iMovie-style short clip reminiscent of programs like BTN, focusing on iron ore formation and hydrothermal vent ecosystems.

Each student group used diverse and imaginative methods to articulate their understanding. Some groups presented exceptional, high-quality news segments.

This project enabled students to collaborate, think creatively and critically, and utilise their diverse talents, including public speaking, digital technologies, production design, and scriptwriting, to grasp scientific concepts. These concepts ranged from the various elements of ecosystems such as pH, temperature, hydrothermal vents, photosynthesis, to chemical reactions leading to the formation of different types of iron oxides.