This week was STEM Week at Sharples and saw the Science team running a series of enrichment events for our students across all year groups each and every day. There was so much activity, we only have space to report on the first part here, read Part 2 next week!
‘Live’ Rat Dissection
Miss Fairhurst was dissecting rats with a different year group every day after school. Above, Year 10 are seeing (and smelling!) what our specimen on the slab had for dinner on Tuesday… Dissection is a key hands-on skill for our Science students to develop, deepening their knowledge and understanding of Biology and anatomy.
Astronomy Lecture
On Wednesday afternoon, Miss Dudley hosted our former Headgirl, Rowan Edlington, via Zoom (above left) for an aspirational talk to all year groups about Astrophysics and being a Woman in Science. Rowan is an ambassador for girls getting into Physics, who are underrepresented in the field, so is an inspirational role model for our current students.
Observatory Workshop
Continuing with the Astronomy theme, Mr Harding has been taking students on tours of the Sharples Observatory throughout the week. The workshop also included some telescope lab work, such as the prismatic dispersion of light (making rainbows!) with Year 9 on Wednesday (above right) and recreating the colours of the Aurora with Year 8 on Monday (above).
See STEM Week – Part 2 in the newsletter next week for a look inside our observatory and Year 7 Science Club…
Many thanks to all the Science teaching and technician team who supported enrichment events for our students to enjoy during STEM Week, giving up their time to cover and deliver successful sessions.
article by Mr J. Harding – Science Enrichment Coordinator
Further events across the school during the first part of this week included:
Pi Day Form Quiz
Year 7 Countdown Competition
Year 7 Arcade Game Design Workshop
Year 8 Virtual Escape Room
And finally, Science is not just for the Scientists, we leave you with a musing poem about STEM by Mr Ormsby…
A Sine of Genus
Imagine sitting by a lake
And wondering what it would take
To calculate its area
The formula would scare ya.
Or fancy while beneath a tree
You’re struck by thoughts of gravity
Quite tough with which to grapple
Whilst snacking on an apple.
Or say you’re watching tortoises
When what you start to notice is
Through lack of adaptation
They face annihilation.
Imagine peering into space
Amazed how it all hangs in place
Then arguing dark matter
Might make the cosmos scatter.
Great minds considered these and more
From ancient Greece to Ecuador
This group of geeks is quite well-versed
At sorting out our universe.
What theorem might I devise?
Am I not wise? There is some doubt
For I’ve just only realised
You close the fridge, the light goes out…
