Science Competition (ICAS) 2013

ICAS in Science is a is a skills based  Science Literacy assessment that is completed by over a million students from over 6,300 schools in Australia and New Zealand annually.  Why should you enter?

• Fun and challenging competition
• Great for CV
• Gives you an indication of skill on a national level
• HVHS students have traditionally preformed very well. 
• All students can participate - Y9 to Y13

Students sit the assessment on the 5th June, however if you want to enter you need to hand in permission slip with $8.50 to the resource centre by Friday 3rd May

Find out more here

Learning goals - Planetary Profiles

PLANETARY PROFILES	Tick
1.      Recall that the Earth orbits the sun every year.
2.      Understand that the tilt of the Earth’s axis causes the seasons
3.      Understand that the rotation of the Earth on its axis creates night and day
4.      Describe how solar & lunar eclipses occur
5.      Understand that planets orbit a star
6.      Know that the sun is a star.
7.      Know the main differences between a star and a planet.
8.      Name the planets in our Solar system.
9.      Describe the structure, landscape, climate of at least two planets.
10.   Explain some of the problems of space travel

Update to Astronomy Project - Comparision of Earth with one other planet

HAND IN DATE - Monday 10th December (marking 9UN's projects), Tuesday 11th - Feedback from 9UN.

In addition to answering LI goals 1-10 with full answers and diagrams.  You are to choose one planet from the list below
MERCURY    VENUS     MARS     JUPITER    SATURN      URANUS     NEPTUNE

Find out the following facts about your planet AND Earth:

·         How far the planets are from the sun

·         Their mass

·         Their diameter

·         What they are made of

·         If they have a moon

·         What the atmosphere is made of

·         If they have water

·         Temperature, can life survive?

You may wish to present this data in diagrams or a table. 

Then COMPARE AND CONTRAST your chosen planet with Earth

You may choose to design your own planet, give it a name and decide on it's conditions (examples above) Where in the solar system would it be found?

Extension Section update - Break down your research area to at least three questions you are answering. Make the questions clear to the reader. 

Planetary Profiles Project

For this last unit you are to maintain a portfolio of your work in your science book.

Your task is to research each of the learning goals 1-10 and answer them using diagrams and paragraph answers which you are to write into your science book.

Extension - You are to investigate one LI in depth and develop your own extension questions. For example you might wish to look at how migrations of animals are linked to seasons, or how technology has developed to assist space travel. 

Choose one of:

LI 2 - Seasons, LI 4 - Eclipses, LI 7 - How are stars/Planets different?, LI9 - Landscapes of 2 different planets, LI10 - Problems in Space travel. 

Presentation - You can present your work either in POSTER form (A3), pamphlet, prezi or powerpoint.

Milestone - check off  your extension question with Miss Meehan at end of lesson 2.

Resources available - Computer labs booked. Box of Astronomy books. Printed handouts.

Due date - tbc.

Chicks genders revealed! (sex linked traits)

Genders revealed......
Sorry Fran you are a male.....now called Frank
Inigo..........luckily we gave you such a manly name!
Benedict and Pingu our two cute soon to be hens!!
Find out more about how sex can be determined in young chicks using secondary sex characteristics in sex linked traits
http://www.ehow.com/how_6101169_tell-barred-rock-baby-chicks.html

The 'cute chicks' in B11

Inigo the 'fourth born' - a real attention seeking and needy chick who is just so cute!

Left to right - Fran (Frank), Inigo (photo bombing!), Pingu, and Benedict

Pingu, Fran (who we think is the most dominant of the chicks at this stage), and the others enjoying their first experience of grass.

Inigo and Benedict (youngest and oldest) snuggle up

Periodic table of Elements

Ever wondered about the building blocks of all matter? Explore the elements in this basic interactive table of elements (test yourself with a quiz on atoms)
If you want to extend your knowledge you can find some interesting facts in the following advanced interactive periodic table.

Can't get the lyrics of "Meet the Elements" out of your brain?? For your listening pleasure.