Somerset celebrated its annual Science Week from Monday to Wednesday in Week 2. During this time, the Towers Quad turned into a giant science classroom, with a new attraction each day to excite our students.
To start the week we were thrilled to have Sid Hooker, from Griffith University’s Science on the Go! to come and present a number of science experiments. This gathered a huge crowd on in the Quad to launch the week. We watched him dazzle students’ minds with dry ice and liquid nitrogen, and then using the gas created from liquid nitrogen, we saw him blow up balloons, deflate and freeze only to re-expand the balloon again all under three minutes. The final experiment presented by Sid really sent our students hearts into shock. He called out for a BRAVE volunteer and asked them to cover their forearm in liquid detergent. After adding bubbles into their hand, he pulled out a gas lighter. Yes, a gas lighter! This caused silence across the audience and we watched in anticipation as the volunteer’s arm was brought closer and closer to the flame until…..BOOM! A sound the entire school heard.
Day two, and we introduced the inaugural Tech Tuesday. The technology team brought to life objects that were just pieces of metal and wires only a few hours before. We had robotic balls moving around our feet as we gave it a path around the obstacle course to a final destination. One incredible device sent out sound waves to locate objects within a 10m radius. We also had small robots which use colour as a guide to move around paths. Finally, we had a virtual reality device set up in the KIP to really bring technology to life.
The last day of Science celebrations saw our students battle it out in the annual Amazing Science Race. Students from Years 6 to 12 competed against each other in six different science tasks. The first five teams to finish the race advanced to the final. The final task was the Coke and Mentos experiment. The highest geyser wins. Year 12 team, Rhian Stowers, Riley Noon, Yasmin Holmes and Jess Jackson, took the gold with their geyser reaching beyond the Smith Building roof. That afternoon the teachers were able to get involved in the renowned Teachers versus Students Titration Competition. The battle of the best scientists in the school – the title going to Titration Nation, made up of Alexandra Gerrard, Grace Kennett and Jason Zhang.
We ended our Science Week with the annual Science Awards Night where the students’ Science Projects were on display for everyone to see. From Pre-Prep to Year 12, we celebrated the curiosity and imagination of the scientific minds of the College.
Year 10 students who were selected to be published in the Somerset College Journal of Scientific Issues, were also honoured.
We are thrilled to see the strength Somerset Science has within our school community and that Science Week had been huge success.