Christmas 2012

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IT’S ONLY ROCKET SCIENCE! Mr Singh and Mr Pearce visited various feeder primary schools to give prospective Year 6 students a taste of science in Bassaleg School. Pupils spent the morning learning about the science behind rocket propulsion and were put into groups where they had to design their own water rocket using ideas of forces, aerodynamics and fuel thrust. The various final rockets were then fired using a water pump. SCIENCE DEPARTMENT Each was judged on height and distance travelled. “One of the best activities can’t wait for science at Bassaleg” was one of the pupils’ feedback replies! LIFE IN THE STARS: Students in Year 8 have been exploring the depths of our solar system this year, while trying to find out how to send a probe to Venus! They have researched the acidic atmosphere of the second planet from the sun and investigated the effects of acid on different metals. Once they had decided on a suitable material from which to build the probe, they needed to design a rocket capable of breaking free from Earth’s gravitational pull. All students were given the opportunity to test fly their rockets and calculate the precise amount of fuel needed for lift off. This was one small step for our syllabus, but one giant leap for the fun of Science. Blast off! ASTROPHYSICIST VISIT: Bassaleg School students were fortunate to have a lecture from Dr Ben Maughan PhD who is an astrophysicist from Bristol University. Dr Maughan gave his lecture to students of physics in Years 11, 12 and 13. He highlighted aspects of his work which covered ideas on galaxy mechanics and identifications of dark matter / dark energy. These topics make up essential parts of the GCSE and A Level Physics courses. Pupils undertook activities during sessions of group work which involved locating and tracking pathways of galaxies and highlighting what happens when large galaxy clusters collide. Along with work on astrophysics, Dr Maughan gave an insight into studying Physics at university and the various career paths to which the subject can lead. The lecture was a great success and is sure to have inspired the next generation of physicists, with many students asking in-depth questions and giving lots of positive feedback.
SCIENCE DEPARTMENT XPLOSIVE CLUB!: Xplosive club is an extracurricular science club run during lunch every Thursday. This year is our most popular year yet with over 30 attendees each week. Here we attempt to uncover the burning questions such as “Can we make a hovercraft?”, “How many different coloured flames can we make?”, “Could science make a rubber glove explode?” and “Can we build a tower out of spaghetti and marshmallows?” We don’t always come to a firm conclusion, but we do have fun finding out! CREST AWARD: Scientists in Year 8 will be given the opportunity to receive accreditation for their scientific skills by undertaking the Bronze CREST Award. CREST is a project-based awards scheme for the STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths). It links the personal passions of students to curriculum-based learning. UCAS endorse CREST Awards for inclusion in students’ personal statements – they’re well regarded, high-quality and a tangible recognition of success. Additionally, CREST Awards are supported by the Welsh Government and the Department for Education. Students will research, plan and investigate a science communication project. “It has boosted my confidence and shown me I have more skills than I thought, if I stepped out of my comfort zone.” CREST Bronze Award student, 2011. HIP-HIP HOORAY FOR DNA!: In Biology, our Year 10 students have been unravelling the secrets of our genetic code! Not only have we been able to construct models of DNA just like Watson and Crick, but we have extracted and observed a Kiwi fruit’s DNA. This hands on approach has increased the understanding and enjoyment of the topic at hand. Hip-hip hooray for DNA! SPECIALISED CELLS: Year 7 biologists have been investigating cells this term. We have prepared and observed our own cheek cells, and an onion cell, under the microscope, researched specialised cells and have even constructed our own models of cells. Over half term 7RRO used sponges, cauliflowers, playdough and even cakes to represent the building blocks of life. GEOGRAPHY DEPARTMENT Year 12 geographers spent 3 days in the summer term at Margam Discovery Centre to investigate pollution of the marine environment. While the rest of the school were busy with Olympic workshops, our challenges included finding people to complete questionnaires on the wettest, windiest July day and locating the dirtiest part of the beach to carry out a litter survey. However it wasn’t all bad weather and rubbish as we also enjoyed beautiful sunshine on Trecco’s Blue Flag beach and met Environment Agency officers to discuss environmental monitoring and regulation. Now in Year 13, the students have been using their data to write up their research in preparation for the A2 January exam; in some cases students have also used the experience as a basis for their Welsh Baccalaureate investigation.
Page 1 and 2: GOODBYE AND GOOD LUCK We are sorry
Page 3 and 4: D & T DEPARTMENT YOUNG CHEFS’ CLU
Page 5: As each of these activities played
Page 9 and 10: REFUGEE WEEK 2012: A celebration of
Page 11 and 12: STRICTLY JAZZ: Congratulations to S
Page 13 and 14: MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES VISIT TO N
Page 15 and 16: LEARNING FOR LIFE SHOEBOX APPEAL: B

Christmas 2012

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