Foundation Magazine 2021-2022 | Mount Kelly

ACADEMICS
STEM - SCIENCE
ACADEMICS
COLLEGE
BIOLOGY IN ACTION
Year 11 pupils completed a dissection
of a sheep’s eye in Biology, labelling the
individual elements on a slide.
LIVING WORLD GAS
EXCHANGE SYSTEMS
Year 12 Biologists studied gas exchange
systems across the living world. They
focused on insects and carried out a
locust dissection with the aim of isolating
the structures that make the insect gas
exchange system unique and observing
them under a microscope. Pupils worked
carefully to expose, identify and observe
delicate structures such as the tracheae
that provide oxygen to respiring tissues in
the locust.
INVESTIGATING STOMATA
Year 10 pupils investigated stomata
density on different plant leaves gathered
across the School. When viewed under
the microscope they managed to take
some surprisingly beautiful shots of the
stomata; some of them were also able to
count those whose stomata were open
and closed - see if you can spot them.
The photos were taken by Holly Tasker
and Breanna Chamberlain.
SYNTHESISING ASPIRIN
Aspirin is one of the most widely used
medications in the world with over 58
billion doses consumed each year. Long
regarded as an effective painkiller but also
used to treat a range of ailments including
preventing strokes, it is relatively easy to
produce. Our Lower Sixth chemists took
on the challenge to produce their own
aspirin from one of the intermediates
(salicylic acid) into pure aspirin. This multistage
process included both the synthesis
and purification in the lab. Working in pairs
they produced aspirin before testing it
for purity and analysing the crystals. The
synthesis coincided with our teaching of
carbonyl and aromatic compounds. Pupils
also covered a wide range of laboratory
techniques with recrystallisation, thinlayer
chromatography and melting point
analysis.
NATIONAL SCIENTIFIC
THINKING CHALLENGE
SUCCESS
At the start of the Summer Term, Year 10
pupils undertook the National Scientific
Thinking Challenge in Chemistry lessons.
The Challenge is organised by the
University of Warwick and, much like the
Chemistry Olympiad, is open to pupils
from across the UK. Pupils looked at data,
graphs and text to make deductions, spot
trends, suggest hypotheses and identify
anomalous results. With the disruption
experienced to practical lab work during
the pandemic this was an excellent
opportunity for pupils to analyse and
interpret data and to see experimental
results. Our pupils secured six Gold
Awards, two Silver Awards and five Bronze
Awards. Gold Awards were presented to
Hannah Tilney, Rosie Forwood, Morgan
Thomas, Erin O’Shea, Logan Ashall and
Ruby Blackaby-Peck; placing them in the
top 10% of over 4,500 participants.
SPECTROSCOPY IN A
SUITCASE
Following on from synthesising their own
Aspirin, Year 12 Chemists tested their
products with an Infrared Spectroscopy
machine kindly loaned by the University
of Plymouth. Fourier-transform Infrared
Spectroscopy is an industry standard for
the analysis and identification of organic
compounds. The benchtop device is able
to detect small traces of organic chemical
compounds and can identify impurities
in products. Pupils were able to test
some known samples and compare their
products to them. Infrared spectroscopy is
a common question in A Level Chemistry
so it has been an invaluable lesson for
pupils to see the device first hand.
FRESHWATER INVERTEBRATES
Year 12 Biology pupils spent an afternoon
investigating the effect of different
environmental factors on the distribution
of given species, and exploring freshwater
invertebrates. After sampling the fauna in
the Mount Kelly grounds, pupils used their
results to come to their own conclusion on
an investigation of their choice. Year 12
were able to use skills they have learned
in lessons and apply them to a practical
situation.
By Sienna Schreiner, Year 12
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
IN THE 21ST CENTURY
To gain a broader understanding of sustainable
development, I completed a Sustainable
Development in the 21st Century
course through Yonsei University in Seoul
with Ban Ki-moon, former UN Secretary
General and a champion in the field of
sustainability. The course explained various
routes to gain sustainable independence
via the Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs). I concluded the course by
writing to MP George Eustice about the
uptake of recycling of small electronic devices.
The hoarding of mobile phones is
restricting the supply of valuable minerals
globally which is currently mainly supplied
by mining conflict minerals in countries
such as the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The complexity of recovering Technology
Metals (TMs) means they cannot be
recycled as general waste from electrical
and electronic equipment. Currently less
than 1% of TMs in electrical recycling
are recovered and most are lost due to
non-specific recovery processes.
Together we can make a difference. Look
into your drawers at home and see what
you can recycle - do your bit to help save
our planet.
By Adam O’Reilly, Year 13
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