CHALLNEY HIGH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS

CHALLNEY HIGH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS
Primary school Science Club
A SPECIALIST SCIENCE AND MATHS COLLEGE
NEWS SHEET 6. July 2008
The final meeting of this year took place on 19 th June. Maidenhall
students came to try out practical work on reflection, refraction and
dispersion of light. They were ably supported by our own Challney
buddies, Raghda, Tasneem, Jenny, Jeena, Ridda, Farial, Marrya,
Samina, Sahdia, Sidra and Zahraa as well as Miss Menni. There has
been a total of nine meetings with Dallow and Maidenhall pupils
throughout the year. Miss Menni has also been involved in
supporting staff in delivering practical work in the schools
themselves.
Meet a Scientist visit at Rothamsted
Georgina and Smita meet some
of our budding scientists
just as enthusiastic about the subject as you are.
On 29 th April we took a group of Year 9 and 10 pupils to
Rothamsted Research Station in Harpenden to meet three of
Rothamsted’s scientists, Adelia de Paula, Georgina Bingham
and Smita Kurup.
Students were able to find out for themselves what the life of a
scientist is like. How you get to travel all over the world to do
field work and meet other scientists. They explained that being
a scientist allows you to design and carry out experiments to
find out things people never knew before and it allows you to
be the world expert in one particular area.
Georgina described how she worked for three years with the
Masai in Kenya. She said one of the best things about being a
scientist is that you are working with intelligent people who are
This meeting was followed by an Open Meeting about farmland birds and the measures farmers can
take to encourage wildlife. There was a discussion about the reasons why recent measures to increase crop
productivity have caused a decline in wildlife.
Year 9 pupils attend the
Salters Festival of Science
Challney’s science buddies show Maidenhall
pupils how to calculate the angle of reflection
On 23 rd May Year 9 students visited the University of
Bedfordshire to take part in the Salters Festival. Students were
able to use their analytical skills in Chemistry to solve the
puzzle, “Who pinched the salt?” In a later exercise students
had to design an antidote to a bee and a wasp sting using the
principle of neutralisation. Students were presented with
awards at the end.

Applied Scientists visit Brooms Barn Agricultural Research Station
Looking at plant parasites
New Intake Day
The Year 6 New Intake Day on 3 rd July allowed students
from the Challney Science club to demonstrate their
practical expertise in Science. They showed students how
to make a lava lamp and how to make their own
cosmetics, demonstrating some of the practical
applications of understanding the science of materials. The
Challney Science club meets after school on Mondays in
Lab 16 if you would like to join.
Rothamsted Scientists visits Challney
On 13 th May, twenty Applied Science students went to Brooms Barn
in Suffolk to find out more about the type of research that is carried
out there. Brooms Barn advises farmers on how to encourage
wildlife while reducing the damage to their crop caused by wildlife.
Scientists are also interested in breeding drough resistant varieties
of sugar beet and onions, an imporant advantage in the event of
global warming. They are also trying to breed potato and sugar beet
plants resistant to Yellowing virus, a disease spread by aphids.
Pupils were taken round the station on a hay wagon pulled by a
tractor. We finished the visit in the laboratory where students were
able to see the aphids that cause the disease.
On the 14 th May we were pleased to welcome Dr Nera Muttucumaru to Challney to talk to Year 9 about her
research work on the presence of Acrylamides in food. These chemicals have been found in fried foods that
are rich in carbohydrate such as chips. Acrylamides are known to be carcinogenic (can cause cancer). The
aim of Nera's research is to reduce the amount of acrylamides in food while retaining it's flavour of the food.
Students were able to use the information from the presentation to produce Science in the News coursework.
On the 10 th July Nicola Yates came to Challney to talk to Year 10 pupils about Climate Change. This
involved a discussion about the evidence for carbon dioxide as the cause of global warming. Research at
Rothamsted has focussed on the growth of biofuels, providing oils, gases and ethanol from crop plants and
whether they are really carbon neutral. Nicola was also able to explain how she came to work as a scientist
and the reasons why she enjoys the work.
Geography Field Trip to Hitchin
Students on the Geography Field Trip were able to use the science department’s decibel counters to measure
the noise level in their sample area in Hitchin. The trip was supported through the STEM Access project.
Science Events
Science club members show their lava lamps
“Tropical Encounters” will be here on 16 th July to give Year 9 a chance to meet their snakes, spiders,
meercats and hedgehogs and consider the adaptations that make these animals born survivors. On 18 th July
all of Year 10 will be involved in the Royal Society of Chemistry’s “Chemistry at Work Day”.
We hope all the students who are going to the Science, Natural History or Space museums on Off Time table
day have an enjoyable and educational time. Try to remember what you have seen and tell us when you
come back to school what you most enjoyed. Next term: Luton Astronomical Society has three meetings
planned for the Autumn term, Sept 25 th , Oct 30 th and Nov 27 th looking at topics such as Double stars,
Aurorae and the moon Titan.
The next Rothamsted meeting is on Tuesday 16 th September when there will be an open meeting to discuss
“How Science can help feed the developing world”. Prior to this meeting we hope to have another careers
event to allow pupils to meet Rothamsted scientists.
If you would like to be involved in any of these events please see Mr Mackenzie for details.