Science at EIC

Chemistry Hangman (by Pablo)

2010-03-21T12:18:00.000-07:00

What does a biochemist do?

2009-03-01T01:29:00.000-08:00

Recently our students received their Morrisby test results and suggestions for future careers. A number or reports included the suggestion that a career as a biochemist would be suitable. This prompted the question "what is a biochemist and what do they do?".
Personally (and I admit to being biased here as my degree is in clinical biochemistry) Biochemistry is the most exciting, and indeed broad, field of science to study today. We are constantly working at the forefront of knowledge..with every discovery often raising more questions than answers. If you are interested in making money then certainly the biotechnology field is one well worth having shares in.

We were very honoured to have Dr. Ion as a speaker last Wednesday who gave us an excellent presentation on DNA, the development of research techniques and their automation.

We had invited the physicists and mathematicians along, and I am sure they were wondering why. However the section on computer science, robotics and engineering I hope inspired them to consider that the fields of Maths, Computing, Physics and Business are no longer seen as separate to Biology and Chemistry. Indeed Science is now becoming much more interdisciplinary now and the universities in the UK are investing millions in brand new Interdisciplinary BioCentres. Its is certainly a very exciting time to be a biochemist!

We would like to thank Dr. Ion for her presentation and look forward the rest of her lectures.

Year 12/13 Biology Field Trip: Donana

2009-03-01T01:19:00.000-08:00

Following Mr Hogans informative fish farm trip the Sixth Form biologists went on a weekend trip to beautiful Donana to investigate the plight of the lynx. The trip was very informative, exhausting and great fun...so thank you Mr Hogan for orgainising it.

My personal highlight, I think, was the three hour midnight walk where we all wore our pyjamas under our clothes because it was so cold and spotting glow worms, a boar footprint and some unusual lynx poo.

Other highlights was learning about the strange pharmaceutical properties of local plants and the lore surrounding the plants: some of the stories would make your hair curl!!

I look forward to many more fun trips.

Mrs Gardner ICT class christmas homework

2008-12-18T01:52:00.000-08:00

Year 8:

Read pages:39 - 47 in the Green Book
Answer the questions in the White book on pages: 37, 39, 42, 43, 44, 45

If you do not manage to get this work done then you will complete it in the lessons. Once it is all done then you can continue with your website design. You will have three weeks left on this project after Christmas.

Mrs Gardner Biology Homework for the Christmas Holiday

2008-12-18T01:19:00.000-08:00

Year 13:
Revise for resits. Elin and Zack I will still want you to do the Unit 4 Core Mock when you get back. We will stat the coursework in earnest after that.

Year 12: see separate post below.

Year 11:
Having completed the mock exam you may have realised areas where you are quite weak. My advice is to plan a few hours reviewing these areas. Do not relax this holiday, your real IGCSE is only 5 months away.

Year 10:
Complete the InfoQuest

Year 9:
Research and Endangered Species and produce a poster.

Have a great Christmas

Year 12 Christmas Holiday Homework

2008-12-18T01:11:00.001-08:00

Remember due to our lessons being timetabled on a Monday and Friday we have effectively lost 3 weeks worth of lessons due to bank holidays and illness. Hence it is VITAL that you get this work done.

1) Complete The Heart and Health booklet (chapter 1.2)

2) Make notes and answer the questions on:
Balanced Diet (p. 48-49)
The Energy Budget (p. 50-51)(include diagram of the calorimeter)
Weight Issues (p. 52-53)

This work is to be completed by Friday 9th January. I will want to see all the notes in this lesson. Anyone not having the notes will be sent away.

IGCSE Biology definition test 2

2008-12-12T12:17:00.000-08:00

Here is the Zombie attack I promised. Remember that I am following the syllabus and picking out all the "define" words...so you should have an idea of the words coming up.
This is a good test to do when you are feeling fed up of revising...go punch some zombies but you need to be quick or they will get you first!!!!

IGCSE Biology definition test 1

2008-12-11T14:36:00.000-08:00

IGCSE Biology: Classification of living things

2008-12-11T13:02:00.000-08:00

mrs gardners biology class homework

2008-12-11T06:46:00.000-08:00

Year 13:
Revise Unit 4 Core for Mock Exam on Wednesday

Year 12:
Complete The Heart booklet for Friday

Year 11:
Revise loads and loads and loads of Biology for your Mock Exam

Year 10:
$0 minutes on your InfoQuest

Year 9:
research an endangered species and prepare a poster

Revision for Mocks

2008-12-11T05:55:00.000-08:00

Hello Year 11!!!

Hope you are looking forward to your mock exams next week. Remember that your results from these exams will have a big influence on the decision to enter you for Extension or Core level so do not fall into the trap of "I want to see how I do without revising"....why? What does that prove?

One reason that mock exams exist is to encourage you to review your work so that you become more familiar with the topics. It also helps to highlight any areas of difficulty you may have, for example a number of people, having thought through their Biology, realise they don´t quite understand negative feedback..so have asked me for help IN ADVANCE!

I know it is difficult to get through all the revision you have to do (look at the PSHEplus blog for revison and study skills tips) so I have added some links below for you. These include all the Sciences and other subjects as well. Keep an eye out for more links in the next few days to some online games I am preparing on Biology topics and definitions.

http://kent.skoool.co.uk/index.aspx
These are online lessons but also include study and exam tips. Click on the key stage 4 tab and choose your subject.

http://www.s-cool.co.uk/index.html
another good site with revision notes and tests. You may need to register.

Remember that these sites are designed for GCSE so may include topics not in your IGCSE syllabus and also may omit some topics. So make sure you refere to your syllabus.

2009 Syllabuses can be found below:

Biology

Chemistry

Physics

There are also some past papers with mark schemes available in the syllabus links.

Good luck

Science Week 2008

2008-12-02T03:48:00.000-08:00

Science Week was a great success. We had lighthouse building competitions in Year 9, Bridge-building competitions in Year 8 and Boat-building competitions in Year 7. We also had quizzes for staff and pupils, the Treasure Hunt and of course the hugely successful Mad Explosion event. Throughout the week Primary classes visited the labs to try out different experiments. KS4 and KS5 students acted as demonstrators and were very impressive as they guided the younger pupils through the different activities. All in all we had a great week.

Here are some comments made by Year 7:

Alun said:

One of the things I enjoyed was the treasure hunt. I did the treasure hunt with Alexandre. We found nearly all of the clues. The best thing about Science Week was the Mad Explosion Show. First was the volcano. The other one was with the jelly babies, she made them burn in a tube. My favourite experiment was when I blew through a tube and a big flame came out.

Egor wrote:

The Science Week was fun and it was interesting. The best thing that happened was the race with the boats. Our team boat came 3^rd because our sail broke and the boat could not sail. When we made the boat it was fun, we had a new experience and we worked as a team.

Max wrote:

During Science Week the Year 7’s learned lots of stuff and loads of new things. We had great fun!! When it was year 7´s turn to have fun we had to go into our team houses (Goya, Miro, Dahli and Picasso). We had a tray of supplies and we had to make a boat! Our boat was made out of plasticine, straws, plastic bag, cardboard. Our boat was like a raft and we painted it multiple colours and called it “the funky beavers” .

Jorge wrote:

I think Science Week was very fun especially the mad explosions. The first thing I am going to talk about is the ship making. I was doing a ship with Lewis, Alun, Tristan and Egor. I really liked it. The best thing of Science Week was the Mad Explosions. The first was the mini volcano. She put something in a pot then poured in another thing and another thing started to come out. It was like lava. Then it was the jelly baby. They put the jelly baby in a steaming hot test tube and it burned and disintegrated. Then they got some bombs and hit them with a ruler and they all exploded and some purple smike came out of the bombs.

Mrs Gardners Biology Homework

2008-11-27T12:56:00.001-08:00

Year 13: Devise an experiment that tests the difference between two sets of data using the Mann Whitney U test.

Year 12: Complete notes on the double circulatory system and on heart structure.

Year 11: Complete P3. marking and complete sheets on human reproductive organs.

Year 10: Complete conclusion and evaluation of catalase experiment.

Year 9: Answer questions on classification worksheet.

Mrs Gardners Biology Homework

2008-11-20T03:37:00.000-08:00

Year 13:
Complete notes on the spinal cord and relflex actions for Monday

Year 12:
Write up blood pressure and pulse rate experiment for Monday.

Year 11:
Complete the self-mark activity for Paper 3 for Tuesday

Year 10:
Complete the TRY THIS exam question for Wednesday

Year 9:
Complete the first activity on the Graphing Skills worksheet (for next lesson).

Trip to the Wolf Park Pupil Comments

2008-11-19T04:59:00.000-08:00

Ana wrote:

I really like animals and before I went there I didn’t really know much about wolves. The first thing the guide showed us was a blind wolf who was white as snow, also in that enclosure was a half-wolf, half-dog, he was really cute! After that we saw other types of wolves, I liked them all however I only remember two types of wolves. One was the Russian wolves with their sixth month old cubs, and the smallest one was called Egor, he was sooo cute! The others I remember were the Iberian wolves, they were so big! After watching all the wolves we had a quiz and then we had lunch. After that we saw some farm animals including some foxes-they were really cute too!!!! Ihad a lovely time at the wolf park!!

Trip to the Wolf Park Pupil Comments

2008-11-19T04:56:00.000-08:00

Elsa wrote:

We heard wolves howling, I imagined how scary it could be to hear that at night. We saw lots of wolves but for me the best one was Egor, the baby wolf. I recommend this beautiful place because it also has a farm with giant pigs.

Zoe wrote:

The Wolf Park was very exciting, it was strange being so close to wolves. The way they live is so different to us and it was interesting to watch. They play fought that looked real and when they howled all in a group it was very….weird! I don’t know how they can tell who’s who but I guess they’ve known each other for awhile. There are some similarities between us and them-they treat their leader with respect. If the leader needs to sort something out they will. Also there were several other animals including pigs, goats, a sheep, chickens and ferrets. I enjoyed looking at all these animals. I hope I can go again.

Trip to the Wolf Park Pupil Comments

2008-11-19T04:52:00.000-08:00

Egor wrote:

In the visit I learned that the wolves can be dangerous and they can be inoffensive. I also learned that in the wild wolves wouldn’t attack you because they are scared but in captivity they are already accustomed to you and they would attack.

Tristan wrote:

My favourite part was when the guide threw chunks of meat at the wolves and they jumped up really high and caught them in the air.

Trip to the Wolf Park Pupil Comments

2008-11-19T04:49:00.000-08:00

Ed wrote:

At the wolf park it was really interesting watching them jump for food and learning about the alpha males, alpha females and beta fe/males. We learned all about different types of wolves and things like some of them have lots of fur to keep them warm in the winter. Then after that we had a quiz to test our knowledge about wolves with 11 questions, the winner would get a prize. So first we were tying for first place then suddenly we dropped to second and we finished second. The winner got a poster of a wolf, then I went to the shop; they had posters, necklaces, magnets. Last of all we went to the petting zoo and we saw foxes, pigs and loads more.

Trip to the Wolf Park

2008-11-17T01:09:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful trip we had to the Wolf Park (Lobo Park).

In the run up to Science Week Key Stage 3 all went to the Wolf Park for their KS3 Science Trip 2008. The day was educational and everyone enjoyed the day out. We learned about wolves, and issues surrounding endangered species, breeding programmes, animal behaviour and animal care. We saw some amazing behaviour from the wolves as an alpha female exerted her dominance over a lower ranking male and also how a pack all showed off to their alpha male. The petting farm was great too and I suspect Pinkie the Pig was a big favourite. On the Year 7 trip, even after a long day, puplsw ere still asking questions at the end and were fascinated by the foxes...we left at the very last second and I had to run for the bus!!!

Well done KS3 for your excellent behaviour and attitude.

I think we should have a small collection and adopt a wolf at Lobo Park. This would help this valuable centre to keep running and we can also have our very own KS3 wolf. Keep an eye out for the collection tin!

Thank you to all the staff at Lobo Park and thanks to Mr Hogan for organising a fantastic day out.

Mrs Gardners Biology Homework

2008-11-14T02:17:00.000-08:00

Year 9 Organ Game:
Thank you for emailing your results. 2 housepoints go to Omar as he got the highest score...even beating me!!!
Mrs Gardner

Mrs Gardners Biology Homework

2008-11-13T07:41:00.000-08:00

Homework summary for classes:

Year 13:
Complete the brainquest and label the diagram of the brain. Remember, if you want to do the IQ test, to untick all the newsletter boxes etc. Due in for next lesson and we can see if you are brainier than me!

Year 12:
As we miss our double lesson on Monday due to the field trip the work I am setting is a little on the long side and will be discussed in detail in our Friday lesson. In short: complete the notes set and answer the exam questions.

Year 11:
Complete the Growth coursework write-up. This will be due in next Thursday.

Year 10:
Complete the example exam question on the enzyme sheet. In addition finish off your mindmap for the enzyme topic.

Year 9:
Complete the gender analysis for the height class (averages, table and graph).

Ooh! What a lovely set of homework!
Enjoy!
Mrs Gardner

Science Week 2008 Timetable

2008-11-09T05:49:00.000-08:00

Science Week Fun Events

This is the timetable for the fun challenges happening this week.

Monday:
Student quiz
Staff quiz
House Science Challenge:
Building light houses : 9LK, p. 1 and 2, Sc2
Building bridges: 8MJC, p. 3 and 4, Sc4
Science play: Year 10(IF), p. 6 and 7, Sc3

Tuesday:
House Science Challenge:
Science play: year 10(PH and AG), p4 and 5, Sc3

Wednesday
House Science Challenge:
Boat racing: 7RF, p. 1 and 7, Sc3 and mini-pool
Boat racing: 7JW, p. 4 and 5, Sc4 and mini-pool
Treasure Hunt: All years, Lunch 1.40-2.20, Sc4

Thursday:
House Science Challenge:
Building lighthouses: 9IM, p.4 and 5, Sc4
Building bridges: 8MD, p. 6 and 7, Sc2

Friday:
Mad Explosions: All years (45 tickets only), 1.50-2.20, Sc4

Ticket only events:

Tickets can be collected on Wednesday 12^th November at morning breaktime in Sc1. This will be on a first come first served basis. Do not collect tickets on behalf of your friends.

Treasure Hunt: This can be collected from Sc4 from 1.40pm onwards. You may enter as an individual or as a team, (maximum of 4 in a team only).

OTHER EVENTS

Y12 & 13 Science Play Challenge – this is to be entered as a combined year group. You will be given two weeks to write and produce the play. Judging will take place on Friday 22^nd November at lunchtime.

Science Week 2008

2008-11-09T05:37:00.001-08:00

EIC Science Week 2008

We will be encouraging students in both Primary and Secondary to explore the Wonderful World of Science.

Students: You will be able to develop problem solving skills, witness explosions and even invent plays on interesting topics in Science. The main events are listed in the next post so keep an eye out for them: one of them could include you!!!!

Year 10 Biology Homework (Mrs Gardner)

2008-11-04T07:19:00.001-08:00

Year 10 Biology:

This week:
You must hand in your write-up tomorrow.
Remember to revise for your Chapter 2 test on Thursday.

Enjoy!
Mrs Gardner

Year 11 Biology Homework (Mrs Gardner)

2008-11-04T07:12:00.002-08:00

Year 11 Homework for the week

1) Complete Homeostasis booklet for Friday
2) Complete the exam paper given on Friday. This is due in on Tuesday.

Note: I am on a school trip on Friday so in your lesson you will have the opportunity to work through a paper 3 exam paper using your notes and textbook. Please focus on reading the questions carefully and constructing your answers according the style of question (look at the instruction word of the question eg. "state", "define", "explain" etc.) and mark allocation. Complete this paper as part of your homework if you do not finish it in class. We will review both papers on Tuesday.

Enjoy!
Mrs Gardner

Year 9 Homeowrk (Mrs Gardner)

2008-11-04T07:12:00.001-08:00

Year 9 Variation and Heredity Homework:

Collect a picture of your mother, father and yourself (or if you prefer choose a famous family to look at) and prepare a poster showing which characteristics you have inherited from which parent. You can add additional information not obvious in photos (eg height, funny toes etc.). The homework can be extended to investigate inherited characteristics from your granparents or you can include your brother or sister (if you have one).
You have one week.
Please do not use photos that are not copies as they may get lost or damaged in the wall display.

Have fun!
Mrs Gardner

Year 12 Biology Homework (Mrs Gardner)

2008-11-03T10:47:00.000-08:00

Year 12 Biology Set Monday, due in Friday
1) Complete the self-mark exercise. Add up your marks and pay close attention to the markscheme and the reasons why you may not have worded an answer accurately enough to justify a mark.
2) Complete the notes from page 46-47 of your green textbook (How Science Works) and answer the questions on page 47.
Mrs Gardner

Mrs Gardners Biology Homework

2008-10-21T14:28:00.000-07:00

Hi!

Here is the homework for this week and for half-term for my Biology classes:

Year 13: Please complete the excretion questions for Wednesday. Remember you are working on your presentations in your double lesson to show on Thursdays lesson. Half-term homework is to make notes on chemical regulation by hormones plus revise excretion for a test.

Year 12: Despite rumours to the contrary you have to do all the questions EXCEPT the one I mentioned, not the other way round. These MUST be done for Friday. Also do not forget there is a short test on test on the molecules we have covered so far. Half-term homework will be to complete the booklet of molecule exam questions.

Year 11: Coursework experiment is due in on Thursday. Multiple-choice test will be set on Friday covering the Coordination chapter. Half-term homework will be to complete Homeostasis booklet.

Year 10: Half-term homework: Complete the osmosis in potatoes write-up. This is due in on the Tuesday lesson after half-term. This is a difficult one so feel free email to eicscience@gmail.com to this post asking for help.
Also note that the homework that will be set on that Tuesday will be to revise chapter 2 for a test on the Thursday after half-term.

Year 9: Homework this week will be to carry on producing resources for the current project. Deadline for this is Friday. Half-term homework is to visit this site:

www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/body/index_interactivebody.shtml

Complete the organs game and email me your score at eicscience@gmail.com (I got 40% when I did because it is so fiddly to get the rotation and the position precisely right) and your most interesting fact for an organ (look in the top right hand window for the facts for each organ). Make sure you sign your name so I know you have completed it (and be honest!).
Have a look around the site and play a few of the other games.

Have fun and enjoy half-term. I will check in for any emails (see the email address above) over half-term if anyone needs help.

Mrs Gardner

Welcome to the EIC Science blog

2008-10-21T14:17:00.000-07:00

Hi!
Welcome to the Science departments blog. At the moment we just have one blog for all three Science subjects. However if this proves useful and popular we will expand it to individual subject blogs. We will publish articles by students and teachers, all of which you can comment on. Also homeworks for the week may be added so that you can always find out what you need to do...even if you have been away (bet you are really thrilled by that). Any ideas you may have for the blog please feel free to add a comment to this post with suggestions. Note that it is moderated and anonymous comments are frowned on. Please respect this resource.
Meanwhile have fun researching the periodic table and completing the polls. Theoretically all the answers should be correct if you use the periodic table research facility correctly. Just click on an element and then click on the link saying more and this will take you to the full table (in a new window). Also check out the pictures and news feeds at the bottom of the page, plus the wikipedia search facility.
Have fun!
Mrs Gardner