Recently, our Science Superlabs played host to two classes of budding scientists from Year 1 at Wyvern House. This was the first step in a new initiative aimed at enlivening the STEM curriculum for the Wyvern boys and giving them a taste of high school science.
The workshops were organised by Ms Lindsay Bosch (STEM Teacher at Wyvern) and facilitated by six of our Year 11 students undertaking the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP). The workshops involved our boys leading experimental demonstrations about sound and light, to support the science unit ‘Look! Listen!’.
The experiments included: revealing laser light with talcum powder; exploring fibre optics; making Star Wars lightsabers; vibrating phones in boxes; and using Slinkys and styrofoam cups to recreate iconic Star Wars sounds.
Well done to the following Year 11 boys: Sam Wyrill, Angus Crump, Richard Ge, Jock Ferguson, Kenny Chen and Kelvin Du for working with the teachers at Wyvern to develop and present the workshops. They led the younger boys with flare and expertise, taking care to explain concepts and answer questions, and maintaining high levels of engagement and enthusiasm at all times.
The relationship will continue with these young men taking on science mentoring roles with selected Wyvern boys as part of their ongoing IB service component. The quotes below show that they are thoroughly enjoying their involvement.
“It was a wonderful opportunity working with the Year 1 Wyvern students and developing their interest in STEM” said Richard Ge.
“What was most rewarding was seeing their faces light up when participating in the workshops and watching their curiosity guide and drive them in various experiments with light and sound.”
Jock Ferguson said, “The Wyvern Science shows were a really good opportunity to introduce a few fundamental concepts, such as light and sound, that the kids will encounter while studying senior science in a few years. They really seemed to get a lot out of the sessions through the more interactive nature of our shows, compared to what they would usually experience in the classroom. They seemed to especially enjoy our Star Wars light sabre / glow stick sections to the demonstrations.”
Mr Andrew Millar
Head of Science
