Science
The Science Department at Balgowlah Boys consists of four well-equipped laboratories, a computer lab and a demonstration room. There are five full time staff members and a part time Science Assistant.
To cater for the educational needs of our boys the faculty has developed a very practically orientated program where learning is based around challenging and interesting experimental work. All units of work are theme based and often have a major project at their core such as the rocket building and launching in year 8. All laboratories have their own computer linked to data loggers that are used widely in experiments, particularly in senior courses where electronic data collection and analysis is required.
Technology training in a Science context is also provided to all boys in all years. IT skills are now embedded in all our programs and each class spends at least one period per cycle in one of the five computer labs available throughout the school.
Science courses available to students in the senior school include Chemistry, Physics and Biology. A key focus in these subjects is to make the subjects as relevant to the boys as possible with a wide range of practical work using some of the latest technology available.
The faculty has recently purchased a video microscope through a generous funding grant from the P&C. This enables Biology students to look at microscopic organisms under the microscope and display them on the classroom television. These images can be then stored and manipulated on software in the classroom computer. Data loggers enable our students to perform experiments in measuring motion and testing oxygen and Ph levels. Data from these experiments can then be transferred to classroom computer software for further analysis. Excursions also play a big part in putting knowledge into settings that the boys relate to such as the Ecology visit to the Long Reef Marine Park rock platform, the Police Museum and the Disease Museum at UNSW.
The programs in the Science faculty are very outcomes based where the emphasis is on what the student knows and what they can do. All units are taught and assessed towards a given set of program outcomes. While practical work is seen as the key to engaging boys this is backed up with regular and relevant homework in all topics. Regular checking of homework by staff and the use of homework diaries by students is important in this process.
