Fun With Yabbies

June 10, 2020

At Santa Maria College, Year 11 Biology students have the opportunity to develop their scientific inquiry skills by working with yabbies.

This opportunity also provides the students with a sound understanding of animal ethics and an appreciation of the complexity of ecosystems.

Here is what our Biology students said when asked about the yabby investigation.

In this investigation, we are aiming to investigate the effect of varying food sources on the growth and development of freshwater yabbies. Bianca Johnston

To reduce the harm to the yabbies, we treat them with respect and prioritise safety while also practising the three Rs of animal ethics, which is to Reduce, Replace, and to Refine; by being as careful and efficient as possible to make sure the animals don’t suffer. Kezia Lin

Doing practical investigations gives us the opportunity to apply the content we learn in class to real-life situations. It is an engaging way of learning about scientific method and other concepts. It also allows us to take responsibility by looking after the yabbies and making sure all the conditions are maintained in the investigation. Olivia Reeve

Working with yabbies has broadened my understanding of the way animals function in captivity and the wild. It surprised me how complex yabbies are and how they interact with each other and their ecosystem. Yabbies are very resilient and intelligent creatures. Through conducting an experiment with the yabbies, I realised how difficult it can be to work with live animals and ensure their wellbeing, whilst keeping the experiment valid. Jaye Lamond

Our girls have been working extremely well with the yabbies and will continue to monitor their growth until the end of the term.

AnalyticalSkills, ConnectingLearning2Life, CriticalThinking, Curiosity, Featured, Stewardship

Author: Santa Maria College
Santa Maria College is a vibrant girls school with a growing local presence and reputation. Our Mission is to educate young Mercy women who act with courage and compassion to enrich our world. Santa Maria College is located in Attadale in Western Australia, 16 km from the Perth CBD. We offer a Catholic education for girls in Years 5 – 12 and have 1300 students, including 152 boarders.