Hands On at AQWA
Our Year 9 Marine Science students headed to AQWA this week to learn about the biodiversity of the Western Australian coastline.
science
Year 10 Brain Waves
Our Year 10 Science students have been learning about the electric waves produced by our brains. As part of their research, the girls have been monitoring the frequency of particular brain waves.
Students Adopt a Penguin
Year 11 Integrated Science students have ‘adopted a penguin’ from the Penguin Foundation as part of their topic on environmental degradation.
Study of Whale Sharks
The Year 9 Marine Science students were provided with a very informative talk from Sonny Lewis from Ecocean on Monday. …
Search Dogs Visit Santa Maria
This week, we had the pleasure of meeting two beautiful dogs Priska, a German Shepherd, and Drift, the Weimaraner, and their incredible trainers, Dianne Bolger and Bev Auld from Search Dogs Australia.
National Science Week 2019
This week Santa Maria is celebrating National Science Week. The theme for this year is Destination Moon and the Periodic Table. Each day the girls have been presented with challenging quizzes and fascinating activities around those two themes.
The Naked Scientist Visits Santa Maria College
On Tuesday, Dr Chris Smith, better known as The Naked Scientist, was a guest at Santa Maria College. He spent the afternoon answering the science questions of Years 10, 11 and 12 students.
Students Test Newton’s Law
The Year 11 Physics course has been a roller coaster of learning, with the girls concluding Semester 1 by conducting an experiment where they explored energy conservation
Year 9s Test A Favourite Home Remedy
The girls in Year 9 Science have been experimenting to see whether home remedies for indigestion are as effective as those on the market.
Investigating Forensic Science
Year 8 Science girls took a journey into the world of the forensic scientist to learn how forensic science helps the police to solve crimes every day.
World Oceans Day
Year 10 Eco Sisters Jade & Moya attend World Oceans Day conference at Murdoch University.
Brain Stem Students Look at Neuroscience at Murdoch Uni
The Year 10 Brain Stem students attended an excursion this week, at Murdoch University, which focussed on the study of Neuroscience.Â
Goliath Pets in Science
The Santa Maria Science Department has some unusual pets – Goliath and Spiny Leaf Phasmids. They’ve been busy laying …
Skype A Scientist
Our Year 5 students were very excited to Skype with Julianna Kadar, a shark biologist at the Macquarie University, from their classroom this week. Julianna’s work focuses on Port Jackson shark movement and migration, which ties in with the topic of adaptation
Understanding adaptations over a two week investigation of chickens
Year 10 biology students have been monitoring chicks over the last two weeks. The girls are looking at the adaptation of living organisms and have been observing the chicks, weighing and measuring them to see what changes have taken place since they hatched.
Biology Students Get Hands On Experience At Camp
Last week, the Year 11 Biology class spent two days conducting fieldwork in the Perth Hills. The camp provided students with a variety of hands-on activities allowing the students to study the jarrah forest ecosystem.
Busy Week in Science
It’s been a very busy week in Science from crab dissections to light shows.
Students Learn about Marine Life at AQWA
Marine Science is offered to students who have a love of science and interested in the ocean and all it has to offer. The visit to AQWA introduces the girls to the Marine Science course and includes activities linked to adaptation, classification, conservation, food chains as well as how humans are influencing the oceans in the world.
Busting Myths: Year 7 Mythbusters Science Fair
Excited students from Years 5 and 6 attended the MythBusters Science Fair today in the Super Lab. The girls were full of wonder and had loads of questions for their Year 7 hosts.
Biology Students Looking at DNA
In Biology class the girls are looking at the structure and function of DNA. Every living organism has DNA, which controls the function of their cells. The girls are conducting an experiment to break apart the cells of strawberries and extract the long thin filaments of DNA from the nucleus of their cells
Year 9 Marine Science Visit Penguin Island
Our Year 9 Marine Science students headed off to Penguin Island this week, to investigate the effects of human influence on the Shoalwater Marine Park. The girls also looked at the adaptations of dolphins, ospreys, terns and sea lions at the park too
In Science, We Are Better Together!
50 years of research recognises that when parents and teachers work together on student learning, the improved outcomes are significant. …
Year 7s Head to the Zoo
Year 7 Science classes have been learning about the habitats of different animals from various parts of the world. Perth Zoo provided the perfect opportunity to further the students’ learning on this topic.
Students Look At Body Function Through Reflexes
Adriana Gangemi is a medical student at Notre Dame University. She visited Santa Maria earlier this week to speak about ways the functioning of the body’s nervous system can be tested by looking at reflexes.
Students Selected for National Youth Science Forum
Year 11 students Stephanie Tory and Madeleine Haines have been selected to participate in the National Youth Science Forum (NYSF). This is a not-for-profit organisation, which runs a series of residential programs encouraging young people to pursue their passion for science.  Â
Mythbusters Science Fair
Myth Busters is a fun Science elective where students learn more about the scientific method and participate in project-based, hands-on learning while designing an experiment of their choice.
Brain Stem Challenges Students to Think Like Scientists
One of the Year 10 science electives is Brain Stem. Brain Stem gives students an opportunity to learn more about the biological sciences, in particular the brain and neuroscience.
Solving the Crime: Year 8 Forensic Science Incursion
This week Year 8 students participated in a forensic science incursion titled ‘A Case of Conspiracy?’ . This is an exciting and interactive educational experience. Observation and deductive reasoning combine with the science the girls learn in the laboratory, to solve crimes in the real world.
Students Model Natural Selection
Year 10 Biology students have been studying the process of natural selection. Today they modelled the process of natural selection and the effect of camouflage on predation.
Students Investigate Brain Waves
For the last two weeks, the Year 10 BrainStem girls have been investigating how electrodes in the brain are affected when the person is concentrating on another stimulus, such as listening to music or watching TV. The girls in different groups were either focussing on beta waves.