Junior School students made friends with germs on 7 Jun when they became scientists for a day-long STEM ((Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) workshop.
Molecular biologist Dr Gal Winter-Ziv and Jenny Druitt from CSIRO’s Scientists and Mathematicians in Schools program brought a variety of specimens for the students to examine under high-powered microscopes.
At a question and answer session, students asked questions ranging from “Have you always wanted to be a micro-biologist?” to “What is the worst disease that the world has ever experienced?” Students prepared their own slides to examine under the microscope and by the end of the session they were adept at using scientific terms including such as: hyphes, specimens, petri dishes, microorganisms, slides, microbes, viruses, organisms and magnification.
“We put a drop of blue dye on a glass slide and then got some sticky tape and gently put against some mould and then put that on the slide and slid it under the microscope. Then we drew a picture of what we saw,” said Esther Lindeman, Year 5.
“”I really liked seeing the different moulds and germs and the shapes they made – some were hairy and others were like flowers. It was really fun.”
Extension and Enrichment coordinator Mrs Anne Hine said the students loved being scientists for a day.
“Their curiosity was nurtured and they developed new skills for inquiry and research. We are delighted of the commitment that Dr Winter-Ziv and Mrs Druitt will be ongoing,” she said.
Lennox Neilson watches William Gilpin inspect his germs, while in the background Harry Pennington and Henry Kirton also improve their science skills
Esther Lindeman looks at mould under the microscope
Dr Gal Winter-Ziv watches as Toby Inglis sticks some mould onto tape
