AY1718 Science Club
By: Than Yue En Julia (S2S)
From Nov 2017 to May 2018, the Science Club has conducted many exciting experiments and activities in- and out-side campus.
The experiments and activities that we conducted covered a wide range of science topics. For Biology, we did experiments such as the extraction of DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) from a tomato and dissection of a cow eye. For Chemistry, we carried out experiments to learn food coloring and reactivity series of metals. We learnt the concepts of reflectional and rotational symmetry in Mathematics through the paper cutting activity. We had an opportunity to deduce the relationship between frequency and length of the tube in Physics while we use straws to make a musical instrument and learnt about surface tension while being challenged to blow the biggest bubble.
Two of our Science Club members, Goh Ju Li Greta and Lam Chak Yee Cherry from S2M, embarked on an investigation in preparation for the Hong Kong Youth Science & Technology Innovation Competition. They investigated on the germination rate of mung beans (Vigna radiata) with chemical versus organic fertilisers. For future investigation, they hope to set up a compost with plant waste. The compost will enable soil to fully retain the nutrients released by the plant waste. The members of the Science Club also collaborate with the Robotics team for the First Lego League Competition 2018 with the theme of Hydrodynamics this year. The robotics team used Lego Mindstorms technology to solve Hydrodynamics while our team proposed the use of coconut husk to make a cheap and quick water filter for Cambodia.
Other than having in-campus activities, our Club visited the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens in November 2017. The student leaders of the Science Club prepared a scavenger hunt where members had to go around the garden to find the answers to the questions. Through the activity, we learnt more about the reptiles, insects, flowers, birds and mammals at the location. We also visited Hong Kong Science Museum to watch the show “Music to your ears” in March 2018. The show was about how sound waves work and why sounds have different pitches. The experiments and activities were exciting and demonstrated the concepts well. The club also visited the restricted Mai Po Nature Reserve for a birdwatching session. Over at the wetland, we learnt how to observe and identify birds based on their distinct key features. We spotted little egret, chinese pond heron, black-winged stilt amongst other species.
In the future, the Science Club will continue to explore more interesting areas and topics of science through the hands-on experiments and providing our members more opportunities to learn outside the campus.
