Science in action for secondary school students at the Faculty of Science laboratories.
The Faculty of Science together with the Faculty of Education in collaboration with the Secretariat for Catholic Education (SfCE) hosted 75 secondary school students from St Augustine School in Pieta, at the Faculty of Science on 13 November as part of the POP Science initiative.
A short introduction was given by Ms Stephanie Maggi Pulis, Head of Department of Physics at SfCE, followed by a presentation by Dr Charles Bonello from the Department of Mathematics and Science Education from the Faculty of Education and another presentation delivered by Dr André Xuereb from the Department of Physics, Faculty of Science. Both students and the teaching staff had the opportunity to get an overview of the courses offered at the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Education.
This was followed by a visit to the laboratories of five departments; Biology, Chemistry, Geosciences, Physics and Statistics, all within the Faculty of Science. Various engaging hands-on activities were co-ordinated by Ms Danielle Martine Farrugia, science communicator at the Department of Physics. Ms Farrugia oversaw the educational content and liaised with the two faculties and SfCE to engage students in an informal way, and to acquire a taste of what science opportunities are present at the University of Malta.
Students from the degree programme, B.Sc. in Science for Education and Communication together with early stage researchers from the Departments of Physics and Geosciences prepared activities to create relevant and interactive sessions for the students on five different topics revolving around the theme ‘Science in the home’. The topics presented included, heating, refrigeration, lighting, water/sewage management and materials.
The Department of Geosciences showcased activities from their different research groups including seismology and oceanography, while the Department of Chemistry engaged students in conducting experiments on creating natural indicators. The Department of Biology also prepared experiments and guided secondary school students to conduct an experiment on stomatal density in plants, followed by data analysis with the staff from the Department of Statistics. Other staff members from the Faculty of Science guided the different groups around the Faculty making sure to assist teaching staff and their students with any questions about the visit. An exciting morning for all involved was clear from the immediate feedback that was given.