Riverside Highlights Issue 5 2014-15, Half Term Highlights, Term 3a | Page 9

SCIENCE HIGHLIGHTS

SHREWSBURY INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

Y7 SCIENCE TRIP TO SIAM OCEAN WORLD
Throughout the week commencing 11th May, Year 7 classes visited Siam
Ocean World to learn about aquatic animals. Read on for Joule’s (7LM)
report on the trip:
For our first activity, we looked at the aquarium. The guide helped us to
see lots of aquatic animals that hide behind rocks such as a big octopus,
which has a soft body to help it to squeeze into tight spaces and to
move around. Next, we went to a back stage, where we saw lots of
sharks. The guide explained about different types of sharks, how they survive, what do they eat, and how long can they live. We also learned
about the beautiful coral reef fish and took lots of photos of them.
After learning about the aquatic animals it was time to feed shrimp to the
sharks from sailing a small boat. We also saw amphibian animals such as
the two cute aquarium otters, who did a show for us. There were African
penguins too. We learnt that: 1.They are the 2nd fastest swimmer 2.They
eat small fish 3.They have special wax cover their body.
The trip was really good fun and I learnt lots about aquatic animals ,
types,names and more. I also learned that I like taking photos very much
(selfie)! - Story by Joule 7LM

Y8 VISIT NATIONAL SCIENCE MUSEUM
On 19th May, Y8 students visited the National Science Museum, Rangsit,
The trip was a chance to build upon their scientific knowledge and to
participate in a variety of fun and engaging scientific activities.
Once inside the building, students were given a booklet to fill in within
their groups. This activity not only allowed students to investigate and
learn for themselves, but was also a chance to test out their leadership
skills and teamwork. With the supervision of several teachers, the students were able to explore the 6 floors of the National Science Museum,
each showcasing discoveries and knowledge from different scientific
fields, and allowing the students to learn a variety of new scientific facts.
The museum’s props and interactive displays such as the plasma sphere
and the Power Tunnel provided really fascinating highlights on our voyage of discovery!
Next up, the students had an opportunity to watch a Science Show,
where the presenter described the science within sports - how a basketball can travel, hit the ground and how it bounces. She also described the
effect of the mass and the movement, and how different materials are
suitable for different uses. The presenter was very entertaining, interacting with the audience and inviting several students onto stage to help in
the presentation; a great way to boost their confidence and learning!
After lunch, students had the opportunity to visit the adjacent Natural
History Museum; home to a huge diversity of animals, plants, and nature
information. The students were given a plain sheet of paper to draw and
describe an animal/plant they found particularly interesting. The students
were allowed to roam around in the museum, examining the models and
reading the information, and it was a relatively relaxing activity for the
students after a long morning. Students w