Our school science department has embraced British Science Week this week delivering fun and engaging lessons to years 7 and 8 on the theme of Growth. Pupils have been exploring what sunflowers need to grow, looking at water, nutrients, light as well as looking at soil conditions, pollinators and the seasons. They have produced colourful posters and instruction leaflets on how to grow sunflowers, considering how they store their seeds, where they plant them and how often they water them. Some pupils produced illustrated poems about growing sunflowers.
They have also been finding out about what they would need to grow a sunflower on Mars, creating posters to illustrate this as well as building prototype plant watering systems. The science department will be choosing their favourite poems and posters from the day and awarding prizes!
Pupils in years 7 and 8 have written paragraphs on sunflower petals describing how they have grown since they started at Archbishop, not only in height but also describing how their interests have developed, how they have matured and how they relate to adults and their peers. Pupils in year 11 were invited to consider how they have grown and developed over the past five years. The petals will form a display in school around the themes of our school motto; Faith, Nurture and Service.
The sunflower is significant as it is the national flower of the Ukraine. We have been praying in school for the people of Ukraine and we are collecting items to be donated to the International Aid Trust, to help people fleeing the country.
Next week, all pupils and staff will receive a packet of sunflower seeds to grow their own sunflower at home. Pupils are invited to send in their photos of their sunflowers as they grow and a selection will be published on the British Science Week Firefly page. There will be prizes for the winning sunflowers. Miss Cross is also running a poster competition on the theme Growth and the winners will be entered in the national British Science Week competition.
Thanks to Miss Keel, Miss Cross, Mr McGee and the Science Department for organising such an engaging project.
