Science Week
Many career opportunities will require our students to have an understanding of emerging Science and Technology and here at ISA, we strive to quietly inculcate a scientific and creative attitude in our young minds in preparation for the task ahead. Undoubtedly, our maiden Science Week, from 13th to 17th February, was a key means to this end as there is no better way to understand Science than to do Science.
Science Week is a celebration of life-changing and fascinating worlds of Science and Technology. It aims to make Science more interesting and accessible to children and adults alike, highlight their importance in our everyday lives and how they lead to interesting and exciting career options. Most importantly, it provides support for our Science curriculum, unleashes children’s creativity and raises the profile of Science in the school community.
The week kicked off with daily class presentations of scientific phenomena and this was followed by two visits to the Newmont Ahafo mine to experience Science in action in the real world. On Tuesday, Sankofa and Nkyinkyim classes visited the Security Control Centre to learn about Newmont’s security protocols, the Emergency Response Team to understand emergency preparedness, and the Learning and Development Department to try their hands at the haul truck simulator.
Gye Nyame and Nyansapo took their turn on Thursday, 16th February 2017 and visited the Subika Pit outlook, the mine maintenance workshop and a lookout of the Process Plant to understand how gold is mined and processed as well as how mine equipment is maintained. The visit to the mine was an excellent out-of-classroom learning opportunity and students lived up the ISA vision by enquiring and learning as much as they could.
The highlight of the week was the Science Fair, which was held on the morning of Friday 17th February 2017 to showcase and celebrate the excellent work done by our students. The focus of the Fair was "Change" and long before that day, students worked from home to design, test, analyse, and present projects that use the scientific method to solve a problem. Each class displayed their work in front of their classrooms and some of the projects were:
| Sankofa |
Bouncy eggs, a plastic parachute, dancing noodles, rainbow colours,blow-up balloon and balloons above the flame |
| Nkyinkyim | Lung model, DIY hovercraft, balloon air pressure magic, homemade motorcycle, underwater explosion and a fire snake |
| Gye Nyame | DIY hovercraft, fermentation, potato power, baked Alaska, condensation and elephant toothpaste |
| Nyansapo | Electroscope, a simple electric motor, the power of hydrogen (wireless electricity), water filtration projects, Van der Graaf Generator and PH scale |
It was heart-warming to see our young scientists at work demonstrating their experiments, answering questions and engaging actively with parents and friends. Each work presented was judged and outstanding projects were duly awarded. Congratulations to Senam Mortoti, Nubuke Eli-Dzantor, Sedinam Saaba Ako, Agustina Loreto Valenzuela and Eyako Eli-Dzantor!
We would like to thank everyone who helped in diverse ways to make our Science Week another wonderful showcase of the teaching and learning undertaken at our school. A special thank you to the Newmont Communications Departments for hosting our tours of the mine, parents and staff for their support and our students who worked diligently on their projects. Remember, “All of Science is nothing more than a refinement of everyday thinking” – Albert Einstein