House colors adorned Pisay Clark once again as student teams went on a head-to-head battle of scientific prowess, technological skills, and wit in the Science Week 2017 competitions held last February 06-11, 2017. With the theme “Science Alive! Celebrating the Joy of Doing Science”, scholars from the Ten Great Houses – Pink Chimaera, Blue Sphinx, Brown Acromantula, White Centaur, Red Salamander, Green Leprechaun, Orange Manticore, Gray Phoenix, Purple Griffin, and Yellow Basilisk – participated in the different events in their bid to become this year’s House Cup Champions.
Science Week 2017 was organized by the Building a Culture of Science (BCS) Committee and teachers from Physics Engineering and Technology (PET) unit, Chemistry and Life Science (CLS) Unit, and Mathematics and Computer Science (MCS) Unit. The celebration aims to fulfil a three-fold objective: (1) Promote Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) among students through competitive and collaborative activities; (2) complement content and skills that they have learned inside the classroom; and (3) Foster camaraderie among fellow scholars outside their batches.
Out of the Classroom Experiences
Science Camp 2017 is composed of seven (7) major competitions, namely: Bio Challenge, Chemistry Feud, The Siege, Math It to Win It, Project Rover, Digital Citizenship, and Aghamazing Race.
The scholars’ knowledge on different biological concepts, as well as their skills in extracting DNA was put to test during the Bio Challenge. Participants of the Bio Challenge underwent a series of written tests on ecology, plant and animal anatomy and physiology, molecular biology, and biotechnology. The second half of the challenge is a practical test that involved figuring out how to extract DNA from a banana under a gruelling time limit.
Chemistry Feud added a twist in the popular show Family Feud by injecting problems involving chemical reactions and chemistry concepts. Contestants battled each other one on one as they answer chemistry related questions under different categories.
The scholars’ creativity and problem solving was put to test as teams plan and construct their own trebuchets using simple materials like popsicle sticks and strings. A limited set of materials were given to the participants which they need to use to build their own functional projectile launcher or trebuchet. Winners were determined by the quality of construction as well as accuracy of their trebuchet.
Math wizards test their computational and motor skills as they solve math problems and fulfil tasks ala Minute to Win It. Competitors were asked to solve Sudoku puzzles, break number codes, and construct sturdy pyramids. The team that are able to finish all tasks completely takes home the prize for this game.
Students also tried to be space navigators with the Project Rover challenge as they simulate communication systems for space exploration navigations. Players need to navigate a remote-controlled rover through a vast terrain by a series of commands from different control centers which can only perform specific tasks and commands. The teams which were able to successfully locate the mystery item wins the game.
Technical knowledge and film artistry of the scholars were demonstrated as they define what Digital Citizenship means. Houses were tasked to produce and film a short infomercial with Digital Citizenship as the central theme. Videos produced varied from the humorous to the poignant and captivating. Scholars were able to show that there is beauty in science and technology.
This year’s celebration aims to promote a culture of science by allowing the scholars to engage in science-heavy but fun-filled activities that are not usually part of but complements formal classroom instruction.
Out of the Ordinary Camping
A deviation from the ordinary camping experience, the Science Camp 2017 held in Paradise Adventure Camp, City of San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan caps this year’s festivities. The camp started with a bang as scholars showed their house spirit by performing their amazing house cheers. Everyone was delighted as sharp beats mingled with intelligent quips and witty taglines filled the air as house members urged each other on to grab this year’s House Cup for their own.
The focal event for the Science Camp is the third annual Aghamazing Race - the ultimate test of skills and stamina as houses hurdle through different tasks that tests their scientific knowledge, problem solving skills, and critical thinking. Tasks for each station was designed to test the students’ knowledge on disciplines like Mathematics, Earth Science, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Engineering, and Design. Some stations even challenged their teamwork, communication, and physical capabilities.
A bonfire activity was held after dinner to remind everyone to keep the passion for science and technology burning. Students enjoyed the warmth of the bonfire and each other’s company as they gaze upon the sky during the stargazing activity organized and facilitated by the Kislap Astronomical Society with their adviser Ms. Karizz Anne Morante.
The Purple Griffin dominated this year’s Science Week 2017 after getting high ranks during the various competitions. Pink Chimaera and Green Leprechauns followed suit bagging second and third place in the house cup. Winners from the various events were awarded certificates and custom-made medals while house cup winners were given a special trophy for their outstanding performance.
