The study of science is about asking questions based on the observation of the world around us. It enables us to understand why things happen the way they do and our own unique place in the universe. At Wellington,one of the best schools in Hangzhou, we split this study into three disciplines: Biology, Chemistry and Physics. This enables pupils to understand the specific aspects of science related to living things, materials and their properties and the laws that govern the way the universe works. We believe in a hands-on approach that allows pupils to investigate things for themselves and come to their own conclusions and understanding. This way pupils learn more deeply and can use this real-world experience to help understand some of the more abstract ideas covered.
During science week pupils are exposed to science in a way that enables them to practice the use of the skills they have developed, to complete challenges related to the theme of innovation for the future. Each of the activities is designed for pupils to work in a competitive science environment developing their own methods for success, before evaluating this success and trying to improve upon it.
Year 7 experimented with crash protection systems by building containers to stop an egg from breaking when dropped. This encouraged pupils to consider the forces that occur during a crash and how they can be reduced. Of the many applications this knowledge has one of the most important is to help prevent accidents and injuries during traffic accidents.
Year 8 developed the idea of egg protection even further by looking at how to post fragile items safely. Their challenge was to design a method of protecting an egg through the postage system using a limited range of equipment. This was particularly challenging as they also had to budget for the items they used in order to make something that not only could perform the task but also be financially viable.
Year 9’s task was to build freestanding towers from newspaper. This challenge involves looking at the forces on a tall building as well as the properties of the materials you build from. Working in teams many pupils developed ingenious solutions using the strength of triangular as well as cylindrical and arched construction techniques.
Learning science at Wellington in a hands-on pupil centered environment, really allows every pupil to love the subject and meet the rigorous academic demands of the assessments needed to progress to further study in science.