Science Museum Trip
Purcell’s annual science trip was on Tuesday 21st January. Students from Years 6-9 spent the day in the Natural History and/or the Science Museum, and the members of the Science faculty have provided the following accounts of the day.
Purcell Head of Science, Dr Brookes, reported that:
‘Year 8 spent the whole day in the Natural History Museum and thoroughly enjoyed finding out about the dinosaurs and large mammals, the size of the blue whale was particularly awe inspiring. Many questions were asked of Mrs Malan about many of the species on show that are native to South Africa. The sheer number of exhibits, from the smallest of shrews to the largest bears kept us all enthralled. The moving model of a small velociraptor with fur and feathers was a particular favourite and many wanted their own to take back to Avison! Students also found it highly amusing that the exhibit of Chi-Chi the panda was actually seen as a living specimen in London zoo by myself as a child. How to feel old!’
While Biology teacher Mrs Withers commented that:
‘The Year 6 and 7’s were in the Natural History museum in the morning where we saw dinosaurs, found the giant sloth and saw gems – really big ones and expensive ones too. We then headed over to the Science Museum after lunch where we learnt about lots of different things. Particular fun was found at the friction slide!’
Physics teacher Mr Fellas explained that:
‘We [Year 9] started on the 2nd floor where we saw lots of interesting things including Isaac Newton’s reflecting telescope from 1671. Down to the 1st floor we saw the development of medicine through the last two centuries. Of particular interest was a piece of brain material from William Burke. He was hanged and publicly dissected in the 1820s for killing a number of people in order to sell their corpses to a doctor for dissections!
Down to the ground floor we saw the lunar module of Apollo 10 as well as the bell tower mechanism from Wells Cathedral dating back to 1390!
After lunch at the basement we looked at the domestic scientific innovations, including Mr Krappers flush toilet. Most of the exhibits looked like what Mr Brookes and I considered the latest mod-cons when we were children!
After that we joined everyone on the 3rd floor where we explored the hands-on Wonderlab.’
And Science teacher Mrs Emelianova detailed the rest of the day.
‘The other Year 9 group with Mrs Emelianova and Mrs Osman were also in the science museum and visited the newly opened World’s Largest Medicine Gallery where they were greeted by the monumental 3.5 m bronze sculpture ‘Self-Conscious Gene’ by Marc Quinn. They also enjoyed a full hands-on experience at the museum’s Wonderlab. Their visit to the Information Age Gallery surprised students with its humongous Inductance coil from Rugby Radio station built in 1926 with its famous call sign RGB. It could send signals of low frequency of about 14 kHz around the globe and even to Mars! Students thought it was a giant spider web. Another surprising object, not as massive as the coil, turned out to be the equipment used by THE BBC on 14TH November 1922 to launch its first National radio service with the its famous phrase: ‘This is 2LO, Marconi House, London calling’. All together a very enjoyable visit.’
