Science Club
The first project for science club this year was a classic test of
design, combined with a knowledge of air resistance and who can pack the most
bubble wrap into the container. The brief was to 'Protect the Egg'. Ideas were sketched, planned and meticulously
designed over two successful sessions, with the final testing taking place the
last Monday of October half term. There were some early fatalities, as eggs were
dropped on the way to the testing sites, but the 1 egg rule had to stand.
Mr Cooper (Science Technician), played a key role in the eggs
being dropped from the scary heights of the patio wall, followed by
the first floor of drama. Still 2 eggs survived. Those protected by Adi &
Chloe. New heights had to be found, the stairway from the second floor science
block was no match for either design, so new eggstremes had to be located. S12
was the place. This is the highest point in the school and with 2 eggs
left, the moment was tense. Adi's design was dropped first, and although initial
eggsamination was positive, the egg had ultimately met it's fate. Could Chloe's
simple design survive the 3 floor descent?
Yes! The drop had to be perfect, to ensure the parachute opened as
soon as possible, and it was. Maximum air resistance was needed to slow the
descent, and keep it steady in order for the egg to stay within it's
container. After 3 weeks of meticulous design, production and testing, Chloe
Richardson (DSN) took the victory!
8CG History
This week 8CG have been preparing to put Charles I on trial. The students were asked to organise the trial, with minimal input from the teacher. Initially they discussed what make a good trial and what roles are needed. They then split off into smaller groups to brainstorm how best to run the trial of Charles. Some groups named individuals that would be really good judges or lawyers. Ethan planned out the timings of the trials so that it would fit into a one hour lesson. Isabel planned out how the classroom would be laid out so that it looked like a courtroom. The students decided that it would be best to vote in the judges, and despite some concerns about people voting for their friends they elected a judging panel that everyone was happy with.In the next lesson the students divided into three groups: the judges, the prosecution and the defence. They spent the lesson building a case around the 4 crimes that Charles was charged with. These were: ruling the country against the will of parliament & the people, declaring war on his own people, causing all the damage, death and desolation during the war & restarting the Civil War. The judges decided that they wanted to review all the evidence before the trial so asked for an opening speech from each team. They also decided to do some investigating of their own and explored the textbooks for new historical evidence to present.
Friday Period 1 - Trial day! The room was arranged and the teams were prepared. With a bit of help to get the trial started the students spent the lesson debating whether Charles was guilty or not guilty of each charge. Both sides called witnesses and the class also decided to have a jury in case the judges couldn't agree. Ellis led the prosecution team with some excellent input from Alexandra, Sam, George and Liam. Toby did a great job as a witness who suffered at the hands of Prince Rupert. The defending team was led by Poppy, she was supported very well by both Ethan's, Cara, Ilana, Abi and Holly. Kayleigh and Hannah were their witnesses. The judges presented some new evidence and asked some pressing questions - well done to Isabel, Josh, Arooj and Neve.
The judges and jury decided:
Ruling the country against the will of parliament & the people - Not Guilty
Declaring war on his own people - Guilty
Causing all the damage, death and desolation during the war - Not Guilty
Restarting the Civil War - Guilty
The class was asked to follow up the lesson with some homework about Charles' sentence.
