Term 4 sees us turn our vision to space and how we can get there (and back). In Week 1 we reviewed the history of the Space Race, analysing influencing factors of Cold War through to the Arms Race as drivers behind the Soviet Union/USA Space Race. This involved exploring political ideologies and the impact of communication systems like the use of propaganda to develop a sense of nationalism and investment in space related travel. Year 11’s reviewed these concepts through a Science as Human Endeavour lens, investigating how development of technologies and areas of science and technological development influenced other areas. Societal and economic influence and impact were also reviewed with a discussion around the ethical considerations of any scientific undertaking.
Moving forward in Weeks 2-6 the science and maths curricular areas are beautifully interweaved through our analysis of linear motion and Rates of Change units and how this applies to space exploration. Students understand the nature of speed, velocity and acceleration of an object in reference to a fix point, and mathematically represent these changes over time. This connects very nicely to the rates of reactions unit they are also exploring in Truth and Perception enabling students to transfer their learning effectively between the Central Studies.
An exploration of Newton’s laws and the impact of forces on motion are also reviewed with a collaborative inquiry investigating the interplay of these variables for Earth re-entry. The mathematical learning of these units is an excellent example of ‘context related’ mathematical learning and provides the foundation for students pursuing Stage 2 Mathematics (particularly calculus).
“So long Earth, we’ll see you on the flip side.”
