The pupils have been hands-on in the laboratory under the guidance of Ms Dunphy, investigating the precise environmental conditions required for seed germination. To understand exactly what triggers a dormant seed to wake up and start growing, the class is exploring the critical roles played by water, oxygen, and temperature.

Isolating the Variables

Scientific inquiry requires high levels of control and precision. By carefully isolating each environmental variable across distinct test environments, the pupils will be able to analyse which factors are absolutely essential for growth and which ones the seeds can temporarily do without. The experiments have now been set up, and the pupils are eagerly waiting to assess the growth and analyse their data next week!

Living our BEST Values in the Lab

This extended practical is a brilliant showcase of our BEST values at Risedale:

• Responsibility: Pupils took full ownership of setting up their test environments, ensuring that variables were isolated precisely so as not to ruin the validity of their data.
• Respect: Working safely and considerately in a busy science lab, pupils respected both the equipment and the ideas of their lab partners.
• Resilience: Biology experiments require patience. The pupils learned that scientific discoveries don't happen overnight, and they are looking forward to monitoring their seeds over the coming week.
• Relationships: Collaboration was key to setting up this large-scale experiment, with pupils working together seamlessly to ensure every variable environment was covered.

We look forward to checking back in with Ms Dunphy's Year 10 biologists next week to see whose seeds have successfully germinated!

#TeamRisedale 💙💜🧡❤️ #BEST

RESPONSIBILITY  RESPECT  RESILIENCE  RELATIONSHIPS