Stephen Hawking project at San Andrea

The Stephen Hawking Science and Technology Project is an educational initiative held annually at San Andrea Senior School, to help students understand that the sciences are not just subjects to study for their examinations, but should be useful areas of discovery and learning. Science leads to the technological world around us. Technology is the actual application of the teaching and learning resulting from the interaction that goes on inside the classroom in an effort to make life easier, more comfortable and more enjoyable!

This activity is now in its fifth year, and has been designed to coincide with a Science and Technology week. The project is extended to all students, covering areas in Physics, Biology, Chemistry and Technical Design and Technology. It stems from a conscious effort to bring sciences to the young especially at a time when the lack of students taking interest in further science education appears to be a drawback even on a national level.

The figure of Professor Hawking is taken as an example of sheer determination against all odds to succeed, in spite of apparently insurmountable physical drawbacks. His Brief History of Time is a book that gives a new understanding not only of life around us, but also of the whole universe. The study of some aspects of the universe has recently also been included as part of the MATSEC syllabus.

Objectives

The project was held once more this year with the following objectives:

To trigger and increase in the student an interest to discover the scientific principles and laws that govern the world around us;

To encourage and build important skills such as imagination, creativity, research, communication, analysis, evaluation, etc.;

To introduce and prepare our students in disciplined learning systems and information analysis;

To be in line with the spirit of the National Minimum Curriculum; and

To introduce our students at a very young age to current and future needs of society.

The activity is a compulsory event made available to all Grade 11 students, to be held over one scholastic year before they sit for their O-levels. They are asked to work in groups and present work in three areas of assessment:

A written and researched assignment. Each student presents a file showing the amount, and level of his or her research. The aim is to have more knowledge in the head than knowledge in hand!

A seminar or public viva voce presentation on the topic. The presentation is eventually used not only to test the student's comprehension of the topic chosen, but also as a very practical and useful way to share acquired information.

The use of visual aids, AV resources, 3-D models, experiments and all other means aims to show their understanding of the chosen topic.

The seminars and discussions are held as an extra-curricular activity during the mid-day break. Short-listed presentations are held in the presence of parents and a judging panel of experts. The school generously presents the best team with a return ticket for an educational visit abroad.

Comenius programme

San Andrea Senior School is the Comenius co-ordinating institution in a current project on pollution. The information acquired in this programme was shared with other schools in Finland, England, Sweden and Denmark. Student visits to other countries in this Comenius activity ensure that the aspects of pollution are investigated by youngsters to increase awareness to prevent pollution. As a direct result, San Andrea Senior School embarked on an ambitious project on alternative energy.

The Energy Terrace sponsored by the MIA is a project at the school to create an area for students for alternative energy investigations. For these reasons, the central theme of this year's Stephen Hawking Project was centred on pollution, alternative energy and related areas of investigation.

Students presented very interesting projects on alternative energy, wind energy, solar energy, biomass, biogas, engineered landfills, the electromagnetic spectrum and many others. The short-listed teams were made up of: Vincent E. Farrugia and Nicholas Spiteri; Derek Bonavia and Andrea Vella Baldacchino; Lorraine Attard and Marija Vella; Danica Grech and Janice Grech; Janelle Caruana and Martina Portelli; and Nadine Calleja Stafrace and Sherilyn Scicluna.

The winners of the contest were Andrea Vella Baldacchino and Derek Bonavia with their presentation on alternative energy. Second placed were Marija Vella and Lorraine Attard with their presentation on water pollution. These students will form part of a group from the Senior School who will be visiting Sweden.

Two dissection kits were offered by Levo Laboratories as consolation prizes. Klabb Kotba Maltin sponsored a book Stejjer Minn Wied Gharbiel written by Paul P. Borg and illustrated by Nadine Briffa to finalists.