Grade 10 students at San Andrea Senior School, Imselliet, were recently engaged in a crime scene forensic investigation, which involved them going through different scientific stages to determine the identity of a fictitious murderer, leading to his arrest.

The Police Forensic Department provided its help and expertise for the exercise, which formed part of a science soirée organised for the third consecutive year by the school's Science Department.

This was the first time such an applied sciences show/presentation took place in a secondary school in Malta. The soirée was visited by over 300 guests.

Science co-ordinator Debbie Vella explained that the initiative was primarily aimed at promoting Science among students in Grades 8 to 11 through a hands-on approach and show them that the subject goes beyond what is learnt in class.

She said: "The school has long appreciated the strengths of education in the field of the applied sciences. Students are trained to go beyond the basic requirements of curricular sciences and focus on the manner with which these sciences are applied. At this stage learning turns into fun. This matches San Andrea School's philosophy of education."

Science students in other grades prepared experiments, presentations and exhibits on the three principal sciences, computer studies, ICT and graphical communication projects, the scientific principles behind the Phoenician culture, and the 'Maquis habitat' which forms part of the school grounds.

Grade 11 students presented their researched Stephen Hawking Science and Technology Project.

This year the Humanities department also took part in the soirée. Grade 9 Geography students put up an exhibition about different ecosystems, while Environmental Studies students gave a hands-on demonstration about recycling by creating recycled products on site. Other students re-enacted a Phoenician burial in the Punic tombs found in the school grounds.