The Science of Light
Keeping animals
in the classroom
A visit to Kenya
Sustainable Science
Updating the ISTA
Datalogging Manual
Applied Mathematics
ISTA submission to the NCCA
Official Journal of the Irish Science Teachers’ Association,
Eol-Oidí na hÉireann, Volume 42, Number 1, November 2006
SCIENCE Nov. 2006
Contents
A message from the association president
Dr Karla Lawless
3
Ed.
3
Seamus O’Donghaile
4
Dr. Richard Wilson
5
Cian O’Mahony
6
Dr Richard Wilson
7
Louise Killian
8
Editorial
Chairman’s Notes
The Science of Light
Teachers pet - keeping animals in the classroom
Concrete – Nutrition for the Celtic Tiger
A visit to Kenya
Sustainable Science – in Colorado!
Pat Hanratty 10
VSO– Voluntary Service Overseas
Rachel Flynn 12
Updating the ISTA Datalogging Manual
John Daly 13
Leaving Certificate Biology (Ordinary Level) 14
Leaving Certificate Biology (Higher Level) 16
Junior Certificate Science(Revised) – Ordinary Level 18
Junior Certificate Science(Revised) – Higher Level 20
Applied Mathematics–beneath its surface lies a beauty
Noel Brett 22
ISTA submission to the NCCA on Jun. Cert. Science 24
Lab Techs Talking
Padraig Ó Léime 29
Notices and Diary
Ed. 30
Crossword
Randal Henly 32
Cover images (reminders)
Editor: Rory Geoghegan
RoryLGeoghegan@gmail.com
Assistant Editor for Biology: Siobhan Sweeney
siobhansw@eircom.net
Assistant Editor for Chemistry: Mary Mullaghy
mmullaghy@eircom.net
Assistant Editor for Physics: Mary Mullaghy
mmullaghy@eircom.net
Assistant Editor for Primary Science: Marion Palmer
Marion.Palmer@iadt.ie
www.ista.ie
The Science Week website (p. 3)
The Science in School website (p. 30)
Louise Killian in Kenya (p. 8)
A path in the woods (sunny days of Summer 2006)
The new edition of Science and Technology in Action (p. 30)
Rolls-Royce Science Prize (2005-2006) finalists,
Loreto College, Cavan: Seamus Donnelly (ISTA), Michelle
Rogan (science teacher), Carmel Gaffney (science teacher and
team leader), Phyllis McMonagle (deputy principal), Christine
Kinnane (geography teacher), Éanna Ní Lamhna (mentor) and
Gerry Brady (parent support). (p. 30)
SCIENCE Nov. 2006
Council Members
Association President: Dr Karla Lawless, Manager Internal/External Affairs,
BASF Ireland Limited, Bracetown Business Park, Clonee, Co. Meath.
Chairman: Seamus O’Donghaile, Scoil Mhuire, Strokestown, Co. Roscommon. Past-Chairman: Joe Reville, 2 Rushbrook Ave., Templeogue, Dublin 6W. Vice-Chairman: John Lucey, ‘Copsewood’, Rock Road, Mallow, Co. Cork. Treasurer: Paddy Daly, 9 The Spa, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary. Membership Secretary: Dr Declan Kennedy, 17 Coolamber Close, Cobh, Co. Cork. Corporate Affairs: Pádraig Ó Léime, Bavin, Kilcar, Co. Donegal.
Web Master: Pat Hanratty, 36 Rathfarnham Wood, Dublin 14. AGM Chairman: Dr Declan Kennedy, 17 Coolamber Close, Cobh, Co. Cork. karla.lawless@basf.com
sbdonnelly@eircom.net
joereville@eircom.net
jlucey@bssttralee.ie
pdaly2000@eircom.net
d.kennedy@ucc.ie
physoleime@eircom.net
pathanratty@gmail.com
d.kennedy@ucc.ie
Branch Representatives
Cavan: Mags Amond, Oldtown, Cavan amond@o2.ie
Cork:Sean Finn, 32 Old Avenue, Glanmire, Co. Cork. (086-3502463) s.finn@ucc.ie
Cork: Cian O’ Mahony, 4 O’ Leary Place, Barrack Street, Cork. (086-3442727),
cianomahony@hotmail.com
Donegal: Mary O’ Brien, 16 Cloghán Mór, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal. lorcondl@iol.ie
Dublin:Mary Mullaghy, 26 Bailis Manor, Athlumney, Navan, Co. Meath, mmullaghy@eircom.net
Dublin: John Daly, 13 Valeview Ave, Cabinteely, Dublin 18. odalaigh@iol.ie
Dublin: Brian Smyth, St. Paul’s College, Raheny, Dublin 5. ryanc@clubi.ie
Galway: Ann Wilkinson, 10 Grattan Rd, Claddagh, Galway. awilkinson@bsstralee.ie
Kerry: Mary O’ Sullivan, Coláiste na Sceilge, Caherciveen, Co. Kerry. Kildare: Brendan Duane, Holy Family Secondary, Newbridge, Co. Kildare. brendanduane@eircom.net
Kilkenny: Joe Clowry, Carlow CBS, Station Road, Carlow.
joe@cbscarlow.net
Limerick/Clare: Patricia McPhillips, St. Caimin’s Community, Shannon, Co. Clare. patricia.mcphillips@stcaimins.ie
Louth/Monaghan: Stephanie Ledwith, Grammar School, Dundalk, Co. Louth.
stepanieledwith@oceanfree.net
Mayo: Maire Sweeney, Scoil Damhnait, Achill, Co. Mayo. onyxcara@indigo.ie
Midlands: Michael Maunsell, Clonegannagh, Dunkerrin, Birr, Co. Offaly. mikeman@cpr.ie
North Midlands: Seamus O’Donghaile, Scoil Mhuire, Strokestown, Co. Roscommon. sdonnell@eircom.net
Sligo: Mary Benson, St. Mary’s Secondary School, Ballisodare, Co. Sligo.
mcbenson@eircom.net
Tipperary: Paddy Daly, 9 The Spa, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary. pdaly2000@eircom.net
Waterford: Paula Hewison, De La Salle College, Waterford City, Co. Waterford. phew2@eircom.net
Wexford: Sean Fogarty, Rocklands, Hempfield, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford. snjnforgarty@eircom.net
The ISTA would like to acknowledge and thank our corporate members for their continued support:
Archport Ltd
Bio Research Ireland
Cambridge Diagnostics Ireland Ltd
Elan Pharmaceuticals plc
ESB
Forest Laboratories
Glaxo Smith Kline
Growcorp Ltd
Henkel Loctite
Hewlett Packard
Intel Ireland Ltd
Lennox Laboratories
Schering Plough
Sustainable Energy Ireland
Wyeth Medica Ireland
Yamanouchi Ireland Co. Ltd.
www.ista.ie
SCIENCE Nov. 2006
A message from the
association president
Editorial
Dr Karla Lawless
Dear Science Teacher
I
am honoured to be the President
of the Irish Science Teachers’
Association.
The company I work for, BASF
- The Chemical Company, has
been actively involved with your
Association since the early 1990s.
As a chemical company we know
how important science is for our
everyday lives and what benefits
it brings us. Science is all around
us… in our homes, work, leisure,
entertainment, sport, travel and
many other areas. It is therefore
somewhat disheartening that
the study of science subjects at
secondary school level is not
getting the uptake by students that
it deserves.
I am aware of a number of issues
that have been, and continue
to be, problem areas for you as
science teachers. One of them
is the need to have a laboratory
technician in your school to assist
you in teaching science the way it
should be taught, hands on, doing
experiments, making it fun and
interesting for your students. You
are restricted by time. Assistance
with preparation and clean-up
work after class would give you
that extra time. Much lobbying
has been done on this issue but
more is needed and I assure you
that I will do what I can to move
this in a positive direction.
Your association is the largest
subject association. This is a great
credit to you, the members, and
especially to those who promote
it, work for it tirelessly and give
unselfishly of their free time. Get
involved! Canvass and get your
colleagues to join. The old saying
“There is strength in numbers”
is true. If each member of the
association makes a personal
pledge to recruit one new member
your strength will double by this
time next year.
I pledge to lobby the corporate
sector and encourage companies
and industry representatives to
join the association.
There is a lot of work to be done
but I am sure that together we can
achieve a lot.
Thank you for reading this and I
wish you success and fun in your
work.
Karla Lawless
www.ista.ie
I’ll be brief.
Don’t forget...
Science Week takes place from
November 12th to 19th. Details of what’s
going on throughout the country should
be available in the national press and on
the Internet at:
http://www.scienceweek.ie/
Your feedback on articles in the journal
will be most welcome. If you haven’t
submitted and article why not think about
writing something based on your own
experience of teaching or learning.
You may prefer to ask some questions
relating to the syllabi, or teaching
methods or the content of science. There
must be something you have wondered
about now and then. If so, do let us
know. All contributions are welcome.
I wish to thank all those who submitted
articles for publication and those who
forwarded news or other items.
A special thanks to Gillian Murphy who
blazed a trail as Managing Editor for the
past few years.
I would like to appeal to all members,
but especially to branch officers to
forward items of news or notices to me
and to Pat Hanratty (ISTA Web Master)
at the following email addresses:
pathanratty@gmail.com
RoryLGeoghegan@gmail.com
I look forward to hearing from you.
R.G.
STOP PRESS!
I requested an extension of the deadline
for entries for Science on Stage 2; it
had been set for 27th October. I’ve just
received word that the deadline will be
extended until November 8th. The Irish
team needs to be in place by November
20th. See notices on page 30.
SCIENCE Nov. 2006
Chairman’s Notes
Seamus O’Donghaile
I
hope that you all had an
enjoyable summer and I wish
you well for the coming school
year.
Dr. Tim Desmond gave a presentation
summarising the SEC perspective
on the first run of the revised Junior
Cert. Science programme. Some of the
significant points from this presentation
were:
• 86% of Junior Cert. candidates sat
Science
TPN–Teacher Professional
Network
Each branch have been allocated their
TPN funding figure for the next year
(until May 2007). The TPN forms should
be completed and returned to Paddy Daly
immediately.
Senior Science Quiz
I am delighted that The Senior Science
Quiz is set to run again this year. A
special thanks to Deirdre Knox for
coming on board as organiser. As
before, regional finals will be held at 14
different centres throughout the country
on Thursday 16th of November, and
the National final will be held in Trinity
College on 25th of November.
State Examinations Commission
The following officers attended a
meeting in Athlone with the State
Examinations Commission (SEC) on
Saturday 30th September 2006: Seamus
O’Donghaile (Hon. Chairman), Declan
Kennedy (Membership Secretary),
Yvonne Higgins (Hon. Secretary)
The SEC was represented by Mr Aidan
Farrell, Director of Operations and Dr
Tim Desmond.
The agenda for the meeting was
1. Junior Cert. Science Syllabus
– Learning Outcomes
2. Coursework B – timing and format
of booklet
3. Junior Cert. Science Examination
paper
• 91% sat revised Science.
• 67% sat Higher Level and 33% sat
Ordinary Level.
• For Coursework A, the average mark
was more than 55 marks out of 60 but
• 1300 science candidates claimed
nothing for Coursework A.
• 300 candidates presented no booklet
for Coursework B.
• Over 200 coursework B booklets
were referred to SEC due to issues of
unreasonable levels of similarity.
The timing of the Coursework B element
was discussed. The SEC recognised
the difficulties presented to schools
by the timing of this element of the
assessment in 2006 and agree that it
would be preferable if the titles for the
investigations for Coursework B were
sent to schools in November of this year.
A number of minor amendments will be
made to the format of the Coursework B
booklet.
It was felt that the examination paper
at higher level is about right while the
ordinary level exam paper needs some
attention
The I.S.T.A. representatives expressed
satisfaction with both the sample paper
and the 2006 higher level examination
paper which overall was considered fair
and balanced.
The ISTA urged the SEC to bring the
problem of lack of clarity of learning
outcomes to the forthcoming NCCA
Junior Cert. Science meeting and to
support the ISTA representative in her
attempts to get answers to questions
posed in the ISTA submission to the
NCCA. Ní neart go cur le chéile.
Overall this was a very positive meeting
and the representatives were hopeful that
the Junior Cert. Science NCCA meeting
in October would provide answers to
many of the questions that had been
posed.
Annual General Meeting:
A very active committee in Cork is
preparing an exciting programme of
events for next years A.G.M. which will
take place on March 23rd, 24th and 25th
2007 in UCC.
Science in action seminar
This seminar, which was held at IBM’s
Technology Park in Mulhuddart on
Oct. 4th, was opened by Minister for
Education and Science Mary Hanafin
T.D. Seven other speakers gave 15
minute presentations. All were young,
successful, confident Science and
Engineering graduates. The purpose
of the event was to establish a closer
link between science-based industries
and schools. A web cast of the seminar
is available to schools at www.
science4now.ie.
Frontiers of Physics
This gathering was help in DIT, Kevin
Street, Dublin on Sept. 23rd and proved
to be an opportunity to mingle with
another myriad of scientific luminaries
especially my Science on Stage
comrades. Great programme (especially
Prof. Tadashi Tokeida, below), good
food—well done to the organisers.
Membership
The strength of the Association depends
on its membership. I ask you all to
renew your membership and recruit new
members.
Finally I wish you all well in the
coming year and I hope that you have
an enjoyable year in the teaching of
science in all its forms. Mol an όige agus
tiocfaidh sí.
Seamus O’Donghaile
www.ista.ie
SCIENCE Nov. 2006
The Science of Light
Dr. Richard Wilson
W
hen Neil Armstrong, on 20th
July 1969, stepped down
from his space ship onto the
surface of the moon, he said “ That’s
one small step for man, one giant step
for mankind”, he was putting into words
a facet of science where one small
discovery can open up a whole new vista.
In the science of Light, there have been a
number of these.
Light is a fascinating subject. Even
to-day scientists don’t know exactly
what it is. Let’s take time out and go
for a walk on the beach on two totally
different days; one as calm as a mill
pond and the other with an easterly gale
and waves crashing on the shore. If we
note the energy applied to the beach in
both situations we see that the waves
provide the energy, the sea merely acts
as a medium to carry the energy along.
Waves carry energy and scientists were
therefore happy to accept that light
energy is carried by waves. But Einstein
(1879-1955) held other views. For his
calculations on the photoelectric effect
to work the energy input was needed in
pulses or photons. Sure enough when
another group of scientists studied light
they concluded that light does indeed
travel in pulses or photons. So light
is remarkable ─ it has dual nature.
For this and other reasons it has
fascinated scientists for ages.
In Genesis 1.1 we read “Let there be
light” and this set the conception of
light for hundreds of years. White light
was regarded as a homogenous item.
The effects observed in the rainbow and
when light passed through a prism were
all attributed to the medium that was in
some way transforming the pure white
light. Newton took a different view. His
view was that the colours we see in the
rainbow were real light and when mixed
together gave white light (he was correct)
but he met with violent opposition to his
view, because he was overturning what
had stood for centuries. He carried out
one brilliant experiment.
We can see what Newton did. If you
can get a respectable euro note and hold
it at an angle against white light, you
should see the colours of the rainbow
coming from the security strip. This is
a very small diffraction grating that can
separate the component colours of white
light. Newton got this effect with a glass
prism. He then passed the red part of
the spectrum through a second prism. It
came out exactly as it went in.
With this relatively simple experiment
Newton changed the concept of light.
Attributing the colours obtained with a
prism, or rain drops, to the modification
of a pure item (white light) was no
longer tenable. Newton had discovered
that white light was made up of light
of different colours (frequencies). This
discovery was the start of the science of
optics. To-day we can see the benefits of
a wide range of items, from the security
strip on a euro note to the red of the
traffic light and many optical devices in
between.
Newton’s experiment was a “small step
for man, but a giant leap for mankind”
Dr Wilson is a retired research scientist
who worked with Teagasc for over 40
years.
Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727), one of
the greatest scientists of all time, was
very interested in light. Newton grew
up on a family farm in Woolsthorpe
Manor in Lincolnshire. He was a
very bright student and after early
schooling he went to Cambridge
to continue his studies. In 1665 the
Great Plague struck and Cambridge
was closed. Newton retired to
isolation in Woolsthorpe where he
did most of his very productive
work. He established the binomial
theorem, discovered the mathematical
procedure called calculus, established
the laws of gravitation and made a
massive step forward in the subject
of light.
Woolsthorpe Manor, where Newton
lived during the plague.
www.ista.ie
SCIENCE Nov. 2006
Teacher’s pet keeping animals
in the classroom
Cian O’Mahony
D
ouglas Community School,
is located 2 miles from Cork
City centre and has a student
population of 600 boys. It is this urban
setting that gives me a particular interest
in the keeping of pets in my school.
Many of our students do not have either
the space or their parents do not have
the time needed to keep a pet happy.
In fact, on a recent trip to Dublin Zoo
with the 29 students in my fifth year
Biology class, I was surprised to learn
that seven of them had never been to a
zoo or wildlife park. Farm visits would
probably be an even less likely event. A
couple of years ago, I read in an edition
of “Science” about how to get stick
insects for the classroom. I subsequently
went on the internet, purchasing 11 eggs
for €16. Of these, eight hatched and
we now have the great grandchildren
of those original hatchlings laying an
egg a day at the moment.Since then we
have expanded and our menagerie now
includes ; rabbits, tropical fish, ants and
earthworms and we hope this year to get
a school lizard.
School Pets can help in the teaching
of digestion, excretion, circulation,
respiration, reproduction, life cycle
and the environment, amongst other
topics. We have measured the heart rate,
respiration rate and even got an ECG of
our rabbits – Einstein and Pythagoras.
There are also cross-curricular benefits
to having pets with reference being
made to them in CSPE, Art, English or
perhaps Geography. As well as teaching
about material on the course, keeping
pets has helped give my lads an idea
of the financial and human resource
implications of keeping animals properly.
It is a hands-on way of instilling a bit
of maturity and responsibility in a way
that seems to appeal to students of all
ages, backgrounds and abilities.The
observation of animal behaviour and
activity is well known to
have a calming effect
on people and this is no
different in the classroom
setting. Indeed,
it has been
suggested
that pets
have a
possible
use for
special
education
settings, particularly at Primary School.
It must be remembered that particularly
at Senior Cycle, those students who
study Biology do so because they have
an inherent love of nature and the
environment and it is important for us to
culture and nurture this and promote the
benefits of animals both as workers and
companions. There must be no greater
feeling than the passing on of one´s own
love of animals and Biology to others.
Before you rush out and buy up your
local pet shop though, there are a number
of important factors to consider.
Firstly, there is the school policy and
possible insurance implications to
consider. The death of a pet or the
Personally speaking,
I couldn´t imagine my
lab now without plants
and animals – and
I know my students
would miss them too.
possibility of euthanasia may also have
to be considered. Then, who will look
after the pets at the weekend and during
the holidays? That’s certainly not a
problem in my school, with an endless
list of volunteers. But it is ultimately up
to the teacher to ensure that instructions
are passed on properly. Over-enthusiastic
handling, less than adequate care or
the jealousy of an existing family pet
could all prove disasterous. If you had
an immuno-suppressed student in the
classroom, for example with leukaemia,
cancer or HIV+, then the keeping of
animals may have to be restricted.
Another thing to keep in mind is that
some students may have an allergy
to or a phobia about certain animals.
Of course, the animal may also have
a phobia of certain students. I know
our rabbits won´t go near some of the
fourth years and the stick insects have an
aversion to sweaty palms. Further proof
that sometimes animals are smarter than
humans!
It is important in my opinion that
duties assigned to students are used as
a reward and not as a punishment. It
is not fair to the animals to have half-
hearted care. It is essential too to accept
that you are ultimately responsible for
the pet´s welfare and wellbeing. You
should identify a vet in the area who is
knowledgeable about your particular
animal. Don´t forget to research the
housing, diet, grooming, and husbandry
of the pet you choose. The financial
implications of keeping animals should
not be overlooked. Of course, the
teacher should not end up paying for
the School Pet out of his own pocket. In
my school, the management have been
very supportive and last year we had a
pet show which raised enough money
to keep our pets for a year. Students and
other teachers also bring in food and
other accessories or presents at different
times.
As I have mentioned above, it is strongly
recommended that all aspects of pet
ownership be examined before the pet
is purchased. Mice, ferrets and rats are
lively, friendly, and intelligent but can
be odiferous and have a short lifespan,
with the latter often suffering health
problems at the end. Hamsters and
Gerbils are good natured and appealing
and generally healthy, but I did not
consider them for my lab as they are
mostly nocturnal and hamsters can get
cranky during the day. Guinea Pigs are
very friendly and easy to handle but just
be aware that they can be susceptible
to illness if the husbandry is poor. I
wouldn´t recommend dogs or cats for a
school because of space implications and
veterinary bills and their need for alot
of human contact. Of the furry animals,
I choose dwarf rabbits because they are
cute and tame and very friendly though
you should be aware that they can be shy
and delicate and they have an infamous
ability to reproduce. Two females might
be your best bet. Reptiles, turtles and fish
are interesting and may require less daily
care but there housing can be expensive
and they require specialised care.
Personally speaking, I couldn´t imagine
my lab now without plants and animals
and I know my students would miss them
too. So why not consider making a pet
purchase if you´ve never done so before?
With over a million insect species alone
to choose from, you really should have
no problem finding a suitable pet.
Just in case anyone is wondering, I purchased
stick insects from www.small-life.co.uk
www.ista.ie
SCIENCE Nov. 2006
Concrete – Nutrition for the
Celtic Tiger
Dr Richard Wilson
T
hose that drive north from Rush,
Co. Dublin will be aware that in
Ireland we have a cement factory.
Cement when mixed with sand and
gravel makes the concrete which is one
of the raw materials for our Celtic Tiger.
This article is about cement and how it
changes into concrete.
History
The Romans were, so far as we know,
the first cement makers. They burned
limestone to ashes, then mixed it with
powdered tiles and volcanic ash and
found that this material when mixed
with water, made excellent mortar.
The Romans used it to bond big blocks
together to form viaducts, arenas and
majestic buildings like the Coliseum. The
mortar used by the Romans is still hard
and firm to-day, after 2000 years.
Concrete is the product when four
different items, namely, cement,
aggregate, sand and water are mixed
together. These all have star roles, so it is
of interest to see what they do and learn a
little about them. The basic process is for
the aggregate (pebbles) to be distributed
uniformly, but this leaves voids. These
are filled with the sand, but this in turn
leaves much smaller voids. Finally
oxides of calcium, silicon and aluminium
react with water and form silicates as a
syrup which flows into these tiny voids,
fills them up and then solidifies, giving
concrete.
Cement
Cement, that grey powder you buy in
the DIY store, is manly the oxides of
calcium, silicon and aluminium (CaO,
SiO2 and Al2O3). In Ireland we are
fortunate to have the materials to make
cement. The main requirements are
limestone and sand. In the factory these
are crushed and mixed to form a slurry,
which is roasted in a large rotary kiln
at about 145ºC and turned into clinker.
This is pulverised in a ball mill, mixed
with gypsum (calcium sulphate CaSO4,
2H2O) and bagged. The down side of
this process is that it is very demanding
on energy. Crushing, mixing, grinding,
roasting and pulverising rocks all require
a large power input. So a small hike in
oil prices has a large effect on the price
of cement and the price of houses!
www.ista.ie
Aggregate
Aggregate is the ‘fibre’ of cement.
It provides the strength. It is usually
another rock crushed to pebbles varying
in size from a pea to a walnut. The
better the rock the better the concrete.
Crushed granite as aggregate gives an
exceptionally hard wearing concrete.
Since the cement has to bind to the
aggregate, soft or oily rocks would make
poor aggregate. The ‘fibre’ can also
be provided by iron rods or mesh for
reinforced concrete. It is a piece of good
luck that iron
and concrete
expand and
contract at the
same rate so
the reinforced
concrete can
deal with
temperature
changes.
Lest you think that making concrete is
a push over, it has one feature that must
be watched ─ it likes to take its time.
Concrete never hurries. It takes about a
month for concrete to get near its final
strength and its strength increases very
slowly, so that after a year it is still not
there. Concrete cures very slowly.
The range of products that can be made
from concrete is enormous. There is
a basic pattern – the more cement,
the stronger the product. The ratios of
Sand
Sand is the
main filler. It
needs to be fine
and clean, as it
has to work its
way into tiny
voids and fill
them up.
Water
The real star is the water. It has two
vital jobs. It must be there in sufficient
quantity to make the mix workable or
fluid. However, its real role is to become
part of the concrete. When the oxides
react with the water they do so in stages.
The first stage produces silicates of
calcium and other elements as syrup
which flows into the tiny voids. This then
reacts with the water and solidifies. The
water becomes water of crystallisation
and is licked into the solid calcium
silicate. Again we are fortunate in Ireland
in hat our climate is ideal for concrete.
It is very difficult to make concrete in a
hot climate, the vital water evaporates.
In a very cold climate the chemical
conversion of oxides to silicates is too
slow. In the summer you will see path
makers cover their work to prevent
evaporation of the vital water or in hot
weather, hosing it down.
cement/ damp sand/ aggregate, range
widely from 1:4:7 for your patio or
walking path to 1:1:2 for really tough,
dense watertight structures. Concrete
is mainly used for structures that resist
compression but have poor resistance to
bending ( e.g. house building blocks).
Where a span is involved, resistance to
bending is required. This requires dense,
reinforced concrete and is not for the
average DIY with a wheel barrow and
shovel. It is better left to the experts.
We are fortunate to have in Ireland the
raw materials, limestone and sand, to
make cement and a climate suitable for
curing it into concrete. Without these
our Celtic Tiger would definitely not be
purring!
Dr Wilson is a retired research scientist
who worked with Teagasc for over 40
years.
SCIENCE Nov. 2006
A visit to Kenya
Louise Killian
I
magine being told that you
and one of your students
could travel to Kenya for
ten days, all expenses paid on a
trip of a lifetime! This was the
surprise announcement that Patsy
Toland of Self Help Development
International, made to Young
Scientist students, Lance Kerrigan,
Orla Noonan, Fergal Reilly, their
Science Teacher Louise Killian
and Home Economics teacher
Linda Mc Loughlin from Moyne
Community School, Co. Longford,
following the announcement that
the group had won ‘The Self Help
Science for Development Award’
at this years B.T. Young Scientist
Competition.
This was the first time that the award
was presented and it will be awarded
again in 2007 to the project that shows
the most relevance and application to a
project in the developing world. Group
trips for teachers and one or two of their
pupils to one of the countries that Self
Help works in such as Kenya, Ethiopia,
Eritrea, Uganda and Malawi have taken
place over the past few years. This
year’s group consisted of participants
from nine schools namely Mc Egan
College, Cork; Colaiste Bride, Wicklow;
St. Peter’s, Meath; Lucan Community
School; Colaiste Chriost Ri, Cork; Scoil
Mhuire agus Ide, Limerick; Clonkeen
College, Dublin; The European School
Brussels and Moyne Community
School, Longford. The entire trip was
excellently organized and stewarded
by Self Help’s Patsy Toland, a former
Principal and Daithi O hAodha, a former
teacher, both of whom are now working
full time on the Self Help’s Africa Alive
Schools Programme. Some of you may
have met Patsy at the Self Help stand
in the Eco Zone at the RDS or at the
workshop that was hosted for Science
teachers on the theme ‘Science for
Development’ at last year’s Exhibition.
Fellow Science teacher, Cait Clifford
from Mc Egan College in Macroom,
also represented us Scientists on this
year’s trip. Cait has been a hardworking
supporter and fundraiser for the Africa
Alive Programme for a number of years
now and has travelled to Eritrea, Malawi
and Kenya in order to observe at first
hand the work of Self Help.
The adventurous odyssey began for
Louise and her pupil Fergal on Saturday
the 8th of April and took them, along
with their travelling companions to
remote regions in The Rift Valley
Region of Kenya. Visits were made
over ten days to Sirikwa, Elementaita
and Tebei Primary Schools, St. Francis
Secondary School and Mount Carmel
Polytechnic in Lare, Baraka Agricultural
College, Nakuru and Community
Education Projects such as Tulgaa
Youth Group, Jamii HIV/AIDS Group,
Womens Groups and Eburru Forest
Cypress Group. The Irish visitors were
chaperoned at each destination by local
people from the area who work with Self
Help in that particular region.
Preparations had been ongoing for
at least a year prior to the visit. Yet
nothing could have prepared the Irish
teachers and their students for the
exhilarating intensity of the welcome
that they received. Never will they
forget the singing and arm-waving of
the welcoming hosts. Nor the rush of
hundreds of excited school children to
surround them or their beautiful smiles.
What an explosion of excitement took
place when the children touched the
hands and hair of their European visitors.
The warmth of such appreciation for
the visit contrasted sharply with the
coldness of some of the days, the
wetness of the ground, the coughing,
the running noses and cold bare-feet of
the ragged uniformed children. It was
heart wrenching and shocking to realize
that for many of the children that the
group met, HIV is a reality that they
must cope with and maybe die from.
The fear of its terrible outcome was
very palpable when the Irish group met
with the AIDS Awareness Community
group. Despite the sparseness of the
shed-like classrooms with their earthen
floors, the desperate conditions, the
limited classroom materials that they had
and most of all, the malnourished little
bodies, there was a hunger among the
children for knowledge and a passionate
craving for information by their teachers.
The visit to Baraka Agricultural College
involved inspecting at first hand the
farming facilities, plant and animal
husbandry methods and participating
in workshops with staff and students
of the college on good educational
and developmental practices. All
of the programmes at Baraka strive
to empower rural communities by
Louise presents ista conference bags to
Tebei national school.
www.ista.ie
SCIENCE Nov. 2006
Science Week at NUI Maynooth
Monday 13 November - Friday 17 November
On-line Mathematics Contest for Schools - Visit www.maths.nuim.ie
Tuesday 14 November
Lecture on Astronomy (title to be announced) - Hume Building, 7 pm - 8 pm
Astronomical Observations - Science Building, 8.30 pm - 10 pm
Wednesday 15 November
Careers in Science and Engineering - Hume Building, 7 pm - 8.30 pm
Thursday 16 November
Lecture: Tropical Diseases – A Safari with a Difference - Hume Building, 7 pm - 8 pm
Friday 17 November
Experience Science Hands-on
(hands-on experiments)
Callan and Science Blds, 7 pm - 9 pm
Astronomical Observations
Science Building, 8 pm - 10 pm
Saturday 18 November
National Science Museum
St. Patrick’s College, 2 pm - 5 pm
All events are open to the public and are free.
More information: http://science4all.nuim.ie/.
teaching sustainable agricultural and
rural development. Very successful
certificate and diploma courses are run
at the College as well as programmes
in Beekeeping Development and an
Outreach Programme in rural areas. Each
of the students will in turn teach the new
techniques and information that they
have learned at Baraka to their relatives
and neighbours when they to return
their native areas. The Irish Group was
delighted to meet with Br. Tony Dolan
who is the President of the College and
is from Mountbellew Aricultural College
Galway.
A workshop was held every night with
the Irish teachers, their students and
the Self Help Staff of the region that
had been visited on that particular day
to discuss the best possible ways that
funds raised by the Irish group could be
spent in order to help the Kenyan people.
Funds raised by the Irish Group will
be spent on the provision of food, food
cultivation and education programmes
for the parents of the schools they
visited, in order to empower the people
to help themselves, new classrooms,
water storage tanks and classroom
materials. In the case of the new
classrooms the local people and parents
will be taught building techniques so that
they themselves will carry out most of
the work.
www.ista.ie
Image: NASA
Louise and Cait would like to express
their sincere thanks to all those who gave
so generously to their fundraising appeal.
A special mention must go to the I.S.T.A.
Committee for their generosity, to Greg
Kearns and Kevin Lawless from Lennox
and Pat Fox from Shaw Scientific for
their very kind donations of microscopes
and lab. materials, to Vincent English,
Science4Schools, Lanesborough Co.
Longford and also to Joe Nugent.
The kindness and benevolence of all
who donated to the appeal was much
appreciated. Mile buiochas.
Further information on the work of Self
Help or the special award for the Young
Scientist Exhibition is available on the
Self Help Website, www.selfhelp.ie Patsy
Toland can be contacted by E-mail:
Patsy@selfhelp.ie
Louise Killian teaches science in Moyne
Community School, Co. Longford.
Louise presents bags and pens from
ISTA conference to Ester of Baraka
Agricultural College, and to Maureen, of
Self-Help Tenges Region.
SCIENCE Nov. 2006
Sustainable Science –
in Colorado!
Pat Hanratty
M
arch 2006 was an amazing
time for me. I had the
satisfaction of completing a
project, that had been hanging
over me for ages, around the
middle of the month. Later, a
staffroom win of €400+ in our
almost annual Cheltenham contest
(by this non-punter who has rarely
been inside a bookie’s office!),
helped defray the cost of a St.
Patrick’s weekend trip to London
during which I was unexpectedly
presented with a ticket for THE
match in Twickenham. The
following weekend saw us in
Athlone at the ISTA AGM, and at
the Dinner on the Saturday night,
Mark Glynn of PharmaChemical
Ireland stood up and announced
that he was going to hold a draw
to pick a teacher to go on a 4 day
all-expenses paid trip to Colorado
for a Training Programme in
“Green Chemistry” with Syl
McEvoy and Tom Bolger who had
already been chosen to travel.
10
Poor Mark had to attempt the draw
six times as everyone in the room had
a ticket, and the first few tickets out
belonged to either retired folk, visitors,
college lecturers or other ineligible
people. After about three attempts, my
wife, Bridget and Declan Kennedy were
putting their tickets in front of me, but
I am pleased to say that it was my own
ticket, No.19 that finally delivered a
winner and started my preparations for
an incredible summer.
My first reaction was that it would
be ridiculous to travel all the way
to Colorado for four days and come
straight home, especially as we had not
made any holiday plans for 2006. We
had put our names in the Home Link
International book, but for a variety of
reasons had not concretised anything. A
few days after our return from Athlone,
we received an email from a couple in
Arizona, who also have a holiday place
in Southern Colorado, wanting to do a
house swap with us. OK, my birthday
is in March, but this was Christmas and
whatever else you like thrown in for
good measure! Over the next few weeks
preparations were made, tickets booked
and homework begun on the states of
the South West. Then it was back to
“normal”, i.e. get students prepared for
exams, see to it that reluctant third years
do the business for their 35% in April,
finish up co-ordination of Transition Year
stuff in May, stagger to the end of the
school year, have
some R & R in
June, spend July
on corrections,
and hey presto,
it’s suddenly 2nd
August and I am
flying to Denver
via Shannon and
Toronto.
Syl, Tom and Pat
during a relaxing
moment
And what did we do there, you might
ask? Well we were in the Keystone Center
(sic), a non-profit organisation dedicated
for the last 30 years to creative and
pro-active approaches to environmental
issues and dilemmas. The more precise
title of the programme was Recipe for
Sustainable Science; An Introduction to
Green Chemistry in the Middle School.
Looking back at the large folder provided
as a resource for teachers I am reminded
of just how hard they worked us over
the long weekend at the beginning of
August. Keystone is over 9000 feet up in
the Rockies. It is beautiful, but for those
of us not used to altitude, the work was
tiring though fascinating. The programme
is built around what John Warner (who
gave us a brilliant presentation) and Paul
Anastas call The Twelve Principles of
Green Chemistry. These aim to aid one in
assessing how green a chemical, a reaction
or a process is. Among these principles are
the following:
• It is better to prevent waste than to treat
or clean up waste after it is formed.
• Synthetic methods should be designed
to maximize the incorporation of all
materials used in the process into the
final product.
• Wherever practicable, synthetic
methodologies should be designed
to use and generate substances that
possess little or no toxicity to human
health and the environment.
• Energy requirements should be
recognized for their environmental
and economic impacts and should be
minimized. Synthetic methods should
be conducted at ambient temperature
and pressure.
• A raw material feedstock should
be renewable rather than depleting
whenever technically and economically
practical.
• Chemical products should be designed
so that at the end of their function they
do not persist in the environment and
break down into innocuous degradation
products.
To read all 12 principles try logging onto
the site http://academic.scranton.edu/
faculty/CANNM1/intro.html or just simply
google John Warner Green Chemistry.
Green chemistry aims to replace toxic
chemicals with environmentally benign
substances while devising processes
that reduce waste, pollution, and energy
consumption. We were taken through
a number of exercises, some simple,
some very demanding which focussed
on producing a product that would
sell, and which at the same time was
environmentally friendly in all aspects
and at all stages - production, usage
and disposal, including disposal of raw
materials.
Some of the exercises, including ones on
• the energy implications of making a
“smoothie”
www.ista.ie
• the most effective (and energy
efficient) way of melting ice
• balancing the three Es, viz.
economics, environment and social
equity
• “translating” the 12 principles of
Green Chemistry into more student
friendly language
and several others will be dealt with at
a seminar to be held in The Plaza Hotel,
Tallaght, Dublin 24 on 13th November
during National Science Week.
The main exercise of the weekend
for us was a programme designed
for students involving the production
of environmentally friendly but also
economically viable crayons. All aspects
of the exercise were extremely well
thought out, in a series of activities
that might take students ten days to
complete. We had three and a bit days
over a weekend, and believe me there
were times especially on the Saturday
and Sunday afternoons when I for one hit
what marathon runners refer to as “The
Wall”, both in terms of physical tiredness
and the inability to come up with ideas
when asked to be creative. I remind you,
this was August Bank Holiday weekend
in Ireland, we were suffering from jet lag
and I had spent July working on behalf of
the State. An odd aside – we were divided
into teams, none of the Irish being
together as it happened. Tom’s colleague
had a lap top and every now and again
that Sunday morning Tom was giving me
updates on the Cork v Waterford match,
much to the amusement of the natives.
Making the environmentally friendly
crayons involved all aspects of
production. We had to do all of the
following under pressurised conditions:
• define “sustainability”,
• work with colours to achieve
appropriate blends,
Finally, on the Monday morning we had
to make a presentation (or “pree zen
tation” as our American friends would
say) advertising our wares to the other
participants and the crew. On Sunday
afternoon, it was suggested that we
add a little humour to the proceedings.
After all they put us through! Let’s
say the ten presentations were most
enjoyable and while I am going to
protect my colleagues Syl and Tom by
not divulging too much of the content,
readers can be quite sure that the Irish
did not let the side down! I might add
that the other twenty or so participants
in the programme, most of whom were
from the U.S., though there were two
Mexicans and two from England, were
all wonderful company and helped
make the weekend most enjoyable and
exhilirating.
All in all, an absolutely fascinating few
days – and all I have described so far
is the work. We were very well catered
for in terms of entertainment and dined
royally every evening. By around 9.0
p.m. we found that most of our American
friends were too tired for any further
activity – thankfully the hotel bar was
able to supply us with beverages of
our liking – although we were warned
because of the altitude to drink plenty of
water AND to go easy on the C2H5OH.
On the Saturday night my pulse rate
stayed at a stubborn 85+ (it’s normally
ca. 64) – it was the first and so far only
time I have ever felt the heart throbbing,
so I was very glad to get back down
to the relative lowlands of “Mile High
City”, Denver whose altitude is exactly
5280 feet.
That Monday we all said our goodbyes
– Tom and Syl had to go back to Europe
because of prior commitments. Bridget
flew out to join me, we met up with
our house exchangers and started an
amazing two and a half weeks that saw
SCIENCE Nov. 2006
us cover Rocky Mountain National
Park, lots of Pueblo sites including the
unforgettable Mesa Verde National
Park, Durango, Silverton, Four Corners
(where Colorado, Utah, Arizona and
New Mexico all meet at one point),
Monument Valley, where John Wayne
shot so many Indians (they weren’t
called Native Americans then!), the
Grand Canyon, Route 66, and Sedona
to name but some of the highlights. By
the time we got to Phoenix, it was nearly
time to come home, but we did chill(?)
out by the pool in ca. 40°C conditions,
and of course we did manage a flight to
Las Vegas – what a place…but instead
of gambling (it’s sad to see thousands
of people trying in vain to beat the slot
machines and the green tables), we went
to Cirque du Soleil’s “Ka” and “Mamma
Mia”, two absolutely memorable shows.
We flew home on 25th/26th August, just
in time for school on 28th – believe me I
still haven’t fully come down from it yet!
Thanks a million to the Keystone Center,
to Pfizer the sponsors and to Mark Glynn
who made it all possible for me. Believe
me, I feel I have hardly done justice to
a wonderful initiative that promises to
deliver a very exciting programme with
great prospects for a superb Transition
Year Chemistry module which will
also include elements of Economics,
Mathematics, Problem solving etc., so
if you can get along to one of the Green
Chemistry Seminars in Cork or Tallaght
during Science Week.
Pat Hanratty teaches in De La Salle
College, Churchtown , Dublin and is
webmaster for the ISTA website.
Chemist at work!
• produce a mission statement for our
crayon producing company,
• apply the 12 principles of Green
Chemistry to their production
• implement market research,
• develop an advertising strategy,
• cope with breaking news on research
findings that suggested higher than
acceptable risks attached to certain
raw materials,
• actually design and make the crayons
(raw materials included paraffin
wax, soya and a variety of colour
pigments),
• design and package the crayons
to maximise production levels
and minimise waste of space in
packaging,
• develop and implement waste
management strategies, label our
products,
• etc. etc. etc.
www.ista.ie
11
SCIENCE Nov. 2006
Rachel Flynn
Volunteer & Media Relations
VSO, Carmichael Centre
North Brunswick St, Dublin 7
rachel.flynn@vso.ie
Ph. 01 8727173
VSO is an international development
charity that works through volunteers.
VSO
Rachel Flynn, VSO Volunteer & Media Relations
Sample job specification:
Job Title: Science teacher trainer
Type of Employer: Secondary school
We all live on the same planet
and are part of the biosphere. We
have come to recognize that we
are in a situation of increasing
interdependence, and that our
future is intrinsically linked to
the preservation of the global
life-support systems and to the
survival of all forms of life.
The nations and the scientists
of the world are called upon
to acknowledge the urgency of
using knowledge from all fields of
science in a responsible manner
to address human needs and
aspirations.
(Declaration on science and the use of
scientific knowledge, adopted by the World
Conference on Science, 1st of July 1999)
S
cience, scientists and science
teachers have a crucial role to
play in providing everyone with
a deeper understanding of nature and
society, a better quality of life and a
sustainable and healthy environment
for present and future generations.
Unfortunately, most of the benefits of
science are unevenly distributed. As
scientific knowledge has become a
crucial factor in the production of wealth,
so its distribution has become more
inequitable. What distinguishes the poor
(be it people or countries) from the rich
is not only that they have fewer assets,
but also that they are largely excluded
from the creation and the benefits of
scientific knowledge.
experiencing a shortage of well-trained
classroom teachers in science subjects.
Experienced science teachers can
work as teacher trainers developing
the teaching skills of local colleagues.
Trained science teachers can help to
meet the short-term need for teachers in
secondary school classrooms.
Many opportunities to add value
to scientific endeavour exist in the
developing world and VSO urgently need
to fill a number of positions. Interested
individuals can find out more by logging
on to www.vso.ie or calling 01-8727173.
VSO hold a number of information days
throughout the year at which returned
volunteers speak of their experiences, to
register call the above number.
Meet us and find out more
VSO will be holding information days
for teachers and education professionals,
where you can meet returned VSO
volunteers and find out more about the
VSO experience. The next sessions
will be held in Belfast on Saturday 14
October and in Dublin on Saturday 4
November. Contact us now to book your
place:
Country: Tanzania
Job Purpose & Summary
• to manage science-teaching provision
within the school and to provide a
good standard of a science and maths
teaching for students
• to broaden the participatory and
active learning teaching methodology
of the maths/science teachers.
• to strengthen the subject knowledge
of other teachers strengthen and
administer the science department
and science equipment
• to establish a computer lab.
Requirements: A degree in education
with some experience of participatory
learning and teaching methodologies.
Must have a sound understanding of at
least two science subjects; preferably
Maths and physics or chemistry.
Duration: 24 months
The image is copyright VSO/ Fidal Go,
and shows an electronics teacher in
Sri Lanka
It is this inequality that VSO, an
international development charity, seeks
to redress by sending science teachers
to volunteer in developing countries for
a period of one to two years. “ We have
a strong demand from our in-country
partners for science teachers,” said
Malcolm Quigley, director of VSO and
returned volunteer. “The role they play
in combating poverty and disease is
crucial – what chance have children of
understanding HIV & AIDS if they have
never heard of a cell or a virus before?”
VSO continually has a strong demand
for secondary level (or higher) science
teachers as developing countries are
12
www.ista.ie
Updating the ISTA
Datalogging Manual
John Daly
ISTA Junior & Leaving Certificate
Chemistry Manual
Datalogging with Pasco! 2001
Proposed Revision
I
n 2000/2001 the ISTA carried out
a detailed study of the various
commercial data-logging systems
then on the market in Ireland. The
final report recommended, that in their
opinion, Pasco’s system and DataStudio
software was the best on offer. The group
of teachers involved in this review then
proceeded to produce a Physics and a
Chemistry support manual for ISTA
members.
In the five years since the manual
was published, the Pasco datalogging
hardware and software have both been
extensively developed. The approach
to practical work at Junior Certificate
level has moved partly from prescriptive
to investigative. This investigatory
approach to laboratory work will also
probably influence Senior Cycle sciences
when the NCCA complete their recently
launched revision.
In the light of these developments, the
ISTA Chemistry Committee agreed to
revise the Pasco support manual to take
account of these developments. It is
intended to publish the revised manual,
either electronically or in hard copy, and
make it available to ISTA members. A
suggested deadline is the ISTA Annual
Conference in Cork in March 2007.
In order to facilitate the revision of the
manual, Pasco agreed to sponsor my
attendance on a datalogging upskilling
summer institute course, held at their
headquarters in Roseville, California
in July/August 2006. I would like to
acknowledge Pasco’s support and
particularly that of their European Sales
manager, John Wayne, for providing this
opportunity. I would also like to thank
Intel Ireland who, through the good
offices of past-President of the ISTA
Frank Turpin, assisted my work with a
study grant and the Education Division
of the Royal Society of Chemistry who
presented me with a travel grant for this
project. The project is also supported by
funding organised by the ISTA through
their CPD funding from the DES.
The following extract from the Pasco
website will give you a flavour of what
was involved in the course.
www.ista.ie
About the Workshop
Spend a few days this summer and return
to your classroom in the autumn as a
confident PASCO technology expert
with the skills to implement lab activities
using DataStudio with PASPORT or
ScienceWorkshop probeware to collect,
display, and analyse data. Over the
course of this three-day workshop a team
of experienced educators facilitate handson skill-building exercises and subjectspecific labs to help you:
• Develop essential and advanced skills
to take full advantage of DataStudio
features
• Optimize your use of popular sensors
• Practice classroom-ready PASCO
lab activities in Physics, Biology,
Chemistry, Earth Science, and Middle
School Science
• Create new scientific investigations
for your students or adapt your
existing traditional labs to take
advantage of probeware
• Enjoy collaborating with fellow
science educators.
• Every PASCO Summer Institute
participant will receive:
• A comprehensive workshop binder
with well-written instructional
material, as well as a companion CD
• A copy of DataStudio software
• A sampler of published PASCO labs
• Access to online discussion forums
to continue conversations with your
workshop colleagues and facilitators.
One of the difficulties facing science
teachers is the problem of mastering IT
skills ‘on the run’ especially as many
of us are of an age to be described
SCIENCE
Nov. 2006
as “digital immigrants”
rather than
“digital natives”. It was therefore very
satisfactory to be able to set aside three
days of my summer holidays to do this
course, and concentrate on mastering
data acquisition skills.
The support from the trainers at the
course was excellent and the resources
in the classroom / laboratory meant that
we spent many hours directing our own
learning and setting our own pace.
We worked from 8.30 am to 5.00 pm
each day and at lunch we met various
Pasco staff members who gave us a
feeling for the company’s way of doing
business. On two of the nights we were
taken to a restaurants about 30 minutes
away in Folsom City. We never saw the
prison or had a chance to sing the blues,
but the “man in black” was on our minds.
We were each presented with a huge
folder containing the Summer Institute
Manual along with a large number of
resources in electronic format. The
other course participants were from all
over the US and Canada. I was the only
European. It was very interesting to
compare education systems and methods
of teaching science.
As far as the benefits of the course are
concerned, I feel I have moved on from
being impressed by the technology
per se. My aim now is to make the
“blackbox” invisible to the student.
As always, the experiment is the thing
and this method of data collection, for
a significant number of experiments,
is just better than before. It gives the
student time to reflect, retry and draw
conclusions in a shorter time. It is a
valuable educational tool and I am
pleased to have the opportunity to
promote its use.
In conclusion, I would like to say that
while it is the Pasco System we favour,
two other PC based systems, Vernier
and Data Harvest, are not far behind
in functionality and any revised ISTA
manual will be useful to users of these
systems in a generic way.
The relevant Pasco website is:
http://www.pasco.com/training/institutes/
John Daly is convenor of the ISTA
Chemistry Sub-committee.
Workshop 610D
in progress
13
SCIENCE Nov. 2006
Leaving Certificate Biology
ISTA Biology Syllabus Subcommittee observations
on the 2006 Ordinary Level examination paper
Specific Comments
General Comments
T
his was not an ordinary
level student-friendly
examination paper. It was
a ‘boring’ paper that needed much
more diagrams and other types of
illustrations to assist the students
at this level.
The language in some questions
was not simple and clear enough.
Overall it was very difficult for
ordinary level and the high failure
rates of previous years were
anticipated. It would seem to be
easier to achieve a D3 on a higher
level paper than a B1 on this
paper.
This paper was too similar to the
higher level and more suited to
students who had dropped back
from higher to ordinary level ‘post
mocks’ or in the last term.
Some members thought that
ecology in all three sections of the
paper was unbalanced.
Again, it is disconcerting to
see questions on the paper that
were clearly not on the syllabus;
all questions and all parts of
questions must be checked
thoroughly against the syllabus by
those setting and proof reading the
paper.
Too many parts of questions were
based on areas not in the syllabus
but in ‘obscure’ or ‘hard to find’
areas of the GUIDELINES;
quite a number of teachers are
not aware of some of the ‘finer
details’ of the GUIDELINES.
14
(a) Section A
Q.1. Fine.
Q. 2 Language of 2 (b) too difficult for
ordinary level - ‘associated with’.
2 (d) was considered ‘hard’ for ordinary
level.
Q. 3 3 (b) considered too difficult for
ordinary level.
3 (c) more space needed for this ‘double
answer’.
3 (d) the language here was considered
‘clumsy’ – needs more straight forward
phrasing.
Q. 4 Very poor paper layout.
This question should have begun on the
top of page 3.
Should have been clearly indicated that
this question specifically referred to a
leaf during photosynthesis in good light
and temperature conditions.
Diagram: confusing for ordinary level
students to see stomata on both the upper
and lower surfaces.
Parts (a) and (c) should have clearly
indicated that the diagram has to be
labelled – should have included ‘on the
diagram’ in the questions.
Part (c): there would appear to be an
equal number of chloroplasts in the cells
of the upper and lower ground tissue
layers if that what those little black dots
are supposed to be – as a result be lenient
with this part.
Part (b): accept any gas that occurs in
air – nitrogen, carbon dioxide, oxygen,
water vapour.
Part (e): too confusing for ordinary level
– ‘another small molecule’ – small is
imprecise. Chlorophyll should therefore
be acceptable as an answer, not just
water.
Q. 5 Fine
Q. 6 This is not a diagram – a diagram
is a drawing, this is a photograph. A lot
of students would not be familiar with
photographs only diagrams so this would
have put a lot of students off.
The photograph itself is poor and the
structures that students would be familiar
with in a yeast cell diagram do not show
up clearly in this photograph – at best
students will only have seen yeast under
a light microscope.
The acknowledgement label is too big;
should have been bracketed and/or
position elsewhere – maybe would have
been better to have a diagram label there
instead similar to what students are used
to in their textbooks.
Part (b): unclear what is meant by ‘type
of asexual reproduction’ – latitude should
be allowed here during the marking.
(b) Section B
Q. 7 Drawing a diagram of a dissected
heart is very difficult. Suggest that the
maximum mark for the drawing is 3 m.
Q. 8 Part (a): a diagram of the equipment
for identification would have been better.
Part (b) (ii): how much detail is needed
here? ‘I wrote down the results’ or ‘I
drew a graph’ or ‘I drew a map’ or
similar would be sufficient? Seven lines
for the answer is intimidating when the
answer is so short.
Q. 9 More suitable to higher level – very
hard for ordinary level. Greater use of
good simple illustrations would help.
Part (b): at ordinary level should have
again used the word seed in the lead in
sentence i.e. seed germination.
Part (b) (i): May have been better to give
the type of agar and ask why this type
was used.
This section was considered more
difficult than section B at higher level.
The complete lack of illustrations in this
section creates problems.
Ordinary level students need more
illustrations so as to discover how much
biology they actually know – they are
being unfairly penalised for the poor
visualisation. At junior certificate level
(both higher and ordinary) there is
extensive use of illustrations.
(c) Section C
Q.10
Part (a) (ii)
Accept pyramid without numbers.
Accept named organisms for trophic
levels.
www.ista.ie
Accept named trophic levels – a true
pyramid is the number of individuals at
each trophic level in the community, it is
not limited to a particular food chain.
The explanation of trophic level in the
question was helpful.
Part (b)
Graphs should be on a grid with actual
numbers – it is easier for many students
because they can refer to the actual
number not just the trends.
Some considered the graph difficult for
ordinary level and other nice.
Part (c)
Considered difficult especially when
compared to Q. 10 (c) on the higher level
paper. The language at ordinary level
especially in (i) is clumsy.
The number of ways needed to minimise
waste in (iii) should have been stated
as it was in Q. 10 (c) (iv) on the higher
paper.
Q. 11 Part (a): fine
Part (b): the language of the question is
a bit clumsy; maybe the use of diagrams
would have been better.
Some would have preferred the old
style genetics cross diagram layout with
a Punnett square already drawn but
others prefer this new approach allowing
the their own particular style of cross
diagram.
Part (c)
Very large allocation of marks. Same
question on 2005 higher paper [Q.10 (a)]
was allocated 9 marks.
Q. 12 Part (a) (i)
Is dental formula on the syllabus? Some
teachers were not aware that the human
dental formula is only mentioned in the
‘Guidelines’ in brackets on page 59.
Considered very hard, too specific and
unfair for ordinary level – suggest limit
the marks to 3.
Part (b) (i)
Diagram is very poor, odd and
misshapen.
Label line D is not touching the pancreas.
Part (b) (ii)
Some teachers confused by ‘an amylase’
– amylase [L. amylum, starch] is the
general name for several enzymes
including diastase, ptyalin and amylopsin
that hydrolyse starch to maltose.
‘An amylase’ is in the syllabus 3.3.4
page 34.
The approximate pH is considered
difficult and too variable as can be
slightly acidic, neutral or slightly basic
depending on the location.
Part (c) (i)
Some teachers would like to know does
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‘absorption’ only refer to the digestive
system and will credit also be given for
other examples if given by students e.g.
kidney, root?
Part (c) (iii): considered confusing, too
wordy and too tough in this type of
question format for ordinary level.
Part (c) (iv)
Most water is absorbed by the small
intestine. A lot of water can absorbed by
the stomach and extra water absorbed by
the large intestine. Suggestion is to allow
water absorption from any part of the
alimentary canal.
Q. 13 Considered very difficult for
ordinary level.
Part (a) Flicking between aerobic in (i)
and anaerobic in (ii) and then aerobic
again in part (b) was considered a bit
unfair at ordinary level.
Part (a) (i)
Energy was omitted form the equation
– confusing.
Use of 6X and 6Y confusing for ordinary
level – maybe X and Y on their own may
have been clearer.
Part (b): this style of question is very
tough and unforgiving at ordinary level.
Part (b) (iii) and (vi): considered a bit
obscure for ordinary level what is the
correct answer – in the syllabus 2.2.5
page 19 ‘small amount’ and ‘large
amount’ is stated.
Part (c): only three sentences covering a
‘difficult practical’ and a tricky alcohol
test – would have been better at ordinary
level to have it broken up into lots of
small parts.
No one particular method should be
expected – there are different ways of
doing this investigation and alcohol test.
...it is disconcerting to
see questions on the
paper that were clearly
not on the syllabus...
Q. 14 Spread across two pages - poor
layout of question.
Very challenging even for higher level
students.
Considered unfair as all three parts were
based on plant biology.
Part (a) Is this on the syllabus – the
winter twig? Some teachers are adamant
that it is definitely not on the syllabus
– could not find reference to it in the
syllabus or GUIDELINES. Appears that
OLD syllabus past papers were used as a
resource of questions without checking
if they were still appropriate to the new
SCIENCE Nov. 2006
syllabus. Suggest that all answers for B
and C should be awarded full marks and
to part (iv).
Poor diagram and label line D is not
touching the bud.
Accept bud for both A and D.
Part (b): Very tough question for ordinary
level.
Very poor diagrams, especially A.
Some labels on the diagrams may have
helped.
Will marks be given if ‘vascular tissue’ is
given as an answer in (i)?
(i) and (ii) especially confusing in this
format for ordinary level.
Part (b) (v): ‘food’ should be accepted.
Part (c): Good diagram.
Part (c) (i):
Part D is not listed in the syllabus.
Accept anther or stamen for B.
Part (c) (iv): some teachers would like
‘paintbrushes’ (c.f. Mendel) or other
artificial methods of pollination as used
by horticulturalists.
Q. 15 Spread across two pages – poor
paper layout.
Part (a): many teacher are not aware that
‘endotherm’ is required learning – it is
not mentioned in the syllabus, only in the
GUIDELINES 3.4.6 page 63
Many considered (ii) and (iii) especially
difficult for ordinary level.
Part (a) (iii): ‘main source’ is open to
interpretation – metabolism, respiration
or any respiring organ e.g. liver.
Part (a) (v): nothing may happen if the
temperature doesn’t drop low enough;
why not simplify the language by saying
‘when it turns cold’.
Part (b): fine except for part (v) - this
is not a legitimate question – there is a
choice in the syllabus between an eye
defect and an ear defect. So full marks
to everyone whether they attempted an
answer or not.
Part (c): This part could have done with
diagrams as an aid to student answering
– again visualisation is not the strong
card of ordinary level students – they
need more help to show what they know
by giving them a more visual exam
paper.
Part (c) (ii)
Very difficult at ordinary level to name
the vertebrae of the neck.
The term ‘small of the back’ is unfamiliar
to many students.
15
SCIENCE Nov. 2006
Leaving Certificate Biology
ISTA Biology Syllabus Subcommittee observations
on the 2006 Higher Level examination paper
General Comments
(a) Section A
V
Q. 1. Nice
Part (a) Minerals, nutrients, elements
should each be acceptable.
ery comprehensive paper
covering the majority of the
area on the syllabus.
Boring looking paper – more and better
quality illustrations and use of colour
– for such a colourful subject why such a
drab exam paper? Difficult to know how
much detail to give to each of the parts.
There appears to quite a few teachers
who have not found their way into all the
nooks and crannies of the GUIDELINES.
A lot of ecology – in each section of the
paper – the ecology question, Q. 9, in
Section B came in for universal negative
criticism.
Worrying is the appearance of material
on the paper that is not on the syllabus
– despite the allowance made in the
marking scheme it has an adverse
effect on the effort and confidence of
the student – this is extra stress that
thousands of students could well do
without on exam day, results day and
paper review day.
Q. 3 and Q.11 had sections from different
units of the syllabus. This is not how the
exam paper is to be structured. If there is
to be an official and legitimate change in
the structure of the exam paper it should
have been communicated clearly well
in advance to all teachers and students
before the exam. The exam structure we
were give was two questions each from
the three syllabus units in Section A of
the exam paper. Section B of the exam
paper on the 23 mandatory practical
activities. Section C to have one question
from Unit 1, two questions from Unit 2
and three questions from Unit 3.
Some teachers were concerned about
the lack of reward for time spent on the
practical activities.
Some felt there was an excessive amount
of biochemistry, 15% of the exam. Also
the emphasis on ecology, 27% of the
paper, was unbalanced.
The minimalist material on DNA,
sections 2.5.1 to 2.5.5, was considered by
some to be a major oversight.
Especially stressed by every teacher
throughout the year and again recently
is the absolute abhorrence for ‘backloading’ in the marking scheme in
questions form Section A as practised in
2005. This ‘back-loading’ must not be
repeated.
16
Q. 2 Nice
Q. 3
This question is a mix of Unit 2 (e, g)
and Unit 3 of the syllabus.
This mixing is contrary to the officially
stated structure of the exam paper.
Many unhappy with no grid and no
numbers on the y-axis.
Poor design of the graph – a box within
a box.
Part (d): did not appear to be linked to
parts (a), (b) or (c).
Part (g): confusing – native, globular,
folded, complementary to substrate, not
denatured, shape fitting substrate,
specific, 3 D etc. – all should be
acceptable.
X was indicated on the diagram as an
organ.
Poor phrasing – students having listed
the hepatic portal vein for part (a) some
may have changed their answer thinking
that the answer was given as the hepatic
artery in part (b).
Part (c) Too small a space for the answer.
How precise must the location be?
Part (f): accept bile and/or alkaline salts
role.
Q. 6 Some teachers regretted this ‘old
style’ type of questions yet others liked
it.
Part (a) The tuber may not have been
done or the bulb by students – the
syllabus says one example of a root,
stem and leaf modification as a food
storage organ or one example each from
stem, root, leaf or bud for vegetative
reproduction. Tuber and bulb may not
have be used as the ‘one example’.
(b) Section B
Q. 4 Fine
Part (f): Accept ‘matrix’ as some students
would have done more detail but
fail to qualify that it is the matrix of the
mitochondrion.
Mitochondrion is the stated location for
stage two of aerobic respiration in the
GUIDELINES on page32.
... for such a colourful
subject why such a
drab exam paper?
Q. 5
Are parts (d) and (e) missing or is it just
a mistake in the letter sequence?
Part (b) Some felt that the diagram was
poor and out of context with what is
normally learned; others thought it was
a good diagram. Felt that in (a) Y at first
appearance could have be mistaken for
the bile duct it is only when (b) is read
that it becomes clear as a blood vessel
– so in (a) would have be clearer to
indicate that Y was a blood vessel as
Q. 7
Considered quite difficult for potential
C-grade students as a lot of experiment
were given in one question.
Moreover, the way the questions were
presented in part (b) of this questions
was confusing to many students and
should have been more straight forward.
Part (a): expected this to be ‘theoretical’
rather than a practical questions..
Part (b): for parts (i), (ii) and (iii) some
teachers felt that there was very little
distinction between the title of the
practical activity and precise purpose of
the named materials – not a very clearcut question. Three lines for the precise
purpose was considered confusing in that
the answer was not meant to be precise.
Part (b) (iv) There are more way
to remove oxygen – cooled boiled
water with a layer of oil to prevent
deoxygenation or the use of wet iron
filings or steel wool to deoxygenate the
air by rusting. When there are a variety
of ways of carrying on an investigation
then no specific method should used in
the question unless all possibilities are
shown.
www.ista.ie
Q. 8
Fine but some thought it was rather too
simple for higher level.
Part (ii): there are many varied ways of
applying the stain even using the blunt
end of a pencil – again be flexible, if it
could work give it the marks.
Some felt that just stating ‘use a dropper’
should be entitled to all the marks.
Part (iii): there are a variety of
advantages to using a coverslip – be
flexible about it and qualification of
the stated advantage was not asked
for so ‘protection of the material for
microscopic study’ should gain all the
marks.
Q. 9
This was a major problem – in the
syllabus on page 13 it requires students
to identify any 5 fauna and any 5 flora
using simple keys. There is absolutely
no mention of students’ requirement to
design and draw out keys. This is not
only unfair but not a legitimate question
– the investigation in the syllabus is
just the use of keys. Many students
would have omitted these two parts
of the question or not have answered
the question at all. If the question was
firmly based on the use of keys as in
the syllabus they may have answered
the question. Also to take into the
consideration the time element involved
in trying to make up a key never mind
two keys. This was most unfair to
students and totally unrealistic.
Be aware that some students study more
than one ecosystem and so the keys can
be from two different ecosystems.
Also the terms fauna and flora are
outdated and caused problems with
aquatic habitat surveys as algae are
not flora (plants). It is doubtful that the
definition of ‘fauna’ is on the syllabus
– it is only part of the title of a practical
activity.
(c) Section C
Q.10
Part (a) Poor figure – may have helped if
the graph line and a histogram box was
labelled.
The ‘curve’ should have been termed a
‘line graph’ or ‘trend graph’.
Should have been told that lemmings are
herbivores.
Many students will not understand the
word ‘forage’ and this word it totally
inappropriate for a biology exam – in
The Oxford Modern English Dictionary
the word ‘forage’ means 1. food for
horses and cattle 2. the act or instance of
searching for food
Part (a) (ii) The cure for years 4 and 9
are the same but the histograms are quite
different so for some there may be no
relationship despite the peaks occurring
in the same years. Suggest be lenient
with the ‘suggested relationship’.
www.ista.ie
Some teachers would like an awareness
that the lemmings could be excreting
and/or egesting phosphorus or the plants
could be absorbing more phosphourus.
Q. 11
Part (a) (ii): did not ask for a balanced
equation nor asked for a chemical
equation so a word equation must be
acceptable.
Part (b) (v) Group of biomolecules –
carbohydrate, sugars, monosaccharides,
disaccharides, polysaccharide?
Are ADP and NADP products of the
Dark Stage?
Why the use of the pleural ‘main
products’ – confused some students.
Part (c): overlap of Unit 2 and Unit 3 of
the syllabus – again this is not the official
structure of the exam paper.
Part (c) (i) Lots of major points in this
process of water transport – how can it
be brief?
What about ‘root pressure’ – did not
specify transpiration pull?
Will a description of capillarity be
acceptable even though it is not on the
syllabus?
Part (c) (ii) Difficult to know how much
detail to give to each of the parts.
Sites of photosynthesis is too vague
– leaves, green ground tissue cells,
chloroplasts? Is this part of the question
based on photosynthesis or transpiration?
... quite a few teachers
... have not found
their way into all the
nooks and crannies
of the GUIDELINES.
Q. 12
Considered nice by many but was felt
that it did not reflect the time spent on
the Genetics and Inheritance part of the
syllabus.
Part (b) (ii) Locus is not on the syllabus.
Latin pleurals are not generally known
by students.
Is it the diploid or haploid number of loci
that is needed? Should accept both.
Part (b) (vi) Is aa acceptable for
homozygous A? Similar is bb and cc
acceptable.
Was the possibility of sex linked genes
taken into account and will it be taken
into account in the marking?
Part (c) The second part is confusing
– is the observation related to Darwin/
Wallace or is it supposed to be ‘evidence
from one source’ as it is in the syllabus?
Some liked the breadth of this question
which allowed the students to be more
expansive in their answers rather than
SCIENCE Nov. 2006
just a modified form of Section A
questions.
Q. 13
Part (a) (i): ‘bone marrow’ should be
precise enough.
Part (c) (i) This is too big and too open
ended a question.
Labelled diagram should be acceptable
as an answer.
Part (c) (ii) Any three specific circulatory
functions should be acceptable.
Any three specific defence functions
should be acceptable.
Hearing and balance is not a function of
the lymphatic system as endolymph and
perilymph of the inner ear are not in fact
lymph and are not part of the lymphatic
system.
Q. 14
Part (a) Fine
Part (a) (ii) – should be worth more than
3 marks.
Part (c): compare this to Q. 14 on the
ordinary level paper – the higher level
question is more student friendly.
Part (c) (i) Accept any reasonable cutting
instrument.
Part (c) (iv) The stem may not have be
supported; some stems are tough enough
to be cut just held in the hand and so ‘in
the hand’ should be awarded marks.
In 3 any reasonable method of transfer
even by finger tip.
Q. 15
Part (a): Fine
Part (b) Very specific information was
required here on photosynthetic and
chemosynthetic bacteria – examples of
same are not mentioned on the syllabus
under section 3.1.3 on page 29 so why
did it appear on the exam paper?
Again teachers are not aware that in
the GUIDELIENES on page 50 the
definition and examples of autotrophic
– photosynthetic and chemosynthetic
bacteria is listed along with heterotrophic
– saprophytic and parasitic.
Despite the GUIDELINES some teachers
say that ‘named bacteria’ was stated not
be required at INSERVICE and also
stated in the Clarifications.
This area needs to be cleared up and full
marks to be given for these parts until
this anomaly is clarified.
Part (c) (i): should have read ‘menstrual
disorder’ as in the syllabus.
Part (c) (iii) Some teachers object to the
use of Latin pleurals such as ‘ova’ in this
part.
Survival times vary from book to book
– sperm can be alive in the female’s
reproductive system for seven days
receiving nourishment from special cells
lining the Fallopian tubes.
17
SCIENCE Nov. 2006
Junior Certificate Science
(Revised Syllabus) – Ordinary Level
ISTA comments on the 2006 examination paper
Specific Comments
General Comments
T
his was a fair paper. It was
concise and comprehensive
with a wide coverage of the
syllabus. However, the quality of
the diagrams could be improved
and more space needs to be put in
for drawing diagrams. There was
concern that the reading age for
this paper was a little high.
Again, Coursework B
investigations should be
completed before Christmas.
The absence of choice again puts
pressure on students. Choice
should be introduced in each
section.
There is concern that
the reading age for this
paper was a little high.
18
Biology
Question1 (a)
Use of pooter – links in with OB59
– study a local habitat, using appropriate
instruments
Q. 1 (b)
This question requested students to
identify the femur, however, in section
OB25 of the syllabus the femur is
underlined as being higher level material.
The syllabus states that ordinary level
students should be able to ‘locate the
major bones in the human body including
the skull, ribs, vertebrae, collarbone,
shoulder blade, humerus, radius, ulna,
pelvis, femur, tibia, and fibula.’
Thus, students at this level should not
have been requested to identify the femur
but only the following bones; skull, ribs,
vertebrae, collarbone, shoulderblade or
the pelvis.
Q. 1 (c)
This question relates to sections OB52
of the syllabus – ‘locate and identify the
main parts of the flower: sepals, petals,
carpel and stamen.’ The second part
of the question asking students to give
one reason why insects are attracted
to flowers may be linked to section
OB54 of the syllabus which states that
students should be able to ‘understand
that …pollen is transferred by wind and
by insects’. However, while students
at this level may understand that pollen
is transferred by insects, they may not
understand what attracts the insects to
the plants.
Q. 1 (d)
This is a fair question and clearly relates
to section OB14 of the syllabus which
requests students to be able to ‘identify
the four chambers of the heart’.
Q. 1 (e)
This question on the female reproductive
system links in to section OB31 of the
syllabus which specifies that students
be able to ‘locate the main parts of the
main and female reproductive systems’.
In this question, students were asked to
identify the ovary and the womb, which
are main parts of the female reproductive
system, it is not clear from the syllabus,
whether students should be able to
identify the cervix for example?
Q. 1 (f)
In this question, students were asked
to identify the incisor. This is a fair
question, directly linked to section OB7
of the syllabus which states that students
should be able to ‘identify molar,
premolars, canines and incisors’. The
second part of the question requested
that students identify the mineral needed
for healthy growth of teeth. While
section OB1 requests that students be
able to ‘recall that a balanced diet has six
constituents: carbohydrates (including
fibre), fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals
and water, each with different functions’,
no reference is made in the syllabus to
the link between a specific mineral and
teeth. Thus, this question may have
posed difficulty for students at this level.
Q. 1 (g)
This question on a food pyramid links
directly to section OB2 of the syllabus.
Q. 1 (h)
This question on transport of water in
plants relates to section OB45 of the
syllabus which requests that students
be able to ‘identify the main parts of
a typical flowering plant and their
functions; the root, stem, leaf and
flower’ and section OB47 which states
that students should ‘carry out simple
activities to show the path of water
through plant tissue’. This is a fair
question.
Q. 2 (a)
This is a fair question that links directly
to section OB13 of the syllabus.
Q. 2 (b) (i)
Main Topic 1A4 of the syllabus on
Aerobic Respiration lists the following
sub-topic; ‘the breathing system and
its role in gaseous exchange’. Section
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SCIENCE Nov. 2006
While students should be able to ‘calculate the cost of using common
electrical appliances, based on their power rating’, as stated in
section OP55 of the syllabus, it is not stated that students should be
able to classify these appliances based on their power rating.
OB12 of the syllabus states that students
should be able to ‘describe how oxygen
is taken into the bloodstream from the
lungs and how carbon dioxide is taken
from the lungs from the bloodstream
during gaseous exchange and how these
processes are affected by smoking’.
These two statements focus on the
process of gaseous exchange which
occurs in the alveoli, however, no
statement is made in the syllabus
identifying other parts of the breathing
system which students should be able to
name.
Thus, the first part of question 2 (b)
(i), which asks students to identify
the trachea is not clearly stated in the
syllabus.
As for the higher level paper ‘air
sacs’ should be acceptable as wells as
‘alveoli’.
Q. 2 (b) (ii) (iii)
This is a fair question.
Q. 2 (c) (i)
The diagram in this question is of a poor
quality and is too small.
Q. 2 (c) (ii)
This is a fair question, clearly linked to
section OB6 of the syllabus.
Q. 2 (c) (iii)
While this question is based on both
sections OB8 and OB3 of the syllabus,
this question is too difficult for ordinary
level students, especially with the
amount of text. The reading age of
the material is inappropriate here. The
number of test-tubes in the diagram is
off-putting for an ordinary level student.
What ‘new product’ will be accepted?
Will any breakdown product of starch
(glucose/dextrose etc.) be accepted?
Q. 3 (a)
The diagrams in this question are of
poor quality. Good quality photographs
should have been used. Also, at ordinary
level, these seeds should have been
named.
The second part of this question, which
asks students to ‘Name one resource that
seeds must compete for with the parent
plant’, may prove difficult to students
especially as the only reference to
competition in the syllabus is in section
OB62 in relation to a habitat study.
Q. 3 (b) (c)
This is a fair question and links directly
to section OB58 of the syllabus.
Q. 3 (c)
This is a fair question directly related to
sections OB61, OB66 and OB65 of the
syllabus.
www.ista.ie
Chemistry
Physics
Q. 4 (a) (b) (c)
These are fair questions.
Q. 4 (d)
The diagram in this question is of very
poor quality. The test-tube containing
the calcium chloride should be stoppered
to prevent rusting occurring.
Ordinary level students will have
difficulty in explaining the role of
calcium chloride.
Q. 4 (e) (f) (g) (h)
These are fair questions directly linked to
the syllabus.
Q. 7 (a) (b) (c)
These are fair questions.
Q. 7 (d)
The first part of this question is a
very specific example of an energy
conversion, which would be difficult for
ordinary level students.
Q. 7 (e)
This is a fair question.
Q. 7 (f)
Name the piece of equipment used to
measure pressure? Pressure gauge should
be sufficient.
Q. 7 (g) (h)
These are fair questions.
Question 5
Q. 5 (a) (i)
Distillation should be adequate here and
accepted for full marks.
Q. 5 (a) (ii)
A number of substances should be
accepted:
Drinking water from sea water/Alcohol
and water/Coke and water/copper
sulphate and water/ink and water. It has
been pointed out that simple distillation
does not separate alcohol and water but
some textbooks show it.
Q. 5 (b)
The question should read ‘Name the
type of bond found in the hydrogen
molecule’.
According to the syllabus, ordinary level
students should be able to ‘understand
that covalent bonds involve the sharing
of pairs of electrons’ and ‘recall that
ionic bonding is an attraction between
positive and negative ions’. Thus,
this question is within the realm of the
syllabus. However, the layout of the
question, and the reading ability of some
ordinary level students may make this
question difficult for students.
Q. 5 (c) (d)
These are fair questions directly linked to
the syllabus.
Q. 6 (a)
This is a fair question that links to
section OC18 of the syllabus.
Q. 6 (b)
This is a fair question that links to
sections OC24 and OC25 of the syllabus.
Q. 6 (c)
The IUPAC recommendation for spelling
‘sulphate’ is ‘sulfate’. This is a fair
question based on section OC17 of the
syllabus.
Q. 8 (a)
The diagram in this question is of poor
quality.
Q. 8 (b) (i) (ii)
This question is difficult for ordinary
level students. While students should
be able to ‘calculate the cost of using
common electrical appliances, based on
their power rating’, as stated in section
OP55 of the syllabus, it is not stated that
students should be able to classify these
appliances based on their power rating.
Q. 8 (iii)
This is a fair question based on section
OP55 of the syllabus.
Q. 8 (c)
The question should state the number of
hours to make it easier for ordinary level
students.
Q. 8 (d)
This is a fair question.
Q. 9 (a) (b)
The clarity of the graph and the labelling
of the axis were welcome. However, it
would be helpful if it did not have to be
squeezed in at the bottom of a page.
Q. 9 (c)
This is a fair question based on section
OP20 of the syllabus.
19
SCIENCE Nov. 2006
Junior Certificate Science
(Revised Syllabus) – Higher Level
ISTA comments on the 2006 examination paper
Specific Comments
General Comments
O
verall, it was felt that this was
a fair paper to students. There
was a good balance on the
paper between factual information and
areas that tested the understanding
of the student. In terms of coverage
of the syllabus, the paper was very
comprehensive and this should
encourage students not to leave out any
area of the syllabus. We welcome the
attempt by the examiner to include STS
material on the examination paper, e.g.
application of material on the syllabus to
our everyday lives and reference to the
work of famous scientists.
The absence of choice in the paper put
a lot of pressure on all students. Choice
in each section should be introduced.
Some candidates found it difficult to
get the paper completed in the time
allocated. The shortening and removal
of unnecessary text in questions, which
took time to work through, should relieve
the time pressure a little. The quality
of some of the graphics was poor. The
amount of space allocated for diagrams
should be increased. The paper has
highlighted the need for clarification
on the depth of treatment of various
learning outcomes. Some examples of
the problem with depth of treatment are
included in the comments on specific
questions below.
There is consensus in the ISTA that the
Coursework B investigations should be
conducted before Christmas.
The paper has
highlighted the need for
clarification of the depth
of treatment of various
learning outcomes.
20
Biology
Q. 1 (a)
This is a fair question based on sections
OB25 and OB27 of the syllabus.
Q. 1 (b)
This is a fair question based on section
OB60 of the syllabus.
Q. 1 (c)
While this question is based on section
OB47 of the syllabus, it involves a lot
of reading for a short answer. This also
makes the question less clear. Test for
water: How much detail is required
here?
Q. 1 (d)
There is very little space allowed for a
labelled diagram and a description of the
experiment.
Q. 1 (e)
What happens in the ovary? Ovulation
or the release of eggs should be accepted.
What happens to the lining of the uterus?
Prepares to receive fertilised egg/zygote
should be accepted.
Q. 1 (f)
Name the substance that genes are made
of?
The syllabus states that students should
be able to ‘recall that genes are located
on chromosomes’ (section OB36) and
‘recall that chromosomes are made of
DNA and protein’ (OB37). The syllabus
does not specify that students should be
able to recall what genes are made from.
Rather, as students should have learned
that chromosomes are made of DNA
and proteins, either of these substances
should be acceptable here.
Q. 1 (g)
There needs to be clarification in learning
outcome OB63 as neither composting,
incineration, landfill or recycling are
mentioned on the syllabus.
Q. 1 (h)
This question is based on section OB49
of the syllabus. As these are not one
word answers, more space should have
been left for students to write their
responses.
Q. 2 (a)
Is the term alveolus on the syllabus? If
not, then air sacs should be accepted
as well as alveolus. There needs to be
clarification as to the depth of treatment
of learning outcome OB12.
Q. 2 (b)
This is a fair question based on section
OB13 of the syllabus.
Q. 2 (c)(i)
The syllabus states that students should
be able to ‘demonstrate the effect of
exercise and rest on pulse’ (OB16) and
‘recall that the average pulse rate for
an adult at rest is 70b.p.m., and explain
why exercise results in increased pulse’
(OB17). However, the specific cause of
the pulse is not stated on the syllabus.
Q. 2 (c) (ii) (iii)
This is a fair question based on sections
OB16 and OB17 of the syllabus.
Q. 3 (a) (i) (ii)
These are fair questions related to
sections OB1 and OB2 of the syllabus.
Q. 3 (a) (iii)
This part of the question is confusing
due to the poor layout of the table. It is
not standard practice to use ‘+’ and ‘-’ in
tables such as this.
Q. 3 (b) (i)
Clarification is needed on section OB42
of the syllabus as to what is meant by the
‘main parts’ of the microscope.
Q. 3 (b) (ii)
The word ‘epidermis’ which is used in
this question is not mentioned in the
syllabus.
Q. 3 (b) (iii)
This is a fair question based on section
OB43 of the syllabus.
www.ista.ie
SCIENCE Nov. 2006
We welcome the attempt by the examiner to include STS material on
the examination paper, e.g. application of material on the syllabus to
our everyday lives and reference to the work of famous scientists.
Chemistry
Q. 4 (a)
This is a fair question based on section
OC39 of the syllabus.
Q. 4 (b)
Both Priestley and Lavosier are credited
with the discovery of oxygen.
Q. 4 (c)
What will happen if a student gives
the name and formula of the sulfur
compound and gets one of them wrong?
Q. 4 (d)
This is a fair question based on section
OC30 of the syllabus.
Q. 4 (e)
The following should be accepted as
measures to ensure a fair test;
Same concentration of acid/same volume
of acid/same type of acid/same surface
area of metals/same mass of metals/same
amount of metals/sandpaper all metals.
Q. 4 (f)
The phrase ‘give the arrangement of
the electrons….’ is confusing. Does
the examiner mean ‘write the electron
configuration?’ Students should have
been given a box to draw out the Bohr
structure since learning outcome OC40
states that students should draw out the
Bohr structures. Full marks should be
given for drawing the Bohr diagram.
However the lead into the question with
the diagram of Niels Bohr was welcome.
This is another example where the depth
of treatment of the learning outcome is
vague.
Q. 4 (g)
This is a fair question based on section
OC27 of the syllabus.
Q. 4 (h)
This is a fair question based on sections
OC34 and OC51 of the syllabus.
Q. 5 (a)
This is a fair question based on sections
OC37 and OC38 of the syllabus.
However, more space should have been
left for students to answer Q. 5 (a) (ii).
Q. 5 (b)
This question highlighted the fact that
learning outcomes OC58 and OC59 are
very vague as neither the application nor
the properties to be taught are specified
in the syllabus.
www.ista.ie
Q. 5 (c) (ii)
Phraseology is poor. It would be better
to say ‘If the ink did not consist of a
mixture of colours’ as some dyes which
do consist of a single colour do in fact
separate into a number of colours.
Students may also have observed this on
performing the experiment and hence
will be confused by the wording in the
question.
Q. 5 (d)
Too wordy. The long paragraph was
unnecessary and took up students’ time.
Reference to ‘velocities’ should be
deleted.
Q. 6 (a)
This is a mandatory experiment (OC22).
Few schools would have 12 sets of
syringes etc. to do the experiment in this
way. The spirit of the revised syllabus
states that other methods are also valid.
No one explicit method is stated on the
syllabus. This is an unfair question
as teachers had the option to use other
methods. On the Junior Certificate
Science web-site, it is suggested that
option A is a teacher demonstration
experiment. The experiment using steel
wool, plastic syringe and Leur-Lock is
illustrated to show that approximately
one fifth of air is oxygen.
Q. 6 (a) (iv)
Students who say;
Easier to read volume of air in A than B
or
Gas syringe more accurate at measuring
volumes
or
Candle may go out before oxygen is used
up
or
Necessary to equalise levels of water in
experiment B
or
Can read volumes directly in A but
cannot in B since water levels must be
equalised
should get full marks.
Q. 6 (b)
This is a fair question.
Physics
Q. 7 (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g)
These are fair questions which may be
directly linked to the syllabus.
Q. 7 (h)
This is a very difficult question.
Section OP54 states that students should
be able to ‘distinguish between direct
and alternating current’ and section OP57
states that students should be able to
‘understand that a diode is a device that
allows current to flow in one direction
only’. However, the effect on an a.c.
supply on an LED is not mentioned in
the syllabus.
Q. 8 (a)
Learning outcome OP38 needs
clarification. There is no mention of
lateral inversion in the syllabus. This
question is clearly outside the syllabus,
and double lateral inversion is very
confusing.
Q. 8 (b) (c) (d)
These are fair questions based on the
syllabus.
Q. 9 (a)
State Hooke’s Law: This question
should not be included on the paper as no
mention of Hooke’s Law is made in the
syllabus.
Q. 9 (a) (i) (ii) (iii)
Again, the amount of text in the question
is unnecessary. The space should have
been used to allow a greater area of
graph paper. The clear graph paper
giving the major and minor units is very
welcome and helpful to students.
Q. 9 (b)
This is a fair question based on sections
OP51 and OP52 of the syllabus.
Q. 6 (c)
One visible sign of corrosion:
Acceptable answers should be:
appearance of brown powder/flaking/
becoming dull/change of colour.
Again, more space should have been
provided for students to describe the
experiment on corrosion.
21
SCIENCE Nov. 2006
Applied Mathematics
… beneath its surface lies a beauty
Noel Brett
A
n inscription in the foyer
of the Science Building of
the Seattle World’s Fair of
1962 reads:
To learn about the world around
him, a scientist must ask,
observe, suppose, experiment,
and analyze:
In asking – the right question
must be posed
In observing - the significant
must be distinguished from the
unimportant
In supposing – a workable
answer (or hypothesis) may be
predicted, but a scientist must be
ready to abandon it
In experimenting – the right
instrument must be chosen or
borrowed from the tool kit of
some other branch of science
In analyzing – the scientist
must, with his mind and his
imagination, draw conclusions
from the data his research has
revealed.
True scientists are always curious.
They are able to identify the
problem they are confused about,
and often this confusion is what
drives them in search of the truth.
22
For too long now, people have
considered the study of applied
mathematics to be the sole preserve of
the minority who were destined mainly
to become engineers. This tunnel vision
is due to undergo a drastic change
when the full implications of recent
developments in the world of business,
sport, industry and finance, gradually
unfold.
A quick reflection on the Olympic
Games, for example, will highlight
the pervasiveness of the subject right
across the spectrum of events – athletics,
boxing, cycling, gymnastics, rowing,
weightlifting, yachting, etc.
on. We see, therefore, the diffusion of
Applied Mathematics right through the
mechanics of swimming.
And now to golf! Rarely does a golfer
strike a ball perfectly straight with a low
club or wood. If he does, it should be
viewed as a fluke, an accident. Maybe
‘miracle’ would be a better word!
Typically, when hitting a solid drive
dead straight, what is actually required at
impact on those rare occasions is:
In swimming, the coach must have a
knowledge of fluid and stroke mechanics,
skin friction, tail suction or eddy
resistance, etc.
A swimmer, in order to swim faster,
must do one of the following: decrease
resistance, increase propulsion or use
a combination of these. Action and
reaction, momentum, inertia and vector
analysis, are all essential concepts.
It is quite easy to transfer the momentum
of one part of the body to another part
or to the rest of the body. This principle
is used in many movements we perform
in and out of the water. The inertia
or momentum developed by the arms
during the wind-up before the swimmer
makes a racing dive is transferred to his
entire body and helps him get greater
distance in his dive. A light buoyant
swimmer floats higher and creates
less resistance when moving through
the water than a heavier, less buoyant
swimmer of the same size. Swimmers
can increase their strength by using
pulley weights or stretch cords ... and so
(i) the clubhead to move directly along
the target line
(ii) the clubhead to be perfectly square to
the target
(iii) the ball to be hit on the centre of the
clubface.
All of these factors must be synchronised
perfectly and at a time when the
clubhead is travelling at about 190 km/h
(120 mph). Now, that’s the Golf Secret!
Those are the mechanical requirements
for an absolutely straight golf shot. And
even if you meet them, you’ve generally
still got a wind factor to contend with!
And what about the ball level relative to
your feet? Furthermore, do remember
the thought-provoking maxim applicable
to life in general, but specifically to golf
... beware the bunkers!
The Guinness Book of World Records
states that the highest commercial
bungee jump is located at the Bloukrans
River Bridge, 40 km east of Plettenberg
Bay in South Africa. This jump takes
place from a platform below the roadway
of the bridge, and the height from the
www.ista.ie
to increase access for a wider cohort of
students.
From a practical point of view, Dr
Grannell proposed that new optional
topics be gradually introduced in the
Leaving Certificate Applied Mathematics
syllabus and that continuing professional
development be provided for teachers.
In addition, schools should be provided
with adequate computers and spreadsheet
software and have ready access to a
database of real data and problems (e.g.
Statistical Consultancy, UCC). He urged
that steps be taken to generate support
materials such as articles, texts, software,
and websites and that interaction with
the NCCA Review on Mathematics be
initiated.
platform to the valley floor is a terrifying
216m (709 feet). When bungee jumping,
a person free-falls with one end of an
elastic cord attached to the ankles (or a
body harness) and the other end fixed to
the jump point. As the person falls, the
cord will stretch and the kinetic energy
of the person is converted into potential
energy in the cord. At some stage the
jumper will fly upwards as the cord
snaps backwards. The person will then
oscillate up and down until the initial
energy of the jump is dissipated.
Newton’s laws, Hooke’s law, energy
conversions, simple harmonic motion
and elastic limits, are just a few of
the considerations necessary when
calculating the pre-requisites to ensure
the safety of the participants in such
a sport. Such mental acrobats surely
deserve the fee, typically €50 for one
jump or €75 for a deluxe double dose of
adrenaline!
At a recent seminar in Cork organised
by Dr Declan Kennedy, Education
Department, UCC, and Dr Jim Grannell
from the School of Mathematical
Sciences, UCC, the profound
development in Applied Mathematics
over the past 30 years was highlighted.
Dr Grannell cited many new areas
where the subject has an intrinsic role to
play – biosciences, health (modelling,
biostatistics), economics, social sciences,
etc. Accordingly, he suggested that it
was necessary to broaden the scope of
the subject at Leaving Certificate level
in order to reflect the increased range
of applications and also in the hope that
it might appeal to a broader range of
students. Some new topics with simpler
underlying mathematics e.g. difference
equations, should be introduced in order
www.ista.ie
SCIENCE Nov. 2006
Applied Mathematics has an important
role to play in this expressed ideal but
the keys are rather rusty and the lock is
dull. However, ‘the world is round and
the place which may seem like the end
may also be only the beginning.’ (Ivy
Baker Priest)
Noel Brett teaches physics and applied
mathematics in Coláiste Chríost Rí,
Cork.
In the meantime, teachers who are
involved in the promotion of the subject
should not be viewed as isolationist
but rather as a small dedicated group
that would welcome some positive
intervention that would result in a
greater uptake of the subject by Leaving
Certificate students. Realistically, an
annual total of 1300 students opting
for such an interesting and relevant
subject that has applications in so many
fields, is a situation that needs to be
addressed. The benefit to students who
take Applied Mathematics is manifest
early on by improved logical thinking
and problem solving skills. Furthermore,
additional avenues, heretofore unknown
or unavailable, that require the skills
inherent to the subject, are emerging at
third level.
The DES publication “Brief Description
of the Irish Education System” (revised
1996) proclaims:
An important overall objective of the
restructuring of the senior cycle is to
provide for the holistic development
of all students progressing to the
end of senior cycle and to foster the
sense of self-esteem, self-reliance and
innovation which will empower them to
actively shape the social and economic
future of society. (p.17)
Radiation from a phone
Radiation from a hand at 300 K
(10 cm x 10 cm) i.e. 27ºC
= 4.60 W
Radiation from one side of a mobile
phone (0.4 W total)
= 0.2 W (max)
The radiation from the hand is in the
infrared region of the spectrum (peaking
around 9700 nm) and its quanta carry
30,000 times more energy than those of
microwaves (wavelength 30 cm).
So not only do you get much more
energetic electromagnetic radiation from
your hand than from a mobile phone,
you get twenty times more of it as well.
(4.6/0.2=23)
(Feel free to query the calculations. You
can find the equation for Plank’s Law on:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackbody
If you’re interested I can email a
spreadsheet that does the calculations.
Ed.)
23
SCIENCE Nov. 2006
ISTA submission to the NCCA on
Junior Certificate Science
A meeting was held between
representatives of the ISTA and Dr
Anne Looney, NCCA, on 6 June
2006 to discuss concerns about
the Junior Certificate Science
syllabus. The ISTA expressed the
serious concern of it members
regarding the many vague and
incorrectly written learning
outcomes in the revised Junior
Certificate Science syllabus. The
ISTA was requested by Dr Looney
to put specific concerns about
these learning outcomes in writing
and she gave a commitment that
she would call a meeting of the
NCCA Junior Science committee
in September 2006 to address
these concerns.
The following document was
approved by Council at its
September meeting and forwarded
to the NCCA. If any ISTA member
has any additional points or
issues they would like raised
with the NCCA, please send your
comments to Yvonne Higgins,
Convenor of the ISTA Junior
Certificate Science committee (email: higginsy@eircom.net).
Submission from ISTA to
NCCA re Clarifications on
Junior Certificate Science
Learning Outcomes. 9/9/’06
The following learning outcomes have
been identified by the Junior Science,
Biology, Chemistry and Physics subcommittees of the Irish Science Teachers
Association as requiring clarification.
1A2 Digestion
Questions:
1. Which, if any, of the body systems
do the students need to be able to
draw?
2. Do students need to know the term
peristalsis and its definition?
3. Is the term ‘egestion’ required?
1A3 Enzymes
Questions:
1. To what extent are students required
to explain enzyme action?
OB8 Investigate the action of amylase on
starch; identify the substrate, product
and enzyme
Question:
1. How do students identify the enzyme
in an investigation?
OB12 Describe how oxygen is taken into
the bloodstream from the lungs and
how carbon dioxide is taken into the
lungs from the bloodstream during
gaseous exchange and how these
processes are affected by smoking.
Question:
1. Does the term diffusion need to be
known? This term is not specifically
used in the syllabus and yet if a
student used this term as the answer
to Q. 2(a)(ii) in the Junior Cert exam
2006, students got 6 marks, i.e. the
term is listed in the marking scheme
but not in the syllabus.
OB13 Describe the function and
composition of blood, and know that
blood contains white blood cells, red
blood cells and platelets in a liquid
called plasma.
24
Question:
1. Are the facts about the blood cells
needed (size, shape, number per
mm3 blood etc?
OB14 Understand the structure and
function of the heart, identify the
four chambers of the heart, and
explain the difference between the
left and right ventricles.
Question:
1. Do students need to know the bi and
tricuspid valves and the semilunar
valves by name?
OB15 Describe the passage of blood
through the heart and lungs via
arteries and veins, identify the
pulmonary artery and vein, aorta and
vena cava, and distinguish between
arteries, veins and capillaries
Question:
1. Are the T.S. and L.S. of the blood
vessels needed?
OB20 Understand the structure and
function of the urinary system:
the bladder, renal artery, renal vein,
ureter, urethra and kidney.
Question:
1. It is not clear from OB20 if the
function of each part of the urinary
system is needed.
OB22 understand the function of the skin
in the excretion of waste products
made in the body
Question:
1. Do Ordinary Level students need any
reference to the skin re excretion?
OB23 recall that waste products are
removed from the bloodstream by
filtration in the kidneys in the form
of urine, which contains urea, water
and salts, and that urine is stored in
the bladder before being released
from the body.
Question:
1. Do students need to know where
urea is made and what it is made
from?
www.ista.ie
1B1 Skeletal system
Question:
1. The composition of bone is not the
syllabus. Therefore is reference to
the organic or inorganic nature of
bone required?
OB27 Describe the general structure and
action of different types of joints:
fused, ball and socket and hinged,
and identify examples of each: skull,
shoulder, elbow, hip, knee.
Question:
1. Is the term ‘synovial’ required ?
OB29 Describe the role of the central
nervous system and the sensory and
motor functions of nerves.
Question:
1. Is knowledge of the term ‘neuron’
needed and are drawings of the
different neurons required? To be
drawn? Or recognized?
OB33 Understand the following in
relation to human reproduction:
• fertile period in the menstrual cycle
• sexual intercourse
• fertilisation is the fusion between
male and female gametes (sperm and
egg) resulting in a zygote; a zygote
undergoes cell division and develops
within the womb into a foetus
• pregnancy and birth
• growth and puberty.
Question:
1. What is meant by ‘understand’ here,
i.e. understand pregnancy, puberty
etc.? How much detail is needed?
This learning outcome is far too
vague - other than that given for
fertilization. Similar detail is needed
for each item here.
OB34 Understand that there are many
forms of contraception, and that
some of these prevent fertilization.
Questions:
1. What detail is needed re naming the
forms of contraception?
2. How many methods are required.
3. What ones should students be able to
explain that “prevent fertilization”?
1C1 Living things.
Question:
1. Is the term ‘organism’ to be
known and will it be used in exam
questions?
OB41 Recall that living things are
composed of cells, tissues, organs
and systems, and understand that
growth results from cell division.
Questions:
1. There is no mention anywhere in
the syllabus or learning outcomes
www.ista.ie
of the need to know the functions of
the parts of a cell. Are these needed?
And if so which ones?
2. In OB43 labelling of the wall,
nucleus, cytoplasm and position of
cell membrane are listed but what
about chloroplasts, and vacuoles.
Are these needed, or expected to be
known?
1C2 The microscope
OB42 Identify, and understand the
functions of, the main parts of a
microscope (light microscope only)
and use it to examine an animal cell
and a plant cell.
Questions:
1. What parts (and functions) of the
microscope should be covered?
2. Should the STS component be
covered (contribution of van
Leeuwenhoek).
1C5 Photosynthesis.
Questions:
1. “investigation of the conversion of
light energy into chemical energy”:
What exactly is required here? Does
this involve carrying out practical
work?
1C6 Reproduction and germination in
plants
Questions:
1. With regard to pollination – are the
two types of pollination needed?
3. Do students need to know the
difference in the structure of wind
and insect-pollinated flowers?
4. Do students need to know named
examples of wind and insect
pollinated flowers?
OB57 Understand that seed germination
is necessary to produce a new plant.
Question:
1. Are details of the events of
germination in a named seed to be
known? And if so what detail?
1C7 Ecology
Questions:
1. Are terms, such as ‘ecosystem’,
‘trophic level’ to be known?
2. Are the terms primary, secondary
and tertiary consumer to be known?
1C8 Microbiology and biotechnology
Question:
1. Under the heading ‘Examples of
micro-organisms’, how much, if any
of the structure of bacteria, fungi and
viruses is needed?, e.g. do students
need to know that viruses are made
of DNA or RNA and a protein coat?
SCIENCE Nov. 2006
OC1 Name three states of matter and
know their characteristics
Questions:
1. Are students required to be able to
explain or define the term matter?
2. What characteristics of the states of
matter must be known by students?
3. When teaching the characteristics of
the states of matter, should teachers
cover the concept of diffusion?
Should students be able to describe
an experiment to demonstrate the
diffusion of gases?
4. Should students be able to describe
the properties of the states of matter
using the simple particle idea, e.g.
using ball bearings on an overhead
projector, explaining pressure of gas,
etc.?
5. When teaching the states of matter,
should teachers cover the concept
of change of state? If so, can pupils
be examined on items like melting
point, boiling point, evaporation and
sublimation?
OC2 Separate mixtures using a
variety of techniques: filtration,
evaporation, distillation and paper
chromatography
Questions:
1. What mixtures should be used in
these experiments?
2. Does distillation refer to simple
distillation or to both simple
distillation and fractional
distillation? Since “crude oil
products as raw materials for
plastics” is mentioned in section 2C5
and reference to this is also made
in OC58 of the syllabus, can we
assume that fractional distillation is
on the syllabus?
3. Should terms like filtrate, residue
and distillate be known by students?
4. Should reference be made to Justus
von Liebig who developed the
condenser?
5. No reference is made in the
syllabus to the applications of these
separation techniques in everyday
life. Should students know these
applications?
6. To what depth should
chromatography be taught? Will
a simple description in terms of
soluble and less soluble constituents
be sufficient? We would hope
that the concept of adsorption is
not required at this level. Are the
terms mobile and stationary phases
required?
OC3 Understand what an element is
and recall that all known elements
are listed in the Periodic Table;
understand what a compound is
and what a mixture is; recall that
when elements combine to form
compounds they may lose their
individual properties
25
SCIENCE Nov. 2006
Questions:
1. What properties of elements,
compounds and mixtures should be
known by students?
2. When introducing the concept of
elements, should the STS component
be covered (contribution of Boyle
and the Curies). Will STS be
examined on the examination paper?
3. With regard to OC3, is this referring
to the reaction between iron and
sulfur? Can students be asked about
this experiment on the examination
paper? (Is this what is referred to in
OC12?).
4. What symbols of elements are
required to be known by students?
OC4 Examine a variety of substances
and classify these as
• elements or compounds (using the
Periodic Table as a reference)
• metals or non-metals.
Question:
1. Are simple conductivity tests all that
are required here, or is it simply a
matter of visual, aural and tactile
evidence?
OC11 Understand that solder, steel, brass
and bronze are alloys and state one
use of each alloy.
Questions:
1. What do students need to be
able to do in order to show this
understanding?
2. Do students need to understand how
these alloys are made?
3. Do students need to know the
composition of the alloys?
OC12 Compare the properties of the
simple compounds H2O, CO2,
MgO, and FeS to those of the
constituent elements.
Question:
1. The guidelines for 2A6 suggests
investigating the production of FeS.
Should this also be done for the
other compounds listed in OC12?
OC15 investigate the solubility of
a variety of substances in water
and the effect of temperature on
solubility.
Comment: It is clear from the sample
paper that students are required
to be able to draw and interpret
solubility curves. We welcome this
development in the revised syllabus
as it helps to challenge the higher
order thinking skills of students.
However, it is not clear from the
above learning outcome that this is
required of students.
OC16 Examine the difference between
a dilute, concentrated and saturated
solution.
26
Questions:
1. Is a practical activity being
suggested here or is reference being
made to a description of each type
of solution using the simple particle
model?
2. Should students know that there are
solvents other than water?
OC18 Use litmus or a universal
indicator to test a variety of
solutions, and classify these as
acidic, basic or neutral.
Questions:
1. Should students be taught that an
alkali is a soluble base? This term is
used in OC48, OC49 and OC50. (If
students do not meet the term alkali
when discussing acids and bases, the
use of the term Alkali Metals and
Alkaline Earth Metals will not make
sense).
2. There is no reference in the syllabus
to the corrosive nature of some acids
and bases. From a health and safety
point of view, surely this should be
known by students?
OC21 Understand that air is a mixture
of gases, and state the composition
of air (approximately 78% N2 and
21% O2, with CO2, water vapour and
other gases making up the balance)
Questions:
1. What are students required to be able
to do in order to demonstrate this
understanding.
2. Can students be asked for the proofs
that air is a mixture e.g. variable
composition, separation, etc.?
OC22 Show that approximately one fifth
of the air is oxygen; show that there
is CO2 and water vapour in air.
Question:
1. Is is clear from the 2006 Junior
Cert paper that both burning a night
light in an enclosed volume of air
and the gas syringe method are
acceptable methods of showing that
one fifth of the air is oxygen. What
other methods are acceptable? Is
the traditional method of burning
phosphorus in a bell jar acceptable?
We welcome the question where
students were asked to compare the
accuracy of the method involving the
burning of the night light and the gas
syringe method. Again, this type of
question challenges the higher order
thinking of students.
OC23 Demonstrate and describe what
happens when (i) a wooden splint
and (ii) a piece of magnesium are
burned in air.
Question:
1. The sub-topic (2B1) mentions the
“products of combustion of carbon
and magnesium” but this learning
outcome makes no mention of these
products. Should students know
that carbon dioxide and magnesium
oxide are formed when carbon and
magnesium are burned in oxygen?
Are word equations or chemical
equations or both required to be
known by students?
OC24 Prepare a sample of oxygen by
decomposing H2O2 using MnO2 as a
catalyst (word equation and chemical
equation)
Questions:
1. Should students be made aware
(STS) about how oxygen was
discovered?
2. Do students need to be able to
explain what a catalyst is?
OC25 Investigate the ability of oxygen
to support combustion in a wooden
splint and a candle, and state two
uses of oxygen
Questions:
1. What does “support combustion
in a wooden splint” mean? Is this
referring to the experiment with a
glowing wooden splint?
OC26 Burn carbon and magnesium in
oxygen, and test the products using
moist litmus paper.
Questions:
1. Since moist litmus paper is specified,
we assume that students must
understand that an acidic substance
(carbonic acid) and a basic substance
(magnesium hydroxide) are formed.
Is this a correct interpretation?
2. Should the word equations be
covered for these reactions?
3. Should the chemical equations be
covered.
OC28 Carry out simple tests on carbon
dioxide involving its reaction with
limewater (word equation and
chemical equation), and with moist
litmus.
Questions:
1. In 2B2, “acidity of a solution of
CO2 in water” is mentioned. Should
students know the name of this
solution (carbonic acid)?
2. When is it intended that the concept
of group ion is introduced.
3. How many examples must be
known?
OC29 Investigate the density of carbon
dioxide relative to air (qualitative
only), and state two uses of carbon
dioxide.
Questions:
1. How can density be taught in a
qualitative fashion?
2. Should not a balloon of CO2 and
one of air be mentioned as a possible
method?
www.ista.ie
OC31 Understand that some dissolved
compounds, including compounds
of calcium, cause hardness in water,
and that water hardness can be
removed using an ion-exchanger.
Questions:
1. What compounds of calcium should
be known by students?
2. Should the difference between
softened water and deionised water
be covered with students?
3. Should an experiment to demonstrate
ion exchange be covered with
students?
4. Should problems caused by hardness
of water be known by students?
– ancient Greeks and John Dalton?
2. Isotopes are on the syllabus but
mass number is not mentioned on
the syllabus. Since students have to
work out the mass numbers of atoms
in order to draw the Bohr structures,
mass numbers cannot be avoided in
our teaching. Is the omission of mass
numbers a misprint on the syllabus?
3. Since mass numbers are essential for
an understanding of isotopes, can we
assume that mass numbers should
be taught to students and can be
examined on the syllabus?
4. Should the application of isotopes
in everyday life be covered with the
students, e.g. carbon dating/
OC33 Describe the processes involved in
the treatment of water supplied to
domestic consumers
Questions:
1. What processes should be capable of
being described by students?
2. What does the term “types of water
treatment” in 2B3 mean? Should this
read “stages of water treatment”?
OC44 Investigate the ability of ionic
and covalent substances to conduct
electricity.
Question:
1. This learning outcome lists only
one property of ionic and covalent
substances but in section 2C2 is
stated “properties of ionic and
covalent substances”. What other
properties should be known by
students?
OC34 Investigate the decomposition
of water by electrolysis; recall the
composition of water
Questions:
1. Are the Hofmann voltameter and the
inverted test-tube apparatus equally
acceptable?
2. Should students be made aware that
the water must be acidified?
3. Must students know the overall
equation for the decomposition of
water?
OC35 State the names and formulae of
common strong acids and bases:
H2SO4, HCl, NaOH, Ca(OH)2, and
understand that alkalis are soluble
bases
Questions:
1. Should the meaning of the term
“strong” as applied to acids and
bases be covered with students?
2. What must students be able to do
in order to demonstrate that they
understand that alkalis are soluble
bases?
OC38 Titrate HCl against NaOH, and
prepare a sample of NaCl.
Question:
1. Should the sample of NaCl be
isolated by the students?
OC39 Describe the structure of the atom,
state the location, relative charge,
and atomic mass of the sub-atomic
particles, and define atomic number
and isotope.
Question:
1. Should students be made aware
(STS) of the origin of the term atom
www.ista.ie
OC48 Describe the general properties
of the alkali metals and understand
that alkali matals are in Group I of
the Periodic Table and have similar
properties.
Questions:
1. What “general properties” of the
alkali metals should be known by
students?
2. Should some uses of the alkali
metals in everyday life be known by
students?
OC49 Describe the reactions of the
alkali metals with air and water
(word equations for reaction with
water)
Question:
1. Which is meant by the phrase
“describe the reactions”? It is not
clear from this whether the reaction
of alkali metals with air deserves any
equation, or a word equation or a
balanced chemical equation.
OC59 Relate the properties of plastics to
their use.
Question:
1. What “properties of plastics” should
be known by students?
OP1 Measure length, mass time and
temperature and perform simple
calculations based on these to find
derived quantities: area, volume,
density, speed, velocity and
acceleration.
Questions:
1. Is the metre stick sufficient to
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
SCIENCE Nov. 2006
measure length? Is a ruler sufficient?
Or, are students expected to be able
to use a callipers, a Vernier callipers,
a measuring tape, an opisometer, a
trundle wheel, a micrometer, etc., to
measure length?
Should students know when to use
each of the above (if included) or
why one has advantages over another
in different circumstances?
Could students be asked to describe
how to measure the length of a river
on a map using an opisometer and
scale?
Because calculations are mentioned
specifically, can students only be
asked to calculate area using a
formula/calculation?
If so, what formulae should be
known? Square or rectangle only?
Disc? Anything else?
Does this mean finding the area of
a leaf or a hand by an experimental
method is not on the course?
Finding volume (by calculations):
Does this stop at the volume of a
rectangular solid and cube? Could a
cylinder or cone appear some time?
Acceleration: How can you explain
the meaning of acceleration
without the term “velocity” (HL
only) to Ordinary level students?
Is this a misprint on the syllabus?
Do students need to be able ‘to
find’ negative accelerations (or
decelerations)?
OP7 Understand that weight is the force
of gravity and that weight varies
with location.
Question:
1. What locations need to be known?
Earth only? Above the earth? In
space? On the moon? In a lift? On
top of a mountain? At the poles?
3A3, OP9 (Forces and moments)
3A3: equilibrium, the law of the lever,
everyday applications of levers.
OP9: investigate the law of the lever;
recall two everyday applications of
levers
Questions:
1. Are students required to be able to
explain the term “lever”? (It would
seem strange to investigate the law
of the lever without knowing what a
lever is.)
2. The word “fulcrum” is not
mentioned anywhere. Does
this mean that it can be left out
altogether? (Again it seems
ridiculous to understand what a lever
is without knowing what a fulcrum
is.)
3. The word “moments” is used in the
title (3A3), but it is not mentioned
again in either the sub-topics or
learning outcomes. What is the
27
SCIENCE Nov. 2006
significance of this? How do
you explain law of lever without
mentioning moments? Must students
know the definition of moment?
4. Are numerical problems on levers
on the syllabus or not? OP9 says
to investigate the law of the lever,
but nothing is mentioned about
calculations. Yet, you cannot
investigate the law of the lever
without doing some calculations
(and knowing what the moment
of a force is also). Then, why are
numerical problems or simple
calculations not mentioned?
5. What must students know about
equilibrium? Are zero or two or three
states of equilibrium to be known?
OP8 Find the centre of gravity of a thin
lamina; investigate the role of centre
of gravity in design for stability and
equilibrium
Questions:
1. What level of accuracy is needed for
this experiment finding the centre
of gravity? This will determine the
method needed to measure it.
2. Centre of gravity in design: Just how
far does one go here? It is far too
open-ended a topic without further
clarification. Can students be asked
to “describe how to investigate the
role of centre of gravity in design
for stability and equilibrium” in an
examination?
3A4 Measuring pressure, everyday
applications of pressure
Questions:
1. Does “measuring pressure” mean
simply “with a barometer” or
does it mean knowing the types of
barometers or indeed the workings
of a mercury or aneroid barometer?
Surely not!
2. Is “measuring pressure” confined to
measuring “atmospheric pressure”?
Could students be asked about
“pressure gauges” to measure
pressure?
3. How many “everyday applications of
pressure” are needed? Could specific
applications be asked, e.g. flight,
water supply system, hydraulics,
etc.?
OP11 Investigate the relationship
between pressure and depth for a
liquid
Question:
1. There is no reference to pressure
acting equally in all directions (just
pressure varies with depth). So, can
we assume that this is not on the
syllabus?
3A6 Principal of conservation of energy
Comment: The word “principal” should
read “principle”.
28
OP19 List the advantages and
disadvantages of different energy
sources
Questions:
1. Which “energy sources” are meant?
Are biomass energy, tidal, wave and
geothermal energy all included?
What about hydrogen fuel cells?
Must students know for instance what
words like biomass and geothermal
mean? Must students know different
examples of biomass? If so, how
many?
2. How many advantages and
disadvantages of different energy
sources would be expected?
Question:
1. Is the explanation for the second
part of this just that light travels in
straight lines? Or does it mean an
investigation to show how shadows
are formed (completely different and
separate to the conventional ‘threecards with holes’ method of showing
light travels in straight lines).
3B3 Colour and the visible spectrum
Question:
1. “the visible spectrum” is mentioned.
Does this mean students must know
there is an invisible spectrum also?
If so, must students know any
examples from this spectrum?
OP21 give examples of energy
conversion from everyday experience
3B4 Applications of reflection and
Question:
refraction
1. Could a list of examples be given?
Questions:
This would be appreciated as this list
1. How many of these applications
is endless.
should be known by students?
2. Can specific applications be asked
OP27 Explain the difference between
on the examination paper?
heat and temperature
Question:
3B5 Vibrations and sound; transmission
1. Will it be sufficient to give two
of sound; speed of sound
definitions here or will a simple
Question:
experiment also be required to show
1. How much is involved in
the difference?
‘transmission of sound’? Is it only
that sound transmission requires a
3B1 Expansion of solids, liquids and
medium or is some knowledge of
gases
disturbing a medium or vibration of
Question:
particles of the medium or energy
transfer required also?
1. Are everyday applications of
expansion needed or not? Bimetallic
strip? Gaps in rail tracks, etc.?
3B6 Reflection of sound; echoes. Sound
detection in the ear; sound levels;
hearing protection
OP31 (mandatory experiment) Carry
out simple experiments to show
OP41: show that echoes are reflected
the transfer of heat energy by
sound
conduction, convection and
Questions:
radiation; investigate conduction and
1. Is an experiment to demonstrate the
convection in water.
reflection of sound needed here? Is it
Question:
sufficient to state that if you shout at
1. “carry out simple experimentto show
a high distant wall, a reflected sound
transfer of energy by convection”;
or echo will be heard?
AND (for Higher Level) “investigate 2. “Ultrasound” was mentioned on
convection in water”. Will the second
previous drafts of the syllabus,
of these experiments not satisfy the
but it appears to be gone now.
requirements of the first also? Or
Does this mean the whole topic
does one have to cover some other
of “ultrasound” is definitely gone
experiment like “convection in air” to
completely from the syllabus?
satisfy the first?
3B3 Sources and transmission of light
Question:
1. “Transmission of light” is mentioned
here but there is no real follow-up in
the outcomes. What is involved in
transmission? What depth is needed?
Travels through a vacuum? Travels
through transparent material? Not
through opaque materials?
OP 34 Show that light travels in straight
lines and explain how shadows are
formed.
OP 46 Plot the magnetic field of a bar
magnet
Question:
1. Will it be sufficient for the student
to know one method of doing
this? Can students be asked about
one particular way of doing this
experiment?
(If yes, they would need to know
both methods!)
www.ista.ie
OP 48 demonstrate the force between
charged objects and the effect of
earthing
Question:
1. Does the word “demonstrate”
here also apply to “the effect of
earthing”? What level of detail is
needed here? If asked, is a whole
experiment needed or just one
sentence?
OP53 Describe the heating effect, the
chemical effect, and the magnetic
effect of an electric current, and
identify everyday applications of
these, including the action of a fuse.
Question:
1. Again, how many everyday
applications of the heating,
chemical and magnetic effects of
an electrical current will need to be
identified? Does “identify” mean
that the application will be given,
but the pupil must know what the
application is an example of? For
instance, would students need to be
able to identify that circuit breakers
are an example of the magnetic
effect of an electric current?
OP 60 Identify everyday applications of
the diode, including the LED, and of
the LDR.
Question:
1. What everyday applications of the
diode, LED and LDR will need to
be identified? Again, does “identify”
mean that the application will be
given, but the pupil must know what
the application is an example of?
Breathing and
atmospheric
carbon dioxide
Assuming:
• C6H12O6 + 6O2 –> 6CO2 + 6H2O +
2870 kJ
(i.e.16 kJ per gram of glucose.)
• the average person uses use 10
million joules per day
• the world population is 6500 million
how much CO2 (in kilograms) does one
person produce in a day?
How much CO2 (in kilograms) does the
global human community produce in a
day?
Should we hold our breath?
SCIENCE Nov. 2006
Lab Techs Talking
Padraig Ó Léime
Convenor
Laboratory Technician Sub-committee
As it’s the eleventh hour and Rory is
kindly accommodating me with this, I
will be brief.
Since last July my teaching career has
taken a turn that has forced me to spend
a lot more time at school than I expected.
It is for this reason that I am finding it
difficult to get the time to attend to ISTA
business.
Despite this two things have happened
with regards to the laboratory technicians
sub-committee. I have conducted the
comparative survey of schools and have
received questionnaires back. However,
I have not completed the analysis of the
data. Therefore I will not be making any
comment on the work just yet.
The second thing that has happened
is that, as convenor of the Laboratory
Technicians sub-committee I have
been invited to a meeting of the Joint
Oireachtas Committee on Education and
Science. I have been invited to make a
presentation on laboratory technicians,
or should that be the lack of them! The
meeting takes place on Thursday 19th
October. This, I believe, is a follow-on
to the meeting that was held last January,
where Ms. Margaret Kelly and Ms.
Doreen Mc Morris addressed the same
committee about ‘issues around science
and mathematics education at second
level’.
The transcript of this meeting is
available and makes interesting reading,
most especially regarding laboratory
technicians. The most positive comment,
in my opinion, came from Ms Kelly,
when she said, ‘We have not shut the
door on it. It is just that we do not
have the money for it.’ Now, there
was a time when that was almost an
acceptable answer, but not any more.
I would suggest that there are twenty
or so schools in this country where the
principals and boards of management
are saying, quite clearly, that we
cannot afford not to have a laboratory
technician. It was as a result of this
meeting that Deputy Máire Hoctor called
on the Minister to appoint technicians to
second level schools.
I believe that this is the single biggest
issue in second-level science education
and I think that our message is finally
beginning to be heard outside of our own
mumblings and grumblings in the preproom. I think that we shouldn’t forget the
results of the ASTI survey at this point,
where 91% of those surveyed said that
above and beyond anything else we need
laboratory technicians.
As a point of information the following
is a list of the members of the committee:
Deputy Barry Andrews (FF)
Deputy Seán Crowe (SF)
Deputy John Curran (FF)
Deputy Damien English (FG)
Deputy Olwyn Enright (FG)
Deputy Paul Gogarty (GP)
Deputy Seán Haughey (FF)
Deputy Máire Hoctor (FF)
Deputy Michael Moynihan (FF),
Chairman
Deputy Thomas Mc Ellistrim (FF)
Deputy Jan O’Sullivan (Lab)
Senator Ulick Burke (FG)
Senator Liam Fitzgerald (FF)
Senator John Minihan (PD)
Senator Joanna Tuffy (Lab)
I continue to ask you to let me know
if any schools have appointed a new
laboratory technician this academic year.
I hope that together we will progress the
issue in this academic year.
Finally, two quick tips, wrap
magnets in cling film when
dealing with iron filings and when
your finished guzzling down
that big box of Fereiro Rocher
chocolates you can use the tray to
make easy pop out ice cubes.
Ádh mór oraibh.
Padraig Ó Léime is convenor of the ISTA
Laboratory TechnicianSub-committee
Email: physoleime@eircom.net
Our association is being afforded the
opportunity to highlight the issue to an
all-party committee of the Dáil.
www.ista.ie
29
SCIENCE Nov. 2006
Notices &
Recent Events
ChemEd-Ireland 2006 - 25
years of chemical education
in Ireland
Forthcoming events
Science in School
Be sure to check out the website that
accompanies the Science in School.
http://www.scienceinschool.org/
This event took place in the University of
Limerick on Saturday Date: 21 October.
The event has been hosted by Dr. Peter
Childs for many years.
Chem-Ed will be hosted by Dr. Declan
Kennedy (UCC) in 2007 and by Dr.
Odilla Finlayson (DCU) in 2008.
The second edition of Science and
Technology in Action was launched in
mid October.
Pictured below are Tim Regan and
Brendan Duane (SLSS) and Anna
Gethings and Jim Salisbury (AG
Education Services, publishers of
Science and Technology in Action).
This was held in the IBM Technology
Campus in Mulhuddart on Oct. 4th. It
was hosted by the School’s Business
Partnership, a programme within the
Business in the Community Ireland
portfolio, which matches companies and
local schools throughout Ireland.
Science in Action aims to establish
a closer link between science based
industries and schools.
http://www.science4now.ie/
Loreto College, Cavan
This substantial set of resources was
provided to all second level schools. the
lessons and related resources are also
available for download at: www.sta.ie
Congratulation to the team at Loreto
College who were finalists in the RollsRoyce Science Prize. For details of their
project have a look at:
http://science.rolls-royce.com/winners/
finalist.php?id=8
A little challenge
Assuming the plane is an Airbus
330 how far was the photographer
from the plane when the shot was
taken?
Feel free to email your answers to
the editor.
Science Week
Science Week takes place from Novem-
ber 12th to 19th. For details of events
throughout the country visit
http://www.scienceweek.ie/
Science in Action Seminar
Science and Technology in
Action
Nov. 12–19
Nov. 16 and 25
Senior Science Quiz
The regional finals of the Senior Science
Quiz take place on 16th November
(Thursday of Science Week).
The national final takes place in Trinity
College on Saturday 25th November.
Dec. 2
ISTA Council meeting
The next council meeting takes place in
the Aisling Hotel on 2nd December.
All branch organisers are reminded to
renew membership and recruit new
members
Jan 2-4, 2007
ASE AGM
The Annual Meeting
of the Association for
Science education
(ASE) takes place
at the University of
Birmingham from Jan
4th to Jan 6th, 2007.
http://www.ase.org.uk/htm/conferences/
annual_conference_2006/venue_dates_
2006.php
Jan. 10-13
To register for 2006-2007 or to learn
more about the prize go to:
http://science.rolls-royce.com/
BT Young Scientist and
Technology Exhibition
January 2007, at the RDS in Dublin.
http://www.btyoungscientist.ie/
Congratulations
Congratulations to
Mary Mullahy on her
MSc (First Class).
Hope you like the
flowers.
30
www.ista.ie
Mar. 9-18
National Science and Engineering Week 2007 UK (+NI)
(Formerly National Science Week)
For details of events visit:
http://www.the-ba.net/the-ba/Events/
NSEW/
Current resources:
BBC4 Science
This is s brilliant resource where you
will find full texts of hundreds of science
programmes.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/
It’s also worthwhile looking at the related
website of the British Association for
the Advancement of Science (the British
Association or BA):
http://www.the-ba.net/the-ba/
SCIENCE Nov. 2006
Diary
Science on Teachnet
This site has a variety of material
submitted by
pupils (primary and
secondary).
http://www.teachnet.
ie/
Science in Action
Science in Action Seminar
Mar 9-10
ASE Scotland
The Annual Meeting of ASE Scotland
takes place at the Crieff Hydro Hotel,
Perthshire, from Friday March 9th to
Saturday March 10th, 2007
Details: http://www.asescotland.org.uk/
Annual%20Conference/conference.htm
or the link on http://www.asescotland.
org.uk/
Mar 23-25
ISTA Annual Conference
The ISTA Annual Conference and InService Weekend takes place at the
Rochestown Lodge Hotel and UCC, from
Friday March 23rd to Sunday March
25th, 2007.
Details (or links) will be available on:
http://www.ista.ie/
Apr 2-6
Science on Stage 2
In Grenoble
You can also listen again to over 150
science documentaries at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/
archive_index.shtml
European Molecular Biology
Organization (EMBO)
EMBO have recently updated and
re-launched their database of life
science information and educational
resources. This is an international
collection of some of the best resources
for communication and education of the
life sciences that we can find. You can
browse it using a number of category
restrictions and look for resources by
biological topic, type of resource, or
language:
http://www.embo.org/scisoc/teachers_
db.php
Meet the Resistors!
Are you interested in new ideas for
teaching science from all over Europe?
Are you willing to share the ideas of Irish
science teachers with teachers from other
countries? Did you use any of the ideas
from the Physics on Stage booklets?
If the answer to any of these is YES then
look at:
http://ireland.iop.org/sos/
www.ista.ie
You can meet the Resistors! when their
action animation series is televised
on TG4 at 6.30pm starting on 17th
November 2006. You can get to know
them better by visiting their website at
www.theresistors.com.
The characters present different topics:
light, sound, electricity and magnetism
and ICT.
You can listen again to the proceedings
if you have a broadband connection and
have RealPlayer installed. (It works fine
with Internet Explorer but not wieth
Firefox for some reason.)
I understand that this resource will be
available for six months.
http://www.science4now.ie/
Medicines and You
Ronan Collins of the Irish
Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association
has drawn our attention to the update
of Medicines and You.
The revised pack should
have arrived in your
school by now. It was
first published in 2000
in association with the
Health Promotion Unit
and launched by the then
Minister for Education
and Science. There is plenty of useful
material on the website:
http://www.ipha.ie/
There are 10 classes
of people in the world:
those who understand
binary numbers and
those who don’t.
31
SCIENCE Nov. 2006
CROSSWORD
Here is one of Randal Henly’s science crosswords – to keep us on our
toes and encourage us to read more widely.
Clues Across
Clues Down
1. Early device for measuring periods
of time (4,5)
9. This type of camera is a dark room
in which images of outside objects
are focussed on a screen (7)
10. Images are formed on these parts of
eyes (7)
11. Flow out, as does the tide (3)
12. Absolute, it’s –273 ˚C (4)
13. Radiation of longer wavelength than
light (8)
15. A three prefix (3)
16. Young fox, bear or lion (3)
17. Of or pertaining to the stomach (7)
19. Group 5 element whose compounds
are very poisonous (2)
20. It’s more often called plain glycerine
(8)
23. Carl, the Swedish chemist who
discovered chlorine (7)
24. Ratio of a circle’s circum-ference
to its diameter (2)
25. Black organic mixture or a quality
of a musical note (5)
27. Terrestrial attraction for an object
(6)
30. Compound formed when an alcohol
reacts with an organic acid (5)
32. Australian marsupial (6)
33. Prefix meaning two atoms or
groups next to each other on a
benzene ring is straight or genuine
(5)
34. American inventor of the filament
light bulb and of hundreds or other
items (6)
36. Its SI unit is determined by the
caesium atom (4)
37. Norway’s capital (4)
39. Greek letter, symbol for resistivity
(3)
40. Joseph, the English baron who
introduced the use of antiseptics
into surgery (6)
41. The metal on food cans (3)
1. German scientist and the unit of
frequency (5)
2. The upwards force on a solid in a
liquid (8)
3. Unit of heredity in chromosomes (4)
4. A Group 5 element; may be found
with Old Lace! (7)
5. Device for producing electricity
from sunlight (5,4)
6. This acid is vitamin C (8)
7. Raised to the power of 3 (5)
8. The C=O group in organic
compounds (8)
13. Nationality of Boyle and Walton (5)
14. Gold found in bauxite! (2)
15. The windpipe in vertebrates (7)
32
17. Explosive mixture consisting of
potassium nitrate, charcoal and
sulphur (9)
18. Having light of the greatest intensity
(9)
20. The study of heredity (8)
21. Churchyard tree (3)
22. Prefix meaning upon or above, like
the centre of a tornado (3)
23. The first transition element in
science (2)
26. A fruit that is used as a vegetable (6)
28. Famous English public school (4)
29. The isotope of radon that is a
daughter product of thorium (6)
31. Alloy of iron and carbon (5)
35. A digit in stone (3)
38. Low-density element whose salts
give a red colour to a flame (2)
www.ista.ie