Year 11 students Follow their Curiosity
On Tuesday 2 July the Year 11 ATAR Human Biology Students travelled to Edith Cowan University's (ECU) School of Health and Medical Sciences for the Follow You Curiosity Project Science Day. Students spent the day experiencing a University laboratory and participating in experiments using equipment not readily available in a secondary school. These experiments included included examining human heart specimens, measuring heart activity using electrocardiograms (ECGs), preparing microbiological specimens and undertaking DNA analysis using gel electrophoresis. This was an eye opening experience which both students and teachers found fun, interactive and educational.
The excursion allowed for me to explore some of the course content hands on and in a new foreign environment to what we are used to. It brought most students out of their comfort zone to explore new equipment that we hadn't dealt with previously and understand what we have read in text books in relation to real life examples, for example the human heart they had for us view and touch. I really enjoyed the swabbing on the plates, made me feel really sciency. - Gina Munro
The purpose of the ECU excursion was to engage in more specific Human Biology activities that aren't accessible at school as well as seeing the university as a whole. The part of the excursion that I enjoyed the most was being able to view my hearts electronic activity on a computer screen. - Jake Williamson
It was a fun and interactive way to learn more that were related to much of our curriculum. The purpose of the day was to give the students an insight to the fun and interesting subjects that ECU Joondalup had to offer as part of their courses. We had a hands-on experience with the spectacular technology and machinery. What I learnt in this experience is that there are many factors that contribute to scientific experiments and that human biology is actually a very interesting subject! - Melody Zhu
We were welcomed by kind staff and volunteers who gave us a wider view of the subject by showing us many cool aspects of studies available within the human sciences industry. We were able to see a cross section of three human hearts, take our blood pressures and print out our own live heart rate all with the help of the ECU staff. We were also able to look use their ECG equipment as well as an automated sphygmomanometer allowing us to use cool technology that we've never seen before. What I enjoyed the most was the experience we gained by visiting the campus and learning new things we were not able to experience at school. - Loraine Pugosa
