Kilgraston Science Week 2021

Kilgraston Science Week 2021

This year for Science Week we are focusing on Space Exploration and on Biodiversity.

We are running a Space Probe Design Competition. The competition will involve students researching and then designing their own space probe complete with model and explanation poster.

It is open to the whole school and will be judged in four age categories, Junior, Fourth Form, Fifth Form and Sixth Form. The competition is inspired by NASA’s Perseverance rover which successfully landed on the surface of Mars on the 18th of February earlier this year.

Its mission is to search for evidence of life in the Martian crater Jezero. A mission which so far has taken many years of work, thousands of engineers and scientists and several billions of dollars to accomplish. However if life is discovered on Mars it would be the scientific discovery of the century, if not the whole of human history, and will confirm that life is not unique to Earth.

Our second activity is the Biodiversity Scavenger Hunt. The aim of this challenge is to encourage students to get outside and engage with the environment around them. Their task is to identify and name as many different plant and animal species as they can. The ability to name the plants and animals around you is a precious skill which can help you to connect with and appreciate the role and importance of each individual species in the environment. Biodiversity is also becoming increasingly relevant as one of the key indicators of climate change and the impact it has on the environment. Understanding the beauty and diversity of the nature around us is a reminder of why it’s so important to preserve and protect our climate for the future.

Winners will be announced in a few weeks so we look forward to sharing this with you then.