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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1968-05-30, Page 15An intricate kymograph, which tests muscle reflexes, is only one of the modern pieces of equipment available to science students at the school. Martin Manley and Bud Desjardine • are shown working on the equipment in a grade 13 class. Jigsaw of agriculture spells out life process Science helps student question, doubt, seek By B. PERRY Physics and Agriculture Teacher The sun - the plant - soil - the animal - carbon dioxide - energy - man food w a te r. A jig saw which, when fitted together, spells out the life giving process for man. Man needs food fuel and fibre. The plant, an energy storage system developing from water, soil, carbon, dioxide and oxygen which traps the sun's energy. The animal - a converter of waste energy to useable energy for man. These concepts and all the intricate techniques of de- veloping food are the basis of the high school agricul- tural course. Throughout the course, students are faced with the environmental and genetical conditions which govern the production of his food, fuel and fibre. Has man understood the conditions and thus manipu- lated them to his own ad- vantage? In some are, he has. In others, he knows little yet. Through 4 years of study a student encount- ers the studies of plants, animals, breeding, nutri- tions, so i 1 environments, biological processes, econ- omics conservation, man- agement, forestry and engin- eering. The student will discover by discussion, by observa- tion and by personal re- search. Scientific demon- strations are commonly used. Field tours of one and two day durations give the student an appreciation of the real live thing in oper- ation. Four out of ten students will find themselves associ- ated with the agricultural business when they join the labour force of this country. An agricultural course will broaden their vision of the problems of food produc- tion. Ten out of ten students will find themselves buying food. An agricultural course will produce a better, mare discriminating buyer and happier consumers. Chemistry is taught by Mr. McAuley in grade 12 and 13. Latest ideas on chemical bonding and atomic structure are taught. New text books following the recent CHEM Study m e t hod s are being used. physics is taught by Mr. Lavis and Mr. Perry in Grade 11. The course teaches mechanics, sound, light, electricity, electron- ics, atomic structure, and some nuclear physics. Grade 13 Physics, like the Chemis- try course has an experi- mental approach. All the ma- School without walls or doors The staff and students of S.H.D.H.S. have played an important role In the devel- opment of the Camp Sylvan Conservation School pro- gram of ,the Ausable River Conservation Authority. Each year, students, of S.H.- D.H.S. have attended theout- of- doors educational camp. This spring four groups of students will attend. During the first week of camp, two groups of Grade XI geog- raphy students, under the di- rection of Mr. Malt. Edgar, Geography Head, will study techniques and soil forma- tions pertaining to land. Grade IX agricultural stu- dents, ,under Mr. Bruce Perry, will study the forest environment of the 1 oc al camp forest. Under the direction of Mr. Jim Marshall, thirty-two grade X students will embark on a study of the animal and plant life of the camp area. Land, forests, animals, plants — these are our re- sources. These, we must know in order to use wisely. For the first time, stu- dents of grades 12 and 13 will accompany the junior stu- dent to camp as assistants to the camp leaders. Of in- terest is the fact that many' of the senior young people who will assist, once studied In the C amp S ylvan programs of earlier years. terial taught is based on ex- periments performed by pu- pils. The Grade 13 Biology course is a radical departure from that of a few years ago. Not as much time is spent on the study of the structure of plants and animals groups, and more is spent on new discoveries in cell structure and latest information on di- ge stio n, respiration, and photosynthesis. Much emphasis is placed on the systems of the human body and how all these are controlled and co-ordinated. Pupils all spend some time at laboratory work. This year our school has led all the oth- er schools of this area !nits experimental work in bac- teriology, chromotography, blood typing, study of breath- ing, muscles, and heart ac- tion. Mr. Elliott, the instructor, is well known as a naturalist and artist. He is an Associ- ate Instructor of the Alt- house College of Education and a Botany instructor at the Red Bay Federation of Ontario Naturalists summer school. The teachers in our large active Science Department are grateful to the local peo- ple and merchants for their help and co-operation in fill- ing what must seem to be most unusual requests for supplies. The work of Mr. Marshall, Mr. Perry, and Mr. Elliott extends well beyond the boundaries of the school and all teachers would be happy to receive visitors, supply information, or assist out- side the school if their help is needed. /*teed Ofree 'Woe& sw Westweestay. See eie dukes gem dtandit.44 By Y.;ELLIOTT Science Department Head Airilost the only things we are sure of today ipthefact that in 000.41 things apd ideas are changing .and will continue to change, When I went to high school I was taught incorrectly about two kinds of electrie- fiy, positive and negative, studied the Bohr concept .of the atom, now out of date, and believed living things were all made of cells. Even to- day we must not forget that what we regard as establish- ed truth may be laughed at in another twenty years. What should be taught in Science? Should we teach all facts or are our attitudes more important? Our general purpose in Science courses is to teach not only a basic core of facts which will help pupils under- stand what is going on around them to-day, but also to teach them attitudes which will help them adjust to a world of changing conditions. Pupils should learn to think for themselves, ques- tion, doubt, and seek; be- lieving things, not because great men have said them, but because they think evid- ence supports these ideas. We believe the theoretical, factual, and experimental parts of our Science courses are meaningful only if they help the pupil to understand the forces of nature with which they must cope, the na- ture of matter around them, and give them an understand- ing of themselves and all liv- ing things. In the past year, three new Science rooms have been completed. A new Physics room is designed with extra large, flat desks to house ripple tanks, kits of electric apparatus, and provide ample space for experiments in the new Physics courses. Modern equipment is pro- vided for the new PSSC Grade 13 Physics course and enough materials are on hand for all students to participate in experiments. The new Agriculture- Biology roam is equipped with a growing bench under automatically cont rolled lights, a large storeroom, and plenty of glass and iron- ware for student experi- "'tient& The newClieiniStrYLa- boratory is of the “peri- meter" type. It is suitable for small classes. The Grade 9 course isde- signed to help the student think intelligently and cre- atively and develop desirable attitudes and study habits. The course deals with anim- als such as crayfish, insects, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and man. The second term concerns elementary physics and covers such top- ics as measurements, den- sity, specific gravity, pres- sure, heat, solids, liquids, gases, and elementary chemistry. In this school both Grade 9 and 10 Courses arebroken into three parts. Natural Sci- ence topics are covered in the fall during September and October. Physics is taught during the winter and more Natural Science is taught in April, May and June. Both Grade 9 and 10 stu- dents are taught to use microscope and laboratory apparatus and films, film loops, film strips and slides are used for instruction. The Grade 10 course cov- ers Botany topics such as flowers, fungi, ferns, and bacteria in the fall: Physics topics of force, work energy, heat, light, electricity, and some chemistry in the wint- er; and in the spring, parts of plants, stems, 1 e av e s, roots, pollination and fer- tilization, grasses, trees, ecology heredity and gen- etics. Pupils have shown enough interest to stock an aquarium and terrarium in the new Ag- riculture-Biology Lab; and a small alligator, an aquarium of sea animals, and a fresh water aquarium are main- tained by Mr. Marshall in room 110. All pupils in the 4-year Science, Technology; and Trades branch take Science* The courses for these Stu- dents are similar to the courses fOr Arts students but less theory and more practieal applications r e taught. For example, the Grade 10 course may include such things as: roll of friction in machinery, use of ad- hesives, and iubricants, The Grade 10 course also includes levers and pulleys, domestic electric circuits, calorific value of fuels ' and structure of household ap- pliances. The Grade 11 course may be concerned with telescop- es, electrical m ac hi ne s, motors, generators, trans- foriners, nuclear fission, radiation hazards, metal- lurgy, and alloys. A Grade 12 S.T.T. Chem- istry course includes a study of fuels, combustion, refin- ing of metals, lubricants, cement, gypsum, fire pro- tection, paints, varnishes and some organic chemistry. Pupils in either Grade 11 or 12 of the four year or five year courses can take the new 11, 12, Biology course. This is designed to arouse the interest of students in the basic characteristics of life and the place of man as an organism among other or- ganisms. Some topics covered are: The form of living things, the characteristics of life, the structure of cells and living things, viruses, bacteria, al- gae, fungi, mosses, ferns, seed plants, protozoa, mol- luscs, insects, fish, reptiles, birds, mammals, reproduc- tion, ecology, and conserva- tion. At the present time pupils are giving talks, that they have prepared themselves, to their own class, on mam- mals. Each pupil has studied some aspect of Conservation and made a report to the class. As often as possible pupils make short one- period excursions to t he Morrison Dam area or near- by woods. THIS PAGE SPONSORED BY ••1 3" CD m CD CO -t Agriculture students complete many experiments to test theories or come"up with new „..4 ideas, Ed Prang, left, is presently conducting a study on the growth of plants under various g• types of lighting and the experiment is being viewed by Larry Kipper. to cfp 0. n DI ALBION LANE ELECTRIC LIMITED 517 McCORMICK BLVD, LONDON, ONTARIO ELECTRIC CONTRACTORS 17