Student scientists try to answer big questions

SECONDARY school students who recently took part in the Ballarat Tech School’s Peter Doherty Science Awards were celebrated this week.

Participants were tasked with investigating an everyday problem of their choice, before researching, experimenting, and documenting their discoveries.

The findings of local Ballarat High School and Ballarat Grammar groups were presented to a live panel of community stakeholders last night.

BHS science teacher Belinda Wehl said three students researched a topic most people would like to understand more about.

“With the ongoing wet weather, they decided that it would be beneficial to determine, would you be drier by walking or running in the rain?” she said.

“As year 9 students at Ballarat High School this is a particularly important questions as their building is a five-minute walk from the rest of the school.

“I was impressed by the students’ creativity in constructing controlled rain with the use of everyday materials.

“They also took advantage of the frequent wet weather to run further experiments in natural rain in order to see if the results were consistent with the controlled conditions.

“They showed great dedication by spending lunchtimes and time after school to work out materials to wear in their experiment, which they weighed before and after walking or running in the rain.”

Ms Wehl said the group worked independently on the project, occasionally checking in with teachers to gain feedback.

“They displayed amazing initiative and focus to achieve such a well-researched project, and they had a lot of fun along the way,” she said.

Two Ballarat Grammar students looked at the question: does the price of sunscreen affect the amount of ultraviolet protection it provides?

Teacher Sara Field said they were faced with challenges while investigating.

“The weather in Ballarat was not on their side and they did not have a backup plan,” she said.

“But weather [during the weekend before last] allowed them to carry out the experiments as they needed the sun to shine, which it finally did.

“Their investigation is a real-world issue for families, as the cost of living is continually rising. Lexi and Alice’s investigation can provide information to be able to make an informed, unbiased choice as to the best cost-effective UV protection.”

The other Ballarat Grammar group looked into a problem that was relevant to their lives.

“The different absorption capacities of sanitary pads was important to them because they were wondering if it really made a difference buying the expensive brand or not,” teacher Kirsten Chapman said.

“I thought their idea was fantastic because it has such wide-ranging implications. Everyone likes to save money, and this is even more relevant now with increasing inflation and the rising cost of living.”

The students presented their findings to Committee for Ballarat chair George Fong, the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity’s Dr Miku Kuba, High-Profit Media director Nicole Ashby, and Ballarat Tech School associate director Damon Minotti.