A record number of Year 8 students participated in Science Safari 2021 organised by the Science Centre within the Directorate for Learning and Assessment Programmes. Over 350 students from 28 schools, competed in a science-based treasure hunt that was held online on Saturday 24th April.
Clues and riddles drove participants around their homes in search of applications of scientific knowledge, such as identifying hazardous substances, or spotting examples of insulation from heat and electricity. Other questions tasked students with engaging their family members by asking them to pose as ‘human diagrams’ on whom to place sticky notes labelling body organs. Research was also required for some of the clues to be unravelled. Also, students had to employ collaborative skills to solve the clues as a team.
Ahead of event day, students were assigned a number of daily tasks to warm up for the activity. These tasks also helped students sharpen the IT skills required to compete in this event.
Zack Garzia, Philip Ebejer Grischenko and Rory MacRae from Stella Maris College, Gżira won the competition. Elisa Marie Borg, Aliyah Gili and Kahlen Ciantar from St Theresa College Middle School, Birkirkara and Amy Smith, Faith Bondin and Julienne Portelli from St Nicholas College Middle School Rabat, placed second and third respectively. Education Officers for Integrated Science, Mr. Mario Muscat and Mr. Noel Harmsworth presented each winning student with a Science Kit. The winning schools received a set of books for their libraries and teachers’ resource rooms, presented by Ms Lorraine Zammit, on behalf of HSBC who sponsored the book prizes.
This event forms part of a string of initiatives organised by the Science Centre (DLAP) in its endeavour to popularise STEM subjects and leverage science literacy.
