Three SJCS Science Quiz teams competed in the Semi-Finals of the Quiz Club National Inter-School Science Championships. As always, the questions were beyond the knowledge of the National Curriculum but the children took the challenge in their stride and battled it out for 5th place (Team 1), 8th place (Team 2) and 9th place (Team 3).
The Quiz Club National Championships, for Years 5 and 6, are the largest inter-school competitions in the country. They are an exciting and challenging way to broaden our children’s scientific knowledge and they also offer a platform for our most able young scientists to showcase their abilities as part of a team representing St John’s. From the solar system to the smallest creatures on earth, from inventions that transform the world to the science of everyday lives, the Quiz encourages participants to explore the subject in a fascinating, engrossing and educational way.
The Quiz comprised 40 multiple choice science questions covering topics such as human biology, astronomy, great inventors and inventions, physics, zoology, ecology, earth science, oceanography, geology, meteorology, botany and chemistry. There was a wide range of difficulty levels and the teams conferred on before submitting their answers online. Questions included: ‘What do we call the nuclear process within a reactor, where atoms are split when bombarded with sub-atomic particles, releasing large amounts of energy?’; ‘What is the process by which magma rises through the Earth’s crust onto the surface?’; ‘How does energy from the sun reach us?’ and ‘To a zoologist, which word collectively describes all animal life?’
Science teacher, Miss Rachel Brunning, ecommented, “I am very proud of all the children in the three teams who took part. They worked together very well and really played to their strengths. Each player took their role seriously and completed lots of extra revision out of school. We are extremely proud of their hard work, amazing knowledge and dedication; they are a true credit to the school.”