The aim of Science at Joondalup Primary School is to cultivate and pass on a sense of wonderment and scientific curiosity by engaging students in a variety of hands-on investigations that explore all the fields of science. To further build upon the teaching and learning program, external providers are sought in order to provide students with an opportunity to apply their scientific knowledge and skills in real life science and STEM experiences beyond the classroom.

The Telethon Kids Discovery Centre, located on the ground floor of Perth’s Children’s Hospital have developed a new educational program where schools can visit the Discovery Centre and engage in an interactive medical space, partake in a talk and guided tour of a working laboratory with a Brain Cancer Researcher and finish with their own medical science experiment.

Joondalup PS students in Year 6, Year 4 and Year 3 have been lucky enough to be involved in this new initiative and have walked away from the excursion richer in knowledge, skills and intrinsic motivation to become scientists of the future.

The two-hour program started with a fun, interactive space full of games designed to get students involved in thinking and problem solving about science, health and research. Students were involved in interactive games that enabled them to work as a team to eliminate allergens from the lungs of an asthmatic, place major organs into the human body and use an x-ray device to observe the function of each, take a microscopic look at poo and the importance of handwashing after using the toilet, as well as using pipettes to create antibodies to fight off viruses.

The interactive experience was followed by a visit to a state of the art working laboratory where a medical researcher took students on a guided tour. She introduced and explained the practices of the working technicians, safety practices and the reasons underlying the need for strict safety when dealing with human body cells and medical research. Students asked a lot of relevant questions, showcasing the knowledge and skills they have acquired through learning experiences at school.

Lastly, it was time to put their scientific skills into practice. Students were involved in a medical DNA extraction using strawberries. Successfully each student adhered to safety practices and followed the intricate steps necessary to extract DNA from a strawberry…an amazingly engaging experience and an excursion that has planted the seed of medical growth amongst a few students at Joondalup PS.

Nerelle Philips & Skye Mercer