In term 3, we learnt ecology, which is about the biotic and abiotic environment in the ecosystem and the reflection of images on plane mirrors, which include drawing ray diagrams of reflections of light rays on a plane mirror. In summary, we learnt about the different types of organisms, such as autotrophs and tertiary consumers, in a natural ecosystem, the types of relationships of the organisms, such as competition and commensalism, and the carbon cycle, which taught us how carbon is cycled through the environment. For reflection of light, we learnt that the incident ray is equal to the reflected ray, the characteristics of images formed by placing objects at different distances from the convex and concave mirrors, and that any virtual light rays drawn behind the mirror must be in dotted lines while the real light rays drawn in front of the mirror must be in solid lines.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Term 2 lessons reflections
In term 2, we learnt acids, salts and bases and reproduction. Acids, salts and bases was about the characteristics of acids and the different reactions between acids and bases, acids and metal carbonates, and so on. We learnt things such as acid + base= salt + water, acids + metal= salt and hydrogen, the strength of an acid/ alkali and the reaction some indicators such as methyl orange and litmus paper. In the reproduction topic, we learnt about the male and female reproductive systems, the functions of the various organs inside them, the menstruation cycle, sexually transmitted diseases, and different types of contraceptives. There was also an online lesson activity which required us to form groups and make videos about STDs.
Term 1 lessons reflection
In term 1, the science lessons were all about chemistry. We learnt things such as atomic structure of atoms, which includes finding out the number of protons, neutrons, electrons, and chemical bonding of atoms, which include ionic bonding, and covalent bonding, characteristics or patterns of the periodic table, such as the elements in the same group have similar chemical properties, and balancing chemical equations. At the start of the term, we did our own large periodic table made of vanguard sheet and little pieces of paper for the various elements. I find secondary 2 chemistry interesting but challenging at the same time.