Stephen Hawking Physics Project at San Andrea Senior School

The final session of the presentations of the annual Stephen Hawking Physics Project was held at San Andrea Senior School on May 23. The figure of Professor Hawking is taken by the students as a living symbol of scientific research and achievement, and the determination to succeed against all odds to bring science to the world.

A Science and Technology Week was held at the school between May 19 and 23. The initiative of organising the Stephen Hawking Project and the Week, stemmed from the need to introduce students to the actual application of sciences in the world around them.

The theme stressed in the Science and Technology Week was that the years spent at school and the study of sciences in particular all point towards an understanding of the principles and laws of nature and the eventual use of this knowledge towards creating a better life. Life is made of little changes that result in progress, little inventions that make life better and more enjoyable.

Physics, Chemistry and Biology exhibits were prepared and put up by the students themselves under the direction of their teachers. Senior students enjoyed performing some experiments in front of visiting students from the Middle School and explaining to them the principles involved.

An interesting characteristic of the week was the inclusion of projects prepared by the Physics students taking the Technical Design option. Their projects consisted of designs and technical drawings referring to working 3-D models prepared by the students themselves.

The week was made to coincide with the final presentations of the Stephen Hawking Project. This project, organised this year for the second time, proved to be a huge success. It is intended:

¤ to trigger and increase in the student at a very young age an interest to discover the physical principles and laws that govern the world around us;

¤ to encourage and build such skills as researching an assigned topic and its understanding, analysis, public presentation, discussion, group work, etc.;

¤ to be an opportunity in discovery learning;

¤ to introduce and prepare our students in disciplined learning systems that will eventually be encountered later on in this area of education;

¤ to be in line with the spirit of the National Minimum Curriculum in Malta.

Among the working models presented were a simple electric motor, a generator, a model satellite, and a lift mechanism. The presence of this technical aspect and hands-on experience of the projects presented, provided the important cross-linking between Science and its application in Technology.

Part of the Stephen Hawking Physics Project was a viva voce public presentation by the students on a topic of their choice. These included electromagnetic induction, optics and waves, pressure and satellites.

This year the winning team was made up of Matthew Caruana and Keith Briffa. They will receive a free return ticket for an educational science tour to the UK with the prospect of meeting Professor Stephen Hawking himself.