Year 8 Academic Extension Update

Year 8 Academic Extension students have had a rock-ing time in Science this term.

After completing an Earth Science Unit which focused on the formation of igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks, students were given the challenge of creating their own rock song.

Using ten key terms and a rhythm of their choice, groups put lyrics together and performed their creations for the class.

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“Sedimentary rocks – let’s break it down; weathering, erosion, lithification, three main parts to make this creation.

Weathering, let the rocks corrode, let them break down, and let them flow.

Erosion; yeah hop on a bus. Catch the water, wind, ice – let nature rush.”

………………………………………

“Now this is a story all about how rocks get formed,

Let’s start with the igneous rock!

Magma rises,

cools quickly to form the crystals,

hard to see, yeah!

Let’s go to sedimentary,

Rocks are weathered to form sediments.

Erosion occurs, yeah that makes some sense!

Carried away by water and rain, compacted, cemented, the cycle starts again!

Now metamorphic, time to shine,

magma’s burning those rocks over time!

Heat and pressure get applied! WOW!

We sound like Bill Nye the Science Guy!

Now let’s start the cycle all over again! Back to igneous …. Oh man!

Intrusive, extrusive, back to where we began.

The magma rises,

So full of surprises!”

………………………………………

Not only was their Science teacher impressed with the students’ performances (some sung to the beats of Under Pressure) but she got a surprise of her own when she found that she was not the only person in the room who had heard of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air!

The students are to be congratulated on such a positive finish to an interrupted semester of learning. Well done!