Science is studied by all students in Largy College for Junior Cycle and focuses on the development of students’ knowledge of and about science through Nature of Science and the four contextual strands: Physical World, Biological World and Chemical world and Earth and Space. We encourage all students to develop a sense of enjoyment through inquiry-based learning which enables students to ask more questions, to develop and evaluate explanations of events and phenomena they encounter. This learning of science leads to a lifelong interest in science.  We try to develop scientific literacy and apply this in cognitive and affective dimensions to the analysis of scientific issues relevant to society, the environment and sustainability. This study of science enables students to build on their learning from primary school and to further develop their knowledge of and about science.  

Science Department

Shane Lynch

Colette Smith

Paula McGonnell

Ellen McCarron

Holly McGovern

Kieth Meisner

Mark Dalzell

Aoife Magennis

Subject Overview:

Science is a collaborative and creative human endeavour arising from our desire to understand the world around us and the wider universe. Essentially, it is curiosity in thoughtful and deliberate action. Learning science through inquiry enables students to ask more questions, and to develop and evaluate explanations of events and phenomena they encounter.

 The study of science enables students to build on their learning in primary school and to further develop their knowledge of and about science. Students enhance their scientific literacy by developing their ability to explain phenomena scientifically; their understanding of scientific inquiry; and their ability to interpret and analyse scientific evidence and data to draw appropriate conclusions.

Aims:

Science in junior cycle aims to develop students’ evidence-based understanding of the natural world and their ability to gather and evaluate evidence: to consolidate and deepen their skills of working scientifically; to make them more self-aware as learners and become competent and confident in their ability to use and apply science in their everyday lives.

More specifically it encourages all students

• to develop a sense of enjoyment in the learning of science, leading to a lifelong interest in science
• to develop scientific literacy and apply this in cognitive, affective and psychomotor dimensions to the analysis of science issues relevant to society, the environment and sustainability
• to develop a scientific habit of mind and inquiry orientation through class, laboratory and/or off-site activities that foster investigation, imagination, curiosity and creativity in solving engaging, relevant problems, and to improve their reasoning and decision-making abilities
• to develop the key skills of junior cycle to find, use, manage, synthesise, and evaluate data; to communicate scientific understanding and findings using a variety of media; and to justify ideas on the basis of evidence
• to acquire a body of scientific knowledge; to develop an understanding of Earth and space and their place in the physical, biological, and chemical world and to help establish a foundation for more advanced learning.

Largy College used to officially launch the new Junior Cycle Science Course in Armagh Planetarium.

ON 13^th Nov 2018 our school travelled to the Armagh Planetarium. The planetarium had just developed a Junior Cycle element for schools from the South of Ireland and they asked for our school to launch the new Junior Cycle Science Course. The students spent an hour having a full dome show called “We Are Stars” which looks at the origins of the Universe and where we came from. They then attended a live presenter led element based on a celestial journey around the planets.  We then attended the rocket making workshop. We then finished the visit by finding out more about life in Space onboard the International Space Station and looking at Meteorites on a tour of the facility. 

A good few learning outcomes are covered on the day E&S 1-4 and E&S 8, CW3, NoS 1 & NoS 10 are also touched on. The guides were very knowledgeable and were excellent with the students probing them and giving very interesting facts. 

https://armaghplanet.com/interactive-junior-cycle-space-experience-launched.html 

Largy revisits the Planetarium

The 4^th year astronomy class on their visit to Armagh Planetarium.

The students explored the night sky and other planets in the dome theatre. There was fierce competition between students as they made and launched rockets using compressed air and water as the propellants.

Students also got the chance to chat with astrophysicists about careers and further studies and explore the exhibition area.

Largy College Science Week 2020 

Despite the restrictions being put in place by Covid-19 there were various activities held by the Science Department which involved safe interactions within the classroom.  

 The 1^st year students completed a project based on one of the new Junior Cycle Learning Outcomes: ‘Students should be able to design, build and test a device that transforms energy from one form to another in order to perform a function; describe the energy changes and ways of improving efficiency’. The projects were of an excellent standard and all the students completed the task. The winners from each class were presented with their trophies and the overall winner was presented with the perpetual shield. There was also a quiz for 1^st years in their classes and various other activities with prizes given for all. Congratulations to all the winners of the quizzes – Anna O’Reilly, Caoimhe Gorman, Conor Burns, Oisin Lynch & Tomás McGuigan.

The 2^nd year students completed a project based on one of the new Junior Cycle Learning Outcomes also: ‘Students should be able to develop and use a model of the Earth-sun-moon system to describe predictable phenomena observable on Earth, including seasons, lunar phases, and eclipses of the sun and moon’. The projects were of an excellent standard with all students in the year producing finished pieces. The winners from each class and overall winners were presented with their trophies. There was also a quiz for 2^nd years in their classes and various other activities with prizes given for all. Congratulations to all the winners of the quizzes – Katie McCaffrey, Conor Greenan, Conor Murphy, Nathan Gavin, Luke Toye-Foye and Dallan O’Neill

A collection of the projects presented by the 1^st and 2^nd year students during Scince week.

Top Results in Junior Cert Science & Maths for Eoghan Courtney, 2016

The management and staff of Largy College were very pleased with the Junior Cert Results that year and of particular note were the results of Eoghan who achieved 10 A’s at honours level out of the 10 subjects that he sat.  The school was delighted to receive correspondence indicating that Eoghan had been identified by the State Exams Commission as a top achiever in the subjects of Science & Maths.  As a result, Eoghan had the opportunity to compete on Saturday 5^th November 2016 for a place at the European Science Olympiad (IrEUSO).

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