This Week in Science: Celery, Star Jumps and iGCSE Biology

This week in science at Lord Gowthorpe’s, pupils used coloured water to explore how plants transport water and put their own heart rates to the test with a minute of star jumps. Our iGCSE Biology students tackled exam questions on circulation and disease.

iGCSE Biology: Getting to grips with exam questions

Students worked through exam-style questions on transport in animals, revisiting the structure of the heart, the role of blood vessels and the components of blood. They also answered questions about pathogens and how diseases spread.

They worked hard to unpack what each question was asking, choose the science that mattered and use feedback to improve their answers.

KS3 Science: Following water through celery

Pupils explored the structure and function of xylem, the tissue that carries water from a plant’s roots towards its leaves. To see whether they could trace that journey, they placed celery stalks in beakers of coloured water and left them for 24 hours to see how far the colour would travel.

KS3 Science: A minute of star jumps

Pupils also began learning about aerobic respiration and investigated how their bodies respond as exercise gets more intense. A full minute of star jumps proved a real challenge, and pupils noticed that both their heart rate and breathing rate rose. This helped them connect what they could feel with what they’d learnt: working muscles need more energy, and faster breathing and circulation help deliver the oxygen needed for aerobic respiration.