Department Reviews
BIOLOGY
It continues to be our pleasure to introduce girls to the wonders of the natural world, both locally and across the planet, and to teach them about the science of themselves and their own bodies. From chemistry to community and from individual to global change, our focus has been both to demonstrate that Biology is important to us all and to look at healthy, sustainable living and the mechanisms inside us that keep us all alive.
Following successful external examination results, we are delighted with the numbers of girls that have gone on to pursue medicine and other biologically-allied subjects at university. Beyond curricular biology, the department has also been involved in a number of enhancement and cross-curricular activities. From exploration and management of the wildlife area to visiting the reptiles and other exotics at The Cotswold Reptile Centre, the departmental society, Green Soc, has looked at wildlife here at College and the challenges faced by organisms in other countries and those sold in the exotic pet trade. There was plenty of opportunity for the girls to handle some of the lizards and snakes, but all were thankful that our guide, Lewis, kept the deadly Western Diamond-backed Rattler beyond striking distance! LC1 classes were also treated to explorations of the maturing wildlife area and pond during their lessons. They were tested on what they could find living in the grounds or illustrated in the architecture in the annual ‘Biology Around Us’ quiz on a Saturday morning, whilst LC2s focussed on ‘Aren’t Bugs Brilliant?’, an independently-researched, electronic presentation about the bug of their choice.
LC3s undertook independent research one Saturday morning on a visit to Crickley Hill Country Park. Groups had to choose their own research project, measure and record what they needed and make conclusions about what affected the organisms living where they did in this local reserve. From grovelling along the floor chasing mini-beasts to trying to measure a tree’s branches without climbing it, their research techniques were varied, but they learnt much about ecology and environmental recording, and in addition about risk assessment too! LC3s were also treated to a visit to London in our annual cross-curricular venture with the RS department to look at aspects of creation at the National Gallery and aspects of evolution, adaptation and our early origins at the Natural History Museum. From tiny ants to huge dinosaurs, the extant to the extinct, from museums and galleries to pizza on the way home, all of the girls learnt a great deal and enjoyed the lengthy day despite the very early, wet start.
The theme of our origins was continued during the BA National Science and Engineering Week when we hosted a lecture by Professor Steve Mithen, Head of the School of Human and Environmental Sciences at Reading University. As promised, this author of numerous evolutionary texts and advisor to the likes of Ray Mears on Mesolithic survival techniques, delivered a controversial and challenging talk entitled ‘The Music Instinct’. He suggested that communal music making is not only an important part of our past but an essential part of our future and that the source of language itself might be music. This lecture was endorsed not only by National Science Week but also by the Darwin200 series of events which culminates in February 2009 to mark the two hundredth anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin. Later in the week, girls from a variety of years undertook an experiment to extract, bottle up and display their own DNA in small glass vials to make into necklaces. Tutored by sixth form students, younger girls were able to stain their DNA a number of unnatural looking but eye-catching colours to make a permanent if sometimes rather garish record of the molecule each of them had inherited from their very own evolutionary past. During Science Week a number of staff from the department were involved in answering questions as ‘experts’ on the national ‘Big Science Questions’ website.
Our contribution to this year’s Principal’s lecture series was a visit from the much acclaimed science author and evolutionary geneticist, Professor Steve Jones, from UCL. As ever, his talk engaged both scientist and non-scientist, and entertained and informed us of the importance of the continuity of the genes and how lineages can be traced through time.
Enriching SFC girls after College through the discussion of the philosophy of science, and Biology in particular, and challenging the potential medic, veterinarian and Oxbridge students to present on an area of interest to them to an expert panel, has added greatly to their confidence and knowledge. All SFC girls also went on the annual residential ecology fieldtrip in support of their sixth form studies and to produce coursework for their A level. Unusually dry weather meant that, unlike past years, girls did not have to don their heavy duty waterproofs.
Throughout, we encourage an active interest in the subject, both curricular and well beyond the curriculum, to ensure that the girls at CLC understand the importance of Biology both to themselves and their fellow organisms.
News
Vicky Tuck – Telegraph Articles
Please see the links below for the latest telegraph articles written by Vicky Tuck. 28 November 2008, 05 December 2008, 12 December 2008, 19 December ...
England’s National Under 16 Hockey Squad for 2009
Issy Davies, currently in UC5 at The Cheltenham Ladies' College, has been selected for England's National Under 16 Hockey Squad for 2009. The...
Gloucestershire Schools’ Debating Competition
On November 27th Polly Mitchell and Tabitha Ward took part in the Gloucestershire Schools Debating Competition in the Parliament Room in Gloucester Ca...
Drama Productions
The Sixth Form production of Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s play 'The School for Scandal' will be held on 5th and 6th December at 7.30pm in the P...
- Top of the page
- Website by Kilvington Design Ltd
- | © 2007 Cheltenham Ladies' College | All rights reserved
- Registered name: The Cheltenham Ladies’ College
- Registered charity number: 311722
- Place of registration: England and Wales
- Registered office: Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Bayshill Road, Cheltenham, GL50 3EP