B Barber
Science Coordinator

Science

E-Buddies Project - (Email buddies)

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Interschool Student Science Mentor Project

Aim: The aim of the project is to encourage communication between John Paul College students and a partner primary school class to work together on a science project based around the same theme. The form of communication is largely email but they will come together at the end to do a combined experiment at John Paul College.

The topics covered in first and second semester for our year 7 and 8 students include:

Procedure: Over the course of a term students will have an opportunity to link up via email to prepare and develop a combined assignment. Students at both John Paul College and the partner primary school will pair up creating 10 groups. A group from John Paul College and the partner primary school work. The primary class prepares 2 questions related to their topic (eg. types of forces). They have the possibility of coming together at John Paul College in the science laboratory to help each other do a practical activity. Students email their "E-buddies" questions and their JPC E-Buddies find the answers, email their teacher with the answers who then forwards them onto the Primary E-Buddy teacher.

What exactly do the students have to do?

Partner primary students prepare 2-3 questions on a topic they are doing. They email their E-Buddy teacher from the other school who distributes these questions to their corresponding E-Buddy class groups. They answer these questions and then email their response to their teacher who will assess the clarity and accuracy of their explanation. The teacher will then forward this email onto their E-Buddy teacher at Primary. The primary students receive these email and use it in a class discussion, oral presentation or poster.