By Karim Azhari, year 12
In light of the ULP projects coming up for year 11 students, the LGB Express has gathered thoughts from four year 12 students who completed science ULP projects last year and who wanted to share advice for the year 11s to come up with enjoyable and successful projects.
Student 1: “Last year, I completed ULP projects in both physics and in chemistry, and found that they were an amazing way to broaden my scope on a subject area that might not have been treated in class. For instance, in chemistry, my group explored the links between the research made in wartime on biowarfare and the evolution of the chemical industry. We had slightly touched upon this link between subjects in our chemistry curriculum, but this was truly a fresh and new look at the subject. Now, you might not be the best at your subject, or might not enjoy it, but that doesn’t mean the projects serve no true purpose to your understanding. Say you absolutely despise physics (which, to be fair, is understandable), and you aim to accomplish a ULP project. You might think to yourself that this is just going to be a waste of time, but if you think outside the box, it might be fun research. Say you enjoy mountain biking, then you could link your love of mountain biking and physics through, for example, the conservation of energy when there is a shock. Or if you really enjoy cars, you might research the efficiency of diesel motors compared to electric motors…. So I would say this ULP project can be as amusing as it can be boring, it just depends how much you are willing to make it fun.”
Student 2: “I’d say it’s a good opportunity for people to find the answers to things they’ve been wondering about so it’s good to choose a topic that you found interesting, or that you wanted to share with the class. You might even want to discuss whether some health or science-related myths are true; I think it is relatively simple but interesting. I think the presentations weren’t even that long either, so no pressure.”
Student 3: “Last year, I completed ULP projects in both Biology and Chemistry, and found that they were a really good way to explore topics within the subject areas that aren’t necessarily covered in the syllabus. For example, in Biology, I did a presentation on the Biology of Personality which gave me the opportunity to research links between anatomical structures in the brain and personality traits, something we never would’ve covered in class. To Year 11s starting this project, I’d advise that you choose something you would genuinely like to learn more about, in order to get the most out of these projects.”
Student 4: “In Biology class, my friend and I chose the topic of “what could the mask do to your skin in the long run” and we found out that different diseases were related to wearing a mask each day. For instance, it increases the probability of having acne or eczema. Overall, I found the presentations not that stressful. Also, the research we conducted was interesting and not that hard to find. And I would advise year 11 students to take it easy and not be stressed about it too much, and to keep in mind that they should choose topics that they know won’t be hard to find research about”.
All four of these students found ways to shape their projects into fun and interesting learning experiences, and so can all year 11s!
Image via the Universal Living Programme
