SMALL country schools like Badgingarra Primary School, halfway between Perth and Geraldton, do not usually feature heavily in national science awards.

Mr Allan Whittome with the Premier Alan Carpenter

Last year, Badgingarra students came second when they represented WA in the CO2 Dragster Challenge in Canberra after developing the State’s fastest model dragster car.

This year, his year six students won the National Association of Testing Authorities Young Scientist award for experiments on how to make soils wetter.

When he spoke to ScienceNetwork WA, Mr Whittome was preparing for a national race of hydrogen fuel cell cars at Sydney International Regatta Centre in Penrith the following week, but did not even have the kit to build the car yet.

“I have been on the phone chasing up where the car is,” he said. “But we will get it done.”

Mr Whittome has been credited with bringing national acclaim to the school and inspiring in his students an interest in science, using common issues affecting their lives and engaging techniques.

“I model the learning to what affects them or is in their world,” he said. “It involves the students making decisions and, because there are lots of boys, (it is) very hands on. The thing I find most exciting is I am learning with the kids.”

He also enlists the help of parents, especially fathers, in building models for their activities.

“As part of (National) Science Week, I got a grant to buy hydrogen fuel cell cars which the fathers built to race with their kids,” he said.

Nominated for the Premier’s Science Awards by admiring colleagues, Mr Whittome was described as having an “unassuming and quiet nature (which) hides a depth and intensity of passion for things scientific”.

He has a knack for turning an interest in science into projects relevant to students who range from four to 12 years old.

For him sticks are not just pieces of wood. They are unique opportunities to investigate the strength and properties of different woods. The sticks are later used for hiking.

Investigating the impact of adding clay to non-wetting soils has particular resonance for his students because of the large areas in dry soil in inland WA. Those experiments won his class $6,000 of science equipment from the NATA young scientist competition.

Mr Whittome uses science to help students to develop skills in literacy, by doing presentations, and numeracy, by collecting and graphing data, and is active in professional development for other science teachers.

“He has the ability to spark a child’s imagination, challenge students to explore and investigate the physical and natural world around them from the local environment to the World Wide Web,” said his colleagues in their nomination form.

“To develop within the students the ability to question, delve, seek answers, make the connections, make responsible decisions and work collaboratively and safely.”

Comments (2)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

...
written by Greg Moran, November 19, 2007

As the President of the Science Teachers' Association of WA I would like to congratulate Allan on his award and on his passion for teaching science. keep up the good work Allan.
Kind Regards
Greg Moran
STAWA President

• 
• +0
• 
• 

...
written by Elizabetrh Joan Morgan - Educa, November 28, 2007

Congratulations Allen, on your award. Making science interesting in schools is also my business. I work in Kalgoorlie at the Australian Prospectors and Miners Hall of Fame. Part of my work is to show school groups around our wonderful site. Here we have an underground tour, a gold pour and creeks where children can pan for gold. As well as lots of different displays and exhibits. Children usually come over from Perth for 4/5 days and stay at our camp school. This can be a fantastic experience for them. Try it, I know that you and your pupils will have a great time and it will enhance their education. They will have the opportunity to learn more about the History of Kalgoorlie, the goldrush and the early prospectors, and how mining is done today and how it was done 100 years ago.

Please contact me if you would like to know more.

Kind Regards.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

Name

Email

Comment

smaller | bigger

Add Comment Preview