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The York School 2024/25 Year in Review - Primary Years Program (PYP) Exhibition: Speaking out about the deadly impact of oil spills on marine life
The theme of the capstone project for Junior School students, Sharing the Planet, reinforces the fact that global citizens (even young children) are responsible for exploring solutions to world issues. Each student selects one of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals and identifies a related local or global issue to delve into. This student-driven project challenges learners to conduct research related to their units of inquiry and come up with an action that spreads awareness about the issue and their learnings. Students work in small groups with others who’ve chosen similar topics, and they receive support and advice from a mentor during weekly meetings.
Matty Price ‘32 wants people to take oil spills more seriously. While researching the impact of oil spills on marine plants, animals, habitats and ecosystems, he made some startling discoveries. He learned that when birds get oil on their feathers it can weigh down their wings and prevent them from flying.
At the Exhibition, Matty invited visitors to conduct an experiment that involved dipping one feather into clear water and another into oily water. When participants compared the weights of the two feathers, the oil covered one was 4.2 grams heavier.
At the Exhibition, Matty invited visitors to conduct an experiment that involved dipping one feather into clear water and another into oily water. When participants compared the weights of the two feathers, the oil covered one was 4.2 grams heavier.
