Class 11/12 Biology

Strawberry Mould Hyphae

Class 11 Life Skills

In class 11, the students undertake a year of learning various life skills. From how to understand political parties and cast informed votes, to gaining employment and managing money, to cooking and making good nutritional choices.

This term, the cooking group have been learning about the glycaemic index and making breakfasts that will sustain their energy through Main Lesson. They have researched the importance of healthy fats, protein and the benefits of cooking with fresh herbs.

Suzie Moore
High School Biology

Class 12 Projects

Sharon Symes & Natalie Wheeler
Class 12 Project Coordinators

CEDAR ADAMS

My name is Cedar Adams, and for my year 12 project I will be asking the question:

“What are the psychological and biological mechanisms behind the placebo effect, and how can we enhance its effectiveness while considering its possible side effects?”

I’ve discovered that the placebo effect is a fascinating phenomenon where symptoms improve after receiving a nonactive treatment — all because of the belief that it will work. It’s not just in your head either; this belief triggers real changes in the brain, releasing feel-good chemicals like endorphins and dopamine, which can relieve pain and make you feel better.

While people often think of sugar pills as the classic example, placebos can take many forms — from medications and injections to diets, surgeries, and even exercise routines. However, the placebo effect does have its limits. It’s mostly effective for pain relief and mental health conditions, but unfortunately, it can’t cure diseases.

I’ve found that when people hear the word 'placebo,' they often think of large-scale medical studies or sugar pills. But placebos can be much simpler — even everyday moments we don’t think twice about.

Why does a child feel better when their mum kisses a scraped knee? Or why do we suddenly forget about a bruise once a band aid is placed over it? I’ve even wondered if cuddling a teddy bear at night is a kind of placebo — offering comfort and security, just like those small gestures that seem to have magical healing powers. I’ve had my own experiences with small-scale placebos too. Ever since a friend told me that making an 'X' over a mosquito bite helps with the itching, I’ve done it every time — even though there’s no scientific evidence that it works. It does seem to help me deal with the itching though.

As you can probably tell, psychology is something that has always interested me. Specifically, the power of the brain. It always fascinated me how just someone believing in something could cause such a change in both their body and mind.  The power of this connection is what underlies the placebo effect and I’m learning about how it to is used to treat patients with Parkinson disease and mental health issues such as depression. I’ve recently learnt that the use of placebos in treating drug and alcohol addictions is being explored as research has demonstrated that people can behave in an intoxicated way, even when they have been given a placebo in experiments.  Scientists attributed this to the power of expectation in their brain. Also, none of the participants knew they were taking a placebo.

Another thing that surprised me is that while placebo experiments often do not tell participants if they are taking the placebo, there are a lot that do. Even more surprising is that a person can be aware they have been given a placebo treatment and yet it can still work in resolving the medical condition.

I’ve also been researching ways to make placebos more effective. I’ve learned that factors like the pill’s label, color, size, the information given about it, the length of the consultation, and even the doctor’s attitude can all influence how well the placebo works.

I’ve got some ideas for my practical but it is still unfolding as it is still early on . I know I am interested in conducting some kind of experiment but as yet I am not sure with what. What I would like to know to help with this is what others may have experienced with the placebo effect in their lives.  If you have a story to share, I would love to hear from you. Alternatively, if this is an area of deep interest for you, I am also looking for a mentor to help me understand my topic better.

Please get in touch with me at: nwheeler@pws.wa.edu.au 

ISLA SOUTHALL

I began thinking about project topics last year in term 4. I have always been deeply affected by global issues, especially human rights violations, often feeling helpless when I looked out into the world. Over time this feeling led me to research the systemic causes for war, bigotry and wealth inequality. This led me personally to the belief that the capitalist system is both a root cause and contributing factor to these issues. I decided to choose a topic that could address the issues I care about by addressing capitalism.                      

Originally, I was looking at Mutual Aid (MA), which is the organising of communities to meet everyone’s survival needs while addressing the systems that harm people. It includes sharing resources such as food, protecting people from deportation or eviction and much more. All MA aims not only to help people in the short term but also to address the capitalist systems that are causing injustice. Therefore, MA also includes protesting, supporting strikes and educating people about anti-capitalism.

However, while researching all of this, I realised that I cannot address the entirety of capitalism and every form of MA in a 4000-word essay. I would need to narrow down my topic.

Just two weeks ago I chose my current and hopefully final question:

“How does Transformative Justice address the systemic violence in state systems?”

Transformative Justice (TJ) is essentially working to resolve crimes within the community and fixing the socioeconomic contributors that motivate crime. It is a form of MA which aims to mitigate the harms of the state justice system and eventually replace it. The state justice system is failing to address the root causes of crime as it functions on a penal modal. This means that it does not aim to rehabilitate offenders into society, nor does it try to address what motivated their crime. Rather, the state justice system simply locks them away. It also actively contributes to offenders recommitting. By locking largely vulnerable, marginalised people in an environment that creates trauma and dehumanises them, then releasing them into a world which stigmatises them, the current system condemns offenders to increased poverty by affecting their access to housing, employment and benefits. Poverty and trauma are both huge drivers in the committing of crimes, and the state justice system exacerbates these issues amongst those who come in contact with it.

There are undeniable fundamental issues within our current justice system and TJ works against this system. The most common form of TJ is community mediation, the process in which crimes are resolved between the offender and victim along with a trained mediator from the community. This process centres the voice of the victim and works with the offender to ensure that they never recommit. This can look like providing the offender with counselling for childhood trauma or anger management classes. Most importantly community mediation opens dialog between both parties, allowing the offender to see the effects of their crime and the victim to see why and how the crime was committed. TJ includes other aspects as well, such as educating the community on misogyny and healthy relationships, supporting community members’ sobriety, and working with youth to reduce violent behaviour. An improvement in crime rates and quality of life, especially in marginalised communities, should be a priority and Transformative Justice will be a vital step towards such an improvement.

Since beginning my research my eyes have been opened to what justice could be. Reading about TJ programs gives me hope for the future and ignites in me a drive to help change the problematic system we live in. For now, I can broaden my understanding of this topic and share what I’ve learned with my community. My greatest hope with this project is to inspire all of you to question the systems around us that cause harm and look for ways to change them.

LINCOLN BROOKES

As most Steiner kids will know, or will soon find out, during the many years leading to Year 12, there is always a question circling around in the back of your head: "What will I do for my Year 12 Project?"

I have been pondering this question for quite some time now, however, I have always known what I wanted to do. In fact, even baby Lincoln knew what he wanted to do.

Growing up, I have always had a love for sport. From the moment I came into the world, I was surrounded by sport. Even as a baby, my big brother would place a ball in my hands, desperate for me to throw it to him. I always had a batting partner, someone to kick to, someone to practice my fast bowling with. It was a blessed childhood filled with sport, fun, and backyard banter.

Sport has continued to fill my life. That little baby has grown up playing footy, cricket, hockey, basketball and many other sports and so exploring a project based around sport was always the obvious choice. Whilst there were many different areas I could explore around sport, after much considered deliberation, I have decided to focus my research on:

“How can elite athletes reach their peak performance, and what individual and environmental factors play a role in achieving this?”

During these early stages of the Project, I have discovered so much, and one interesting aspect has been my research into the impact of injuries and other setbacks. Looking at some of the greatest athletes of their respective sports: Michael Phelps, Serena Williams, and Michael Jordan, just to name a few. I found that they have all had a major setback in their careers, whether it be a serious injury or even mental health issues, which in some instances have led to early retirement. What has been interesting to me is what these athletes did following these major setbacks.  The common thread appears to be how they viewed their setback as a positive rather than a negative and were able to come back from the setback even better than before. This shines a light on the role mindset and mental toughness play in the development of the elite athlete, and I will definitely be exploring this theme more.

Other interesting research I have come across are new and creative training regimes – such as: soccer teams training in the dark to improve their visual-motor-skills and NFL players training in ballet in the off-season to work on increasing their ankle strength.  I am also exploring the growing role of technological innovations in sport.  One example of this was how the US swim team trained for the Paris Olympics, utilising new technology to essentially create a “digital twin” of each swimmer, which could analyse everything from stroke patterns and technique to acceleration, power, and force. 

Finding unique training factors such as these has been a focus of mine, with my goal being to try and bring to light how a great athlete is formed. As a Practical idea, I have been wanting to bring together all the knowledge I have learned from these elite athletes, and I am currently looking at putting together a ‘recipe for success’ and applying these strategies for myself in the context of running. I want to try and tackle something that seems almost impossible at the moment. I have been researching a challenge known as a ‘Backyard Ultra Marathon,’ which is essentially running 6.7 kilometers every hour, with some athletes doing this for 24 hours straight. I feel that this sort of challenge would be incredibly satisfying.  Am I a runner?   Well, sort of.  I do the odd Saturday morning Park Run; I can consistently run out a full game on the footy field—but running a marathon, let alone a Backyard Ultra Marathon, is not something I have considered before. It will be interesting to see how this ambitious practical idea evolves.

This Project journey has been an exciting one so far, and I look forward to sharing my journey of discovery this year with you all.

Avia Frankham

For my Class 12 project, I will be asking:

“How can an alternative perspective on the Russia/Ukraine war provide a fresh narrative that can break down pre-existing bias?” 

This question came about after I visited my exchange student in Vienna in the summer holidays of 2024. I had been struggling to find a question that truly interested me. I’d gone down a rabbit hole exploring U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, and while I knew I wanted to step away from that, my fascination with American politics and U.S. intervention in global affairs remained. While I was there, I reconnected with two Ukrainian women who had fled from the war. One night in 2022, they knocked on my exchange family’s door holding a small dog with a plea for a place to stay. I was moved by their story.

So instead, I decided to look into the Russian/Ukrainian war and the role the U.S. is playing in it.

Another aspect of my Project is looking at how the media has played a major role in creating a narrative in many western countries that the Ukraine has done nothing wrong, and that Russia has absolutely no justification or reason for their attack.  I am looking into the history and events that led up to the 2022 invasion and how America used its power to influence and manipulate Ukraine. I have begun to see how in the Western media there a strong anti-Russian bias and I wondered why. My question developed and my interest in finding the Russian perspective deepened. This year I hope to shed light on a different perspective in this conflict and possibly broaden the understanding that people have of the war.

When researching this topic, I am aiming to remain objective when receiving firsthand emotional information to create an opinion that is as unbiased as possible. Through translated conversations with the Ukrainian women, I realised just how serious this conflict is and has been. I am in contact with Ukrainian people in Kiev and the stories they tell and the videos they show push my limits in remaining objective. On the other hand, hearing from Russians whose lives have been shattered, trapped in poverty under a dictator, with their own people also suffering and dying also changes my view. When doing research, I struggle with the feeling of being conflicted it’s almost as if I can see so clearly the pain and anger from both sides. Understanding the Russian perspective has been especially challenging—not only because it differs from the Western narrative, but also due to the heavy censorship laws that restrict access to information.

Since starting my research an event that has really stood out to me is the Euromaidan protests in 2014 in the Ukraine. The protests started when the president Yanukovych decided that instead of securing closer ties with Europe, he wanted to join Russia and rekindle their relationship. These protests were named the anti-Russian movement by the Russians and in return they invaded and took back Crimea. Fighting then began in Ukraine until a ceasefire came about in the Minsk Accords of 2015. The Minsk Accords were never implemented and Russian officials claimed that Ukraine was secretly preparing for a military attack on the states fighting Kiev and that they would force them to reintegrate rather that follow the Minsk Accords. This shows how deeply the relationship between these two countries run and how the historical context is one of the most important things to look at when researching a conflict.

For my practical component, I'm working on three posters representing Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S. My intention is to show people the other side of this war. I  hope to show how the U.S. has influenced the conflict and played a huge role in the escalation of the conflict. To evoke critical thinking on the war and to share my perspective and journey throughout the year.

I do not believe I will have a definitive answer at the end of the year, but I hope I will take the research and hard work I’ve done and use that when looking at other conflicts in the media.

If anyone has any connections to the Russia/Ukraine war and wants to talk to me about it, you can contact me by emailing: class12projects@pws.wa.edu.au.

Callum Siah

Hello. my name is Callum, and for my topic I have decided to explore the various benefits of the plants that people generally consider to be “weeds”.

“What benefits do weeds, especially edible ones, bring for humans and the environment?”

Since I was little, I’ve had an interest in weedy edible plants. Like other kids I would often partake in eating the wild oxalis (sourgrass) plants that grow almost anywhere. This interest in edible plants that need no tending continued as I got older, and whenever I saw a plant growing by the path, or in a field, or anywhere that it was just growing without humans, I would wonder: “Can I eat it?”  This interest stayed with me all the way up to high school, and I even gained a slight reputation amongst some of my friends for willingly eating random plants that grow around the school, particularly during Sean’s Botany Main Lesson.

This interest in weedy edible plants led me to wonder if they could be used as a widespread food source. Weeds require pretty much zero maintenance to grow, as they appear everywhere, even in poor soil, consume very little water, and require no environmentally harmful fertilisers. In many ways, weeds are the most efficient edible plants. Not only are they low cost for humans, but they also provide a host of environmental benefits: reducing erosion, pioneering growth in a barren area to allow other plants to thrive, and binding carbon from the atmosphere into the earth, to name a few.

Despite this, in the modern day there is a generally negative perspective on plants that grow without human intention that are then labelled as harmful and “bad” plants and are subsequently sprayed with strong poisons. My research aims to instead explore how plants which are commonly considered weeds can bring a variety of benefits. This led me to my question:

While researching my topic I have found many interesting new things that I was not aware of. One that stood out to me particularly is that many plants that are today considered harmful pesty weeds, used to be respected as a source of food or medicine. For example, the common dandelion is currently considered an annoying pesty weed across North America, but the reason the plants spread so much in the first place was because European settlers planted them outside their homesteads as a source of both food and medicine. It is only in more recent times that the benefits of many “weeds” have been forgotten, and they are now seen as bad plants.

One of the major benefits of weeds I have come across in my research is their nutritional value.  Weeds often contain several times more vitamins and minerals than commercially grown crops. This is largely because supermarket crops have been bred to be mass-produced while also having a mild taste, and in order to grow these traits the nutritional value of the food is sacrificed. Because of this, micronutrient deficiency is common in most people living in modern civilisation. Weeds can help counteract this because they remain dense in micronutrients due to not being selectively bred.

Of course, one of the major drawbacks of weeds as a food source is that people generally do not see them as edible, and certainly not as a food they want to eat. I want to show people that they can be not only a healthy food source but also one that tastes just as good as other vegetables.

For my practical component I intend to develop my own recipes containing edible weeds, compile them into a recipe book, and perhaps teach a workshop on how to identify, obtain, and prepare edible weeds as a food source. I’m hoping that my practical and project in general can help people see weeds, not as just annoying pests, but rather as underutilised plants with potential for benefits in many areas, including nutrition.

I have mostly focused on the edible side of things in my topic so far (as is my nature) but in the future I also intend to look at uses of weeds medicinally and as a way to create more sustainable agriculture systems.

I still have plenty of room to improve and develop my understanding of my topic and I look forward to the knowledge and skills I hope to get out of the coming months.