This summer I spent ten days at the JuniorAkademie NRW at Schloss Loburg in Ostbevern where the English courses took place. I choose the course “Symmetry in Nature”, because I’m interested in math and science. The course combines math, physics, chemistry and biology.
At Thursday, the 18th all pupils of the courses “Nanotechnology”, “Bionics” and “Symmetry in Nature” arrived at the “Schloss Loburg” (Collegium Johanneum) in Ostbevern. After we had arrived we choose our rooms and then there was a first meeting with the course leaders in the assembly hall. Later, after the parents had left the area, we played a few games to know the names of each other. The next day we could go swimming or jogging and after the breakfast we met again in the assembly hall. After the meeting we had our first lessons in our classes. At first we got our account for the computers and then the course “Symmetry in Nature” worked on “wallpaper groups”. Then, after lunch we had choir, which was obligatory on the first two days.
Our second lessons started in the afternoon. In the evening, after dinner we had our “KÜA’s”. In the first one we arranged an orchestra and a band. After we arranged our groups, orchestra, band, dancing group, organisation group, we started working for the final presentation on Sunday the 28th. In the second one were sport classes we could choose, if we want to go there or not. The next morning we could go swimming or jogging again, and then after breakfast was another meeting in the assembly hall. At nine o’clock our first daily lesson started. We worked again on the “wallpaper groups”. Later, after lunch we looked for symmetry in the leaves of different trees. In the evening there were again the “KÜA’s”. On the next day we, the course “Symmetry in Nature” started our project on the DNA and the symmetry of the DNA.
In the evening we had barbecue. This day the first “KÜA” was before the dinner. On Monday we had again the normal lessons in the morning and in the afternoon. In the second lesson we, the course “Symmetry in Nature” presents our solutions of the work on the DNA to each other. Every group of the six groups (three pupils) had constructed their own model and had designed a poster. In the morning of Tuesday the 23rd the whole group went do Münster. The classes “Bionics” and “Nanotechnology” visited the LWL. We, the class “Symmetry in Nature”, went to the old downtown. We searched for symmetry in architecture there. After we arrived back at the “Schloss Loburg” we had an one hour lesson and then there was the first “KÜA” with orchestra, band, dancing group and the organisation group. At six o’clock in the evening we had dinner and at half past seven the big football tournament started.
There were five pupils’ teams and one teacher team. This year the teachers’ team won the third time in a row. On Wednesday we started our last projects on the topics “Advantages of Symmetry”, “Symmetry in Nature” and “Asymmetry in Nature”. On Thursday was the „Rotation day“, so every group prepared what they had done till then and in the afternoon the courses visited each other. In the evening we had our campfire. On Friday we finished our projects and we presented them to each other again.
In the afternoon we started to prepare the final presentation on Sunday. At the 27th we finished all the work and in the afternoon we had our last rehearsal. After the dinner we had also our last meeting in the orchestra, the band, the dancing group and the organisation group. In the morning on Sunday the 28th we prepared our presentation in our classes and after we had finished, we had to pack our bags. After our parents arrived back at three o’clock in the afternoon they had one hour to look at everything we had done in the ten days. And finally at four o’clock in the afternoon the presentation started. The first class which presents was “Nanotechnology”. After fifteen minutes presenting they all got their certificates. The second class was “Symmetry in Nature” and the third one was “Bionics”. Both classes also got their certificates after a presentation of fifteen minutes.
The JuniorAkademie was great. I gained knowledge about science, you’ll never learn in school. Also I made a lot of new friends, who are interested in science like me. We had much fun and our teachers were amazing.
Jan-Phillip Bäcker, course “Symmetry in Nature”
Special thanks to Mrs. Mach-Zupanc and Mr. Kalthoff for nominating me for the JuniorAkademie, because without nomination you are not allowed to take part.
