Chemistry in St Patrick’s College
Chemistry is all around us, from the air we breathe to the food we eat to the medicines we take when we feel unwell.
The aim of the Chemistry Department in St. Patrick’s is to provide all Chemistry students with a comprehensive Chemistry education, by delivering the syllabus content in an interesting, interactive and safe manner.
The Chemistry course allows students to develop a valuable skill set which include among others:
- Performing experiments safely and co-operatively.
- Making accurate observations and measurements.
- Translating scientific information into verbal, graphical and mathematical form.
- Reporting experimental procedures and results in a concise, accurate and comprehensible manner.
- Performing simple chemical calculations.
- Discussing public issues relating to chemistry.
These skills are valuable ones in any career that our students may choose. Chemistry students perform 28 experiments over the course of their senior cycle, and the practical side to this subject is something which the students greatly enjoy.
In Transition Year, Chemistry students are given the opportunity to showcase their talents on some topics that are not restricted by the syllabus, such as researching, constructing and then presenting a power point presentation on a famous chemist of their choice, and undergoing a number of group challenges where they use chemistry to solve a crime or mystery. These activities foster investigation, imagination, and creativity, and help students to think outside the box.
For further information on this subject, as well as the careers which are open to students to study it, please click on Careers Portal.