MARBLES made a resurgence in one Lake Macquarie schoolyard this week.
It wasn't quite a chalk circle on the pavement many Novocastrains would remember from their youth, but for the students at St Francis Xavier College in Belmont it was a chance to learn more about those forgotten orbs of glass.
It may have slipped the mind of many that 2022 has been named the International Year of Glass by the United Nations. Because of that, National Science Week (this week) has a theme of Glass: More than Meets the Eye.
"To celebrate National Science Week our entire school has come together to learn about this year's theme," Catholic Schools Office gifted education project officer Cathy Curk said.
Students were taught about the history of glass, with a focus on how it was used in Australia prior to colonisation.
"Students here at St Francis Xavier in Belmont are really curious learners," Ms Curk said. "We started the day by looking at what glass is. We then considered the First Nations use of glass in Australia which looked at volcanic glass which is obsidian, the australites, made from meteorite impacts, Darwin glass found in Tasmania and spinifex resin."
Australites are a form of tektite found in Australia and, according to the Australian Museum, have been used by Aboriginal Australians as ritual objects for more than 30,000 years.
While there are various theories around how tektites are formed, a common understanding is that pieces of rock from Earth were thrown into the atmosphere by meteorite impacts and then melted and reformed as they fell back to the surface.
Students at St Francis were then shown a video on the process of making a marble, before they were tasked with creating a marble track.
"This marble run challenge is a STEM based challenge and it promotes the development of innovation, collaboration, creativity and persistence," Ms Curk said.
Ten-year-old Lincoln Summerville, who said he had no idea there was "that much involved" in making a marble, said the teamwork involved in the marble run was his favourite part of the day.
"I really have enjoyed it because I didn't do it all on my own. I did it with my mates," Lincoln said. "Somebody else had an idea to put a pipe-cleaner on the edge so it does not fall out. I would have never thought of that."
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