Brandon Gifford, a Year 9 student at Casino Christian School, has been honoured in the 2010 Eureka Science Awards.

Brandon was awarded second place in the Sleek Geek Secondary School category of the awards with an entry that explored the amazing properties of feathers.

The Eureka Awards recognise the best in Australian science research, innovation, leadership, communication and education. The University of Sydney Sleek Geeks Prize encourages students to make a film about an aspect of science.

Brandon's film, The Incredible Feather, used microscopic photography and other techniques to detail the types of feathers (contour feathers, flight feathers (primary, secondary and tail), down feathers, semi plumes, filoplumes and bristles) and demonstrate their functions. The film explains how the physical properties of feathers contribute to their colour and the wonderful plumage of our bird life.

To see the film click here.

School resources

Brandon's film was the result of a school project. The Eureka Prizes, presented annually by the Australian Museum, have as one of their of objectives to foster deeper investigation of science by school students.

Teachers are encouraged to use the awards as the basis of project-based learning, and the Eureka Prizes website contains excellent resources for teachers.  

Previous winners

CSA member schools have featured in the Eureka awards in previous years.

In 2007 Maddie and Lizzy Finnigan, then in Year 12 and Year 9 at Northern Beaches Christian School, gained third prize in the Sleek Geeks Eureka Prize with Inertia, the musical, billed as a musical tribute to the laws of inertia.

In 2008 Daniel O'Doherty, then in Year 8 at Pacific Hills Christian School NSW, won the Macquarie University Eureka Prize for Action Against Climate Change with a project that calculated the carbon impact of students travelling to and from his school, and suggesting mitigation strategies. His project was also featured on ABCTV's Catalyst .