Senior pupils at the Bermuda High School for Girls this week took on challenges designed to promote the involvement of women in science, technology and mathematics.

The school's first ever Math & Science Activity Week saw students from Years 7 through 10 attempting to complete experiments set by their teachers.

Each morning, except for Tuesday, one of the four year groups met in the Queen Elizabeth II Hall to begin a day of scientific, mathematical and technological fun.

On Monday, the Year 10 girls had 125 minutes to develop a game designed to teach any scientific or mathematical idea.

The game had to be for two or more players and each group had to display the rules, name and instructions on a poster before giving a brief explanation.

The students also discussed the concept that although games were fun, they helped players learn skills and gain useful knowledge. On Wednesday, the Year 9 students took a crack at building bridges capable of holding the most weight possible while spending the least amount of money.

As easy as it may sound, each group had to make their bridge using only straws and cellotape which will "cost'' them a respective $1 and ten cents each.

Just to make it more interesting, the bridge-building rules prevented the girls from attaching their bridge to the group's work table or returning materials once they had been purchased.

The girls had a 70-minute time limit in which to build their bridge or face a ten cent penalty for every minute thereafter.

ach group had to calculate the cost of their bridge with points awarded for accuracy.

The girls also designed a poster emphasising how their bridge was reinforced before giving a brief presentation.

On Thursday and Friday, the Year 7 and 8 students had 140 minutes to invent a machine capable of firing ping-pong balls at a target some ten metres away.

Each group received 20 balls to shoot within a catchment area consisting of a minus-two-point zone, a two-point zone, a six-point zone and a ten-point zone.

Each group also received four gold balls worth five times the score of the ball, four blue balls worth three times the ball's score, and 12 white balls worth the same.

After all of the balls were shot, the girls calculated their group's total score, average score per ball and average score per person.

There was also a competition to produce T-shirts bearing slogans promoting the importance of girls being involved in both science and maths.

Students wore the shirts on their respective year group's activity day.

Headmistress Eleanor Kingsbury said there was also an all-age-group inter-house competition for a grand prize of a cup or shield. Points across all age groups were included in the general pool of house points.

Mr. Rodrigues stressed that the students were becoming acutely aware of the portrayal of women in the media and how that affected young women's perception of themselves.

"The girls have been quite interested in a Barbie Doll from a few years ago that said `I'm useless at maths','' he said.

"They are discussing it in class and all are joining in heavy discussion about the issue.

"Throughout the year we try to show women astronauts, engineers, and scientists in displays and other activities.'' rs. Kingsbury emphasised that single sex classes for girls countered the notion that girls did not perform as well as boys at maths and science.

The differences are a result of social learning rather than biology, she noted.

"They will learn about Marie Curie, Mae Jemison, and Rosemarie Franklin and see that they can be scientists and astronauts as well,'' Mr. Rodrigues added.

The winners of the Maths & Science Activity Week were chosen by mathematics teacher Howard Walter and science teacher George Rodrigues. They will be announced in The Royal Gazette next week.