On a Tuesday at lunch time at Port Ellen Primary School Charlie, Ciaran and Aidan run a Knex Club for P4-7. We put everyone into groups of 5. Every week there is different things that get made and done like frisbees and tracks we also made a lot of houses out of knex. A lot of people came to Knex club so we had a lot of things that were made. After the Febuary break we are starting Knex club again. We hae also been doing Knex building challenges in class. We built a hydro electric machine, a wind powered machine and a solar car in class from Knex and even maneged to make electricity. It was very exciting!
WW100 Visitors
On Thursday 25th January Jenni and Stuart from the Islay Museum came to Port Ellen Primary school to talk about WW100 on Islay. This is so we can get information about WW1 on Islay and what happened here during the war. They told us about the Tuscania, which was torpedoed by a submarine in 1918 and it sank off the coast of Islay, but some the survivors came ashore in lifeboats or were wrecked in the rocks and people on Islay helped to save them and also to bury the dead. Two brothers came down from their farm house and saved some people and gave them their home, and some poeple baked scones. It is amazing to think this all happened 100 years ago on February 5th. I am looking forward to finding out more about Islay at this time.
Energy
What is energy? Energy is a source of power that can’t be created or destroyed but can be in the form of electricity. Different types of energy; potential, kinetic, solar, sun, light, wind, heat, sound and more. How is energy a danger for the world? For several reason energy is a danger for the environment, because it is using a lot of the worlds resources. All over the world things like trees are being cut down and even destroyed just to be used for fires. Another reason why energy is bad for the environment is because of overheating. So many farmers are growing their crops in greenhouse with a lot of heat and light because where they are it is to rainy or sunny to grow the crops they want. So they are producing alot of CO2 into the atmosphere which is leading to over heating, temperature rise and climate change to the world. so by using less energy, reusable energy or green energy then we will have a trouble free world.
Antarctica Animation
Connor from P3 and Lomond from P2 built an animation set, and then created their own animation to show what they had learned in their topic looking at Climate Change and its effects. A brilliant video, boys, well done!
Wind Turbines
On Monday 15th January P4/5 went on a trip to the wind turbine up at Castle Hill. We went in groups of five to see inside of the wind turbines and George Dean was in there to and he was telling us about the turbines and about how it produces electricity. The wind turbine stopped spinning at one point when we were there and the kilowatts went to zero. But a few minuites later the speed of the turbine 3 million and something. The power of the wind makes the blades on the turbine turn which generates electrical energy. The satellite dish on the turbine sends all of information to the control system in Germany.
By Millie and Charlet Rose
Our Trip to the Wind Turbine
Our trip to the wind turbine
On Monday 15th of January 2018 P4/5 went to the wind turbine on the High Road at Castlehill. We went inside the wind turbine, it was very noisy. Mr Dean showed us how fast the blades were going. It was going very fast for a small wind turbine. Mr Dean talked about wind turbines and how much it cost (the wind turbine cost 1.2 million) and how it works. He also talked about what you need: a crash helmet and a harness. We learned the satellite on the wind turbine sends the info and how much electric wind turbine to the company in Germany.
By Robyn and Phoenix.
Our Turbine Trip
The Wind Turbine
The wind turbine that we visited was up the high road at Castlehill. Mr Dean told us that the wind turbine was 63 meters tall, including the blades. We had to go up some stairs and hold onto the railing due to heavy wind. Mr Dean (the chairman of Islay Energy Trust) showed us inside the turbine and what everything does. We learned how many kilowatts and how much energy it’s producing. It also told the wind speed and how fast the blades were going. The electricity that is produced from the turbine is sent to the national grid and is then sent back to Islay. by Harmoni & Orla
Solar Power
Tidal Energy Sway
Nuclear energy
Nuclear is a non renewable energy source.
Nuclear doesn’t release any gasses or fuels but if a tsunami happens or a terrorist attacks it,  it will release a lot of bad chemical that can cause global warming it can also kill people and it wont go away for thousands years.
The chemical reaction will cause radiation the parts of it will have to be hidden in a special rock because its the only rock that can hold it with out letting it go this rock has no cracks so it can hold it. This rock is on Islay!
Nuclear is from Radioactive minerals which are uranium they are found by mining. When the minerals are spilt they split in Nuclear reactors.
Nuclear only needs a tiny bit to create a lot of energy, It doesn’t release gasses or fuels.
They are expensive to run, if they leak they can have a massive effect on people.
