P1/2 at Port Ellen Primary School have been learning all about Space. They have found out about the Sun, Earth and Moon, taking turns at being a Moon Monitor. They watched video clips of Apollo 11 and Neil Armstrong’s moon landing and built their own rockets, complete with different stages. They have looked at the lunar landscape and have investigated how craters were formed using marbles and a tray of moon soil!
Category Archives: Science
Rhu P4 Kelvingrove Art Gallery Trip
Rhu P4 recently visited Kelvingrove Art Gallery to find out more about Ancient Egypt as part of this term’s topic. We found out about the afterlife and what the Ancient Egyptians did to their dead kings, gruesome!!! We took part in drama activities and held some Ancient Egyptian artefacts. Later on we had a look around other parts of the gallery and found some interesting animals (can you guess whose feet these are?).
EATING ROUND THE WORLD
St. Joseph’s host event for Strathclyde University’s Post graduate VIP experience
Friday 16 January saw 7 postgraduate students and their tutor from Strathclyde University visit St. Joseph’s in Helensburgh to begin their VIP (Vertically Integrated Project) approach, focussing on schools’ Science, Technologies, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects. This new pedagogy, adapted from that which originated in Georgia Institute of Technology in the USA, is an approach used to further students’ authentic STEM study in Higher Education.
Continue reading St. Joseph’s host event for Strathclyde University’s Post graduate VIP experience
Cardross Primary CSI Science Masterclass!
Pupils from P6 & P7 at Cardross Primary were invited to attend a CSI session at The University of Glasgow hosted by STEM Ambassador Dr Nicola Craise. The pupils were asked to solve the case by DNA profiles, blood, urine and hair sampling. It was a fantastic day! Continue reading Cardross Primary CSI Science Masterclass!
‘Lots’ of News from St Andrew’s!
St Andrew’s Primary School’s Third Green Flag!
St Andrew’s Eco Committee met with Paula Love, the Eco Schools Assessor, and informed her of all the hard work put in by the pupils, staff, parents and community members to maintain the Eco School status. After an initial meeting to discuss what has been happening in our school, from weekly litter picking duties to organised days like UNICEF’s Day of Change, the Eco Committee sang our Eco Code; complete with the newly choreographed actions.
Continue reading ‘Lots’ of News from St Andrew’s!
Hermitage Primary – Technology Challenge
Bringing their interdisciplinary topic to a close, Primary 7 pupils at Hermitage Primary School took part in their Technology Challenge presentation evening on Thursday 4th December.
Incorporating Technologies, Maths, Language, Science and PSD, the Technology Challenge required pupils to work in cooperative groups to plan and design a working electrical vehicle which was supported by a good business plan. Their progress had to be recorded in form of a booklet and Keynote presentation.
Continue reading Hermitage Primary – Technology Challenge
St. Mun’s Primary Scoop Prestigious Eden Award!
St. Mun’s Primary School were awarded the prestigious Rolls-Royce Science Prize Eden Award, at the 10 year Anniversary Award Ceremony, held on 10th November at London’s Science Museum. The Rolls-Royce Science Prize is an annual awards programme that helps teachers implement science teaching ideas in their schools and colleges. The Prize recognises and rewards excellence in Science teaching across the full spectrum of teaching, from special education needs to high ability pupils. It also promotes innovative and sustainable strategies for teaching science which addresses a specific need in the schools or colleges and at the same time contributes to teachers’ continuing professional development. Continue reading St. Mun’s Primary Scoop Prestigious Eden Award!
Sushi for Afternoon Tea at Kirn Primary
Our Japan topic really came to life today as we went to the kitchens to make our own Sushi.
Sushi is a Japanese food made from sticky rice, which is rolled up in a seaweed sheet around vegetables or fish, then cut into short lengths. We also tasted some yellow and red Miso Soup, made from soya beans.
Continue reading Sushi for Afternoon Tea at Kirn Primary
NEWS FROM DUNOON GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Former SPL Star Visits DGS
It’s not every day that DGS pupils can boast of being part of a football training session with a national cup winning manager – but that is exactly what happened last week, when Dylan Kerr visited the school.
Dylan enjoyed a very long and distinguished playing career, including successful spells with Leeds United and Kilmarnock.
Red Hot at St. Joseph’s!
Last week the children of St Joseph’s were delighted to welcome to school Craig Munro, a member of the band ‘The Red Hot Chilli Pipers’. Craig was in fact taking part in a partnership programme which had been set up by Mrs McLean who specialises in Technology at St. Joseph’s. Mrs McLean had written to parents and family members to ask if any engineers would come into school and give the children a presentation on the life of an engineer.
Really Small Scientists Win Prizes
Following the Nano-Science workshop in September, Primary 3 and 4 pupils from Dunoon Primary School produced posters about Nano-Jelly. During the workshop, run by the Really Small Science Group from Strathclyde University, the pupils became ‘Really Small Scientists’ for the day and learned about the world of Nano-Science. They discovered how everyday items such as jelly and even their own bodies are made up of tiny nano-sized molecules.
Continue reading Really Small Scientists Win Prizes
DGS Physics Phenomenons Storm into Semi-Finals
Three senior physics students at Dunoon Grammar School enjoyed success in the first round of the West of Scotland Physics Education Group competition.
S5 pupils Rowan Oxland, Peter Swift and Scott Morton worked on a number of University standard physics experiments before putting their knowledge to the test in a series of quiz style tasks.
Continue reading DGS Physics Phenomenons Storm into Semi-Finals
News from DGS
As part of this year’s Dunoon Film Festival, S3 pupils from DGS organised a special screening of the Japanese cult classic animation ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’ for local primary school pupils and DGS Learning Centre students.
Achaleven investigates life on a fish farm.
As part of their topic on the sea Achaleven Primary asked Scottish Sea Farms if they could visit. The staff were fantastic organising all the health & safety involved (including buying in special child lifejackets) and arranged for a trip out to one of their farms at Shuna.
They were taken to the workboat, ‘Endeavour’ and headed out to the farm. It amazed them that amount of technology there is in the middle of the sea – all the computers and cameras!
Continue reading Achaleven investigates life on a fish farm.
LAB IN LORRY DELIVERS AT DUNOON GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Science lessons with a twist for DGS pupils.
Pupils and visitors to Dunoon Grammar School last week were greeted with a curious addition to the school car park – a science laboratory based in an articulated lorry!
During the week a number of pupils worked in the lorry on a number of physics related experiments. Lab in a Lorry – organised by the Institute of Physics and STEM – is an interactive mobile science laboratory which gives young people the opportunity to explore science through open ended experiments. Continue reading LAB IN LORRY DELIVERS AT DUNOON GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Dunoon Primary Pupils do Really Small Science
Pupils from Dunoon Primary School discovered the world of nano-science with researchers from the University of Strathclyde. The ReallySmallScience group, led by Joy Leckie from the Chemical Engineering Department at Strathclyde, demonstrated nano-science to P3 and 4 classes using hands-on experiments. Each class learned how tiny nano-sized things are and that everyday items such as wobbly jelly naturally contain lots of nano-things. Continue reading Dunoon Primary Pupils do Really Small Science

Kodu computer games design – getting started help
Kodu is a free application developed by Microsoft to introduce young people to computer games design. This visual programming language allows students to design and build three dimensional games. Kodu can help young people to learn the core concepts of computer science within the context of a project which includes narrative writing, design and maths.
Continue reading Kodu computer games design – getting started help
Rothesay Primary Young Green Fingers!
After months of sowing, weeding, transplanting, weeding, watering and weeding (!) Rothesay Primary were delighted to have some fine produce for the Rothesay Horticultural Society Show. We carefully choose our best fruit and veg and got them ready for the show bench. We entered two varieties of tomato, black grapes, peppers, yellow courgette, runner beans, peas, curly kale, pears, rhubarb, onions, carrots and a whopping marrow!
GUARD at Tigh Caol
Sandbank Gaelic Medium P6/7 class were fortunate enough to be invited to participate in an archaeological dig at Tigh Caol near Glendaruel along with many other schools in the area. The dig was performed by GUARD (Glasgow University Archaeological Research Division) with support from the local community (Forestry Enterprise and Strachur and District Local History Society). Kilmodan and Sandbank both attended on the same day and the pupils were given the opportunity to metal detect, trowel and bag finds, draw the plans of the site and sieve the spoil heap.
Continue reading GUARD at Tigh Caol