Category Archives: Science

Generation Science visit Barcaldine Primary

The children of Barcaldine Primary School recently had the Generation Science team visit them to do a workshop. The Marvellous Magnets workshop was thoroughly enjoyed by all the children. We were transported into the mysterious world of magnets and we had fun being the scientist and being able to learn about magnetic attraction and repulsion as well and fields and poles. We explored how magnetic forces have an effect on our world like the magnetic Poles and the Northern lights.

Exciting News from St. Muns!

St. Mun’s Pupils Awarded Blue Peter Green Badge
The Rolls Royce Science Project, ‘If You Go Down In The Woods Today’, has definitely inspired a number of children in the school. None more so than 3 Primary 7s, Leonie Cuddahy, Ewan McIntosh and Scott Stewart, who decided to write to Blue Peter and tell them what they had been up to over the course of the last year.

Continue reading Exciting News from St. Muns!

Port Ellen News

Successful Scent-Citizens

‘Scent-Citizens’, a social enterprise business run by P4/5 in Port Ellen Primary School, has been presented with a Social Enterprise Academy Award by John Swinney, Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth.

Continue reading Port Ellen News

Rockfield Primary Kodu competition

P7/6/5G
Rockfield’s Budding Computer Programmers
Congratulations to all the children in P7/6/5G who participated in the recent Argyll and Bute Kodu Competition. P7/6G took part in the competition last year and very willingly shared their expertise with the children in P5G. The children worked individually or in small groups within their age category to produce some fabulous games with very interesting titles like Litter, Pollution and Disco Heaven.
Continue reading Rockfield Primary Kodu competition

Marine Biology Visit to Luss

Pupils in P5-7 at Luss Primary School were lucky enough to have a visit from the Loch Lomond Fisheries Trust. Ms. Bryce, who is a marine biologist and Mr. Adams, showed the children a wonderful slideshow of photographs explaining all about the native and invasive species which live in Loch Lomond.

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Busy Bees at Luss

The children at Luss Primary have been learning all about the ways in which bumblebees are very important to us.

P5-7 are taking part in the Big Bumblebee Discovery science adventure and received a free experiment pack and lavender plant. They have also been learning about habitats of bees, how to create a nesting site or bee box and how to rescue a bee that has run out of energy due to cold or wet weather.
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Art in the Outdoor Environment at Rhunahaorine

Children in Rhunahaorine Pre 5 Unit were interested to see the daffodils blooming in the garden. This could only mean…Spring had arrived! They wondered about all the flowers that grow in Spring and looked closely at some daffodils and other flowers. Then they decided to paint some daffodil pictures- outdoors of course!

Now all the daffodils have gone we are learning more about summer flowers growing around us and how the bees help the plants to grow fruit.

Continue reading Art in the Outdoor Environment at Rhunahaorine

Food Revolution Day at Luss

On Friday the children at Luss Primary tuned into a cooking live event with Jamie Oliver. They all worked together and each made a rainbow wrap .They all brought in graters and spent 20 minutes grating carrots, cabbage, radishes, pears and beetroot. They then made a yoghurt dressing with mint and parsley. Finally the wrap was ready to be topped with feta before being rolled up and eaten.

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SCIENCE IN ACTION

Kilchrenan Primary pupils have been learning about the science of plant with Mrs Love, and now it is time to put their new knowledge into action and develop some practical science skills. They selected a range of vegetables and fruit for their new mini greenhouse: two types of tomato, strawberry, garlic, beetroot, mini cucumbers, cabbage and more. They took time to reassess the state of planters around the school. Some have been thrown out and new ones purchased and planted with differing types of plants to attract different types of insects, all to increase biodiversity in the school grounds. Continue reading SCIENCE IN ACTION

Baird of Bute Scholarship

Rothesay Academy recently held an assembly in partnership with the Baird of Bute Society to announce the winners of The Inaugural Baird of Bute Canadian Scholarship. This scholarship has been organised by Mr Chris Markwell of the Baird of Bute Society, and will commence on the 18th of May for three weeks.
This years’ winners are Bonnie Caldwell and Joshua McFadden. They will spend three weeks in Canada and will be working with Professor Patrick Gunning at his lab in the University of Toronto.

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NEW HOTEL OPENS IN GARELOCHHEAD GROUNDS!

P1 & P2 children in Garelochhead Primary worked together with their teachers Mrs Clark and Ms Macaulay to build a bug Hotel in the Anniversary Garden. Recycled resources were sorted, adapted and shaped into a new home for minibeasts. Pupils worked collaboratively in the garden to design and make a hotel fit for the 21st century!
Their biodiversity studies are part of the school’s work to achieve a 3rd Green Flag.
Let’s hope lots of guests arrive soon!

Continue reading NEW HOTEL OPENS IN GARELOCHHEAD GROUNDS!

Zoolab visit Barcaldine PS

Barcaldine Primary School recently had a visit from an ‘Eco Investigator from Zoolab’.

Anthony from Zoolab descended upon us with a huge big box in tow to discuss with us our environment and what creatures and animals require from their environment to survive. The children got to touch, feel and handle the various animals but there were a few we didn’t dare touch!! Some of the animals had to stay inside their boxes but we did get a chance to see them when they appeared from their hiding place! Continue reading Zoolab visit Barcaldine PS

Generation Science Visits Islay

Islay and Jura Primaries Bright Sparks project was enhanced by a truly engaging and fascinating ‘Power from the People’ show and workshop brought to the pupils of all five schools by the Generation Science Team from the ‘Edinburgh International Science Festival’.

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P.7 Science and Technology Day at Islay High School

In conjunction with the ‘Bright Sparks’ joint science project, Primary 7 children across Islay and Jura spent the day at Islay High School involved in a range of learning experiences working with pupils from different schools.  ‘Bright Sparks’ was the name given to a project planned and implemented by teachers of senior pupils across the five primary schools. In collaboration with Mr Phil Kitching and the rest of the Science Department at the High School, a variety of exciting activities and challenges were organised. Continue reading P.7 Science and Technology Day at Islay High School

Barcaldine visit Tesco

Barcaldine Primary School recently went along to Tesco in Oban to take part in their Farm to Food workshop.

The school children were met by Nicola Robertson who was wearing a lovely, bright yellow apron – certainly a beacon to follow because Tesco is huge!

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The Luss Powan Blog

The children of Luss Primary School in class P5-7 have gone blogging mad!

They decided that this year they would write a blog, in order to detail the development of their very special powan fish eggs. This means that the local and wider community can follow the various steps involved in caring for this endangered ice age fish. The children are delighted, as their blog has had views from as far afield as the USA and Australia.

Continue reading The Luss Powan Blog

Earth Hour!

The pupils of Park Primary dressed in bright and shiny clothes on Friday 28th March in support of WWF’s Earth Hour. We also switched off all the lights in the school from 12noon until 1pm. We hope the children will get their parents to join in the Global Earth Hour from 8.30-9.30pm on Saturday 29th March by switching off their lights at home.

Mud, Glorious Mud!

Early Level children and staff at Rhunahaorine have embraced the wet weather this spring and created a marvellous mud kitchen.
Children have been making mud cakes, pies and ice cream… exploring volume, capacity, texture and much more in a multi sensory way.
When they have finished they have to do the washing up of course- outside!

Continue reading Mud, Glorious Mud!

Bright Sparks at Small Isles Primary

This term the P5-7 children in all the primary schools on Islay and Jura are learning about science and technology. We have been learning about electrical circuits, creating electronic devices, simple programming and discussing the links to real life technologies.

The P5-7s from Keills came to Jura on the 4th March for a technology challenge day, where we shared what we had been learning and had lots of fun! Here’s a few thoughts about the day. Continue reading Bright Sparks at Small Isles Primary

Victorian CCTV Camera – or Camera Obscura: You Decide.

Pupils from Lochgilphead High School Princes Trust 3xl group spent 3 days in Edinburgh as part of their photography project. They stayed at the wonderfully equipped Forth Lodge based in Bonaly outdoor centre. The group visited the Camera Obscura to learn about different aspects of imagery, textures and optical illusions. There were 5 floors full of new and exciting interactive fun. The Camera Obscura advertises itself as the ‘eye in the sky’ Kieran McDonald of the group describes it as an early version of CCTV Continue reading Victorian CCTV Camera – or Camera Obscura: You Decide.