This week we continued with our studies of plant diversity in Sanquhar Woods. We worked in groups of four, looking at trees in particular and used leaf ID cards to try and identify the trees in our local environment. We photographed our findings and shared them with other groups.

P7s have been learning about tobacco smoking and its effect on the body as well as how culture, the media, peer groups, their own attitudes and values can influence them. We studied the Scottish and UK laws about tobacco, statistics and facts, the financial cost and the effect is has on health and looks. To round up our investigations we discussed why people, and especially young people start smoking.  We linked this to our previous understanding of what peer pressure is.

We have been finding Oystercatcher eggs laid in some unusual places in the school grounds. We are asking the children not to touch them in the hope that they will be incubated by the bird. This one was spotted in the planting tub!

Time in our ‘special place’.

Thinking…

Imagining…

Building on the work we did on bio-diversity we were learning about food chains and food webs. We acted out a Sanquhar Woods food web using string and found we were all linked together. Some of us used cameras to photograph where we thought living creatures might live. Other pupils went to create an emblem to mark their special place.  The only things we took from the woods today were photographs and the only thing we left behind were footprints!

P5N have finding out about the work that Christian Aid do in order to raise money to help those around the world in need. This year’s Christian Aid focus was about refugees and the journeys they have to make to escape war and find safety. The children presented a short assembly to the school last Friday afternoon. Today they did their fundraising activity. The children decided that they wanted to do a 5 mile sponsored walk. Although it was very much shorter than the journeys that refugees make, it gave the children time to reflect on their experiences.

As part of their John Muir work P5N went out on to the school field in pairs armed with a ruler and a trundle wheel and were tasked with measuring the height of the trees.

A cooler afternoon than group 1 had yesterday but still a great day for investigating plant diversity in Sanquhar Woods. We too had time to enjoy exploring then sitting and working in our ‘special place’.

We all agreed that ice cream is one of our favourite desserts. Most of us buy it from the supermarket. One or two of us have ice cream makers at home. None of us had made it using ice, salt, cream, milk, yoghurt and a bit of elbow grease. But now we have!

In our Science context we are learning about changes in materials.  Today we made observations about what happens when substances are added to water.  We mixed salt, flour, soil and sand with water and found that the salt dissolved but the others didn’t. The next step was to investigate the filtering process to separate substances from water.  This helped us to understand more about the differences between soluble and insoluble substances.  Our next step will be to use our notes and findings to write up our experiments.

P7H took to the playground to revise their mental and written multiplication methods.  Groups had 3 minutes at each question station where they had to decide on a method and find the answer together.  If they finished with time to spare they played clapping, chanting and racing games to help memorise their multiplication facts.