Yesterday we joined the P2B’s for Christmas party games.
Monthly Archives: December 2024
Budding architects……
Building Nocturnal Homes: A STEM Adventure in P2
Last week, Primary 2 embarked on an exciting STEM challenge to design and create nocturnal animal dens! With teamwork, creativity, and a whole lot of imagination, the children used their engineering skills to build cozy homes for their chosen animals—complete with some unexpected luxuries like TVs and hot tubs!
Designing with Care
The challenge began with some big questions: What makes a good home for a nocturnal animal? and How can we build it using the materials we have? Working in small groups, the children chose their animals—badger, fox, owl, or hedgehog—and got to work sketching their designs.
- “A hedgehog’s house needs lots of leaves to stay warm”
- “Our fox needs a secret tunnel to hide”
The children carefully thought about the needs of their animals, considering shelter, safety, and comfort, all while showing off their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Creating with Junk
With their designs ready, it was time to build! Armed with junk materials like cardboard boxes, bottles, paper, and string, the groups brought their designs to life. The classroom buzzed with excitement as everyone worked together, using their meta-skills:
- Cate the Collaborator helped them share ideas and work as a team.
- Focusing Fergus kept everyone on track, even when things got tricky.
- Critical Thinking Chris inspired them to problem-solve when parts of their designs didn’t go as planned.
The results were nothing short of spectacular!
- The owl’s home had a cosy corner for resting and reflective tape so it could fly in and out of its home.
- The badger’s den featured a television!
- The fox’s den had a clever tunnel entrance and a hot tub.
- The hedgehog’s house was packed with leaves and even had an extra space for the baby.
Sharing Our Creations
Once the homes were complete, each group presented their work to the class, explaining how their design met the needs of their nocturnal animal. The presentations showcased not only their creativity but also their growing confidence in speaking to an audience.
The children loved hearing about each other’s designs, and the variety of ideas sparked even more creativity!
The Aftermath
By the end of the session, the classroom was a total mess—but they children enjoyed themselves and ended the lesson with a smile on their faces.
What We Learned
This STEM challenge gave the children a chance to:
- Apply their understanding of nocturnal animals and their habitats.
- Use design thinking to solve real-world problems.
- Develop collaboration, focus, and critical thinking skills through teamwork.
Next Steps
Inspired by the success of this project, the children are already asking what we can build next! Maybe a rocket for exploring the stars or a bridge for animals to cross safely?
The pull of the tide!
Primary 2 had an exciting, hands-on learning experience at Sound Beach, where we explored the fascinating world of tides and the moon’s role in creating them. The visit combined science, fun, and a little bit of magic as the children measured tides, investigated rock pools, and enjoyed the wonders of the seaside.
Morning Mysteries: Investigating High Tide
We began our adventure in the morning, just as the tide was nearing its highest point. Armed with sticks and big imaginations, the children worked in groups to place their markers at the edge of the water. They were amazed to learn that the moon’s gravitational pull helps control the movement of the ocean!
“I wonder where the sticks will be when we come back”
” Do you think someone will steal them?”
After placing our markers, we had time to explore nearby rock pools, where we discovered tiny crabs, slippery seaweed, and even a few shiny shells that looked like treasures.
Afternoon Exploration: Low Tide Discoveries
When we returned to Sound Beach in the afternoon, the scene had completely changed! The water had pulled far back, exposing sandy stretches and more rock pools to explore. The children were thrilled to see how far their sticks were from the water now—it was a powerful visual of the tide’s movement.
“Wow!! Look how far away the water is”
“Look, our stick is still in the sand”
We measured the distance between the morning high tide and the afternoon low tide using footsteps, sparking lots of curiosity about how far the water travels and how the moon manages this incredible feat.
A Playful Finish
After all our hard work measuring and observing, it was time for some well-earned fun! The children jumped into rock pools, created sand angels, and even unearthed a few “hidden treasures” like shells and smooth pebbles.
What We Learned
Back in the classroom, we talked about how the moon’s gravity pulls on the Earth’s water, creating high and low tides. 
