Category Archives: STEM 2017

Primary 7, Sciences, STEM 2017, Uncategorized

Cool Chemistry in P7/6

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LI: We are learning to identify the features of a fair test

LI: We are learning to classify materials

SC: I can identify that a material/substance has changed through decay, cooking, burning, rusting, melting and dissolving.

I can investigate what causes this change.

This week we kicked off our new topic ‘Cool Chemistry’ and we have been very busy discovery what chemistry is and what processes we have to go through when conducting an experiment.We are all excited that we are going to be learning about chemistry and what this involves. At the beginning of the week we looked how materials can changed through different processes. We were all given a small piece of clay which we examined and we had to describe its properties. Some of the words that we came up with were: flexible, moist, dusty, strong smell, squishy, gritty and soft. We then watched a film to see what happens to clay when it gets fired in a kiln. Once the clay had gone through the heating process the properties of it were very different. Some of the words that we used to describe the properties of the fired clay were: smooth, hard, fragile, rigid, breakable. We discussed how clay would not be able to go back to its original form and came up with other materials that this would happen to when they have gone through a change, we discussed that  bread and eggs could not go back to their original form.

We also learned about fair testing, what this involves and why it is necessary. Once we had learned about fair testing we then conducted our own investigation into what melts faster, butter or chocolate. We discussed how we could make this a fair test and decided that we had to keep the water at the same temperature when melting the butter and chocolate, the water had to be the same amount and the butter and chocolate had to be the same amount otherwise this would not be fair and our results might vary. We made predictions and were surprised at some of the results. We are looking forward to learning more about chemistry over the coming weeks.

 

Keep your eyes peeled for more experiments.

 

Miss Anderson

 

Interdisciplinary Learning, Primary 1, Primary 2, STEM 2017, Technologies

P2/1 – Building Our Nursery

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We are learning to understand that different materials are used for different purposes.

We are learning to investigate the properties of different materials.

  • I can name different materials and explain why they might be used for different parts of a building.
  • I can find a variety of materials around the school and explain why it has been used for the purpos

This week we have been exploring the different materials we can use to build and design, we had a choice of different rotations:

  • Using machinery in the sand to build.
  • Designing plans for the nursery in the architect’s office.
  • Selecting materials to build a nursery.
Primary 5, Sciences, STEM 2017, Technologies, Uncategorized

Mission 6: Fingerprint Discovered

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Learning Intention: We are learning what a fingerprint is
– I understand that everyone has a unique fingerprint
– I can identify the key features of my own fingerprint
– I know how and why the police use fingerprints to help them solve crimes

As part of our STEM IDL context, Kidnapped, P5B have been receiving missions from Police Chief Anderson to help Police HQ to find Jack and Sarah Green. This week, we discovered that a fingerprint was found on the strap of a watch belonging to Jack. Chief Anderson sent our investigation teams a fingerprinting kit so that we could find out more about our own fingerprints. 

We learned there are 3 main characteristics to look for; loop, whorl and arch. We put our fingerprints onto a balloon first and inflated it so that we could see our print pattern more clearly. We used magnifying glasses to get an even closer look.

We then took prints of all ten of our fingers and analysed them to find the specific characteristics of each one. It was interesting to compare all ten fingers and see which was the most common characteristic. We recorded out findings and added this to our growing case files.

We also discussed how difficult it must have been for the police to match fingerprints in the days before technology. We used our own and the school devices to find out when the first crime was solved using fingerprint evidence- all the way back in 1892!

Learning Letters, Maths & Numeracy, Sciences, STEM 2017, Technologies

Primary 4 STEM Context: Project Planetarium

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P4 are focusing on Project Planetarium for our STEM topic.
Here are our key questions…
1. How do the sun and moon affect the length of the day, month, year and seasons?
2. What does the solar system look like?
3. What are the features of the different planets?
4. How and why do people become astronauts?
5. How have spacecrafts changed over time and what are their features?

Our context will develop our knowledge and skills in the key curricular areas of:
Science: Safely observing and recording the sun and moon and describe their patterns of movement/changes, observing and researching features of the solar system.
Maths: Collation of data, displaying data and scale.
Technologies: Technological advances over time and using and accessing information.

Ms Richmond, Primary 4 and I are excited to discover more about our solar system!

Learning Letters, Primary 5, STEM 2017

Primary 5’s IDL Context: Kidnapped

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For Primary 5’s STEM context for learning, we have been asked to help Police Chief Anderson to solve the mystery of the kidnapping of the Green children.

Our context will develop our knowledge and skills in the key curricular areas of:

Maths- time, symmetry and scale
Science- properties and uses of substances
Technologies- technological advances over time and using and accessing information

The key questions we will be exploring are:

  1. What motive would someone have for taking the Green children?
  2. What evidence can we use to help us to find them?
  3. What methods, evidence and technologies do the police use in 2017 to help them to solve crimes?
  4. How has the way that the police solve crimes changed over last 30 years?
  5. What work does Green Technologies do and why are people so against it?

Primary 5 are excited to get stuck in to the evidence and begin their investigations. Watch this space…

Learning Letters, Maths & Numeracy, Primary 1, Primary 2, Sciences, STEM 2017, Technologies

Primary 1 and Primary 2/1: Building Our Nursery

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For our STEM context for learning we are going to be helping the builders to build our nursery!

Our learning will focus on:

  • Science: Materials
  • Technologies: Design
  • Maths: Measure

The questions we decided we wanted to explore are:

  1. What materials will we use to build our nursery and why?
  2. What machines will we need and how do they work?
  3. Which tools will we use to build our nursery and why?
  4. Who will help us build our nursery?
  5. How will we design the inside of our nursery and what will we need?
  6. When will we open our new nursery and how will we open it?
Learning Letters, Maths & Numeracy, Primary 2, Primary 3, Sciences, STEM 2017, Technologies

Primary 3/2 STEM Context: Brompton Bike Challenge

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For our STEM context for learning we are going to be learning about the Brompton Bike Challenge!

Our learning will focus on:

  • Science: Senses and Materials
  • Technologies: Design
  • Maths: Measure

The questions we decided we wanted to explore are:

  1. What is a safe bike? Who uses bikes? RESEARCH and NOTE TAKING ON MIND MAP
  2. What senses are used with a bike accessory? SENSES
  3. What materials are used to make a bike accessory? RESEARCH and MATERIALS
  4. How do you design a bike accessory.? DESIGN and PROBLEM SOLVING (design brief)
  5. How do you build a bike accessory? MEASURE and CONSTRUCTION
Learning Letters, Primary 3, STEM 2017

P3 Baby Gym Challenge!

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Primary 3 received a letter today! After opening our letter we discovered that we have been set an exciting challenge to design and make a baby gym that is suitable for a small baby.

Here are our key questions that we will explore this term:

1. What is a baby gym?

2. What senses does a baby use when playing with a baby gym?

3. How do you design a baby gym?

4. How do you build a baby gym?

5. How do you advertise a baby gym?

We will work in small design teams explore our key questions and design and make our baby gym. We will have to work as a team, make decisions and solve design problems and questions along the way.

We will also have the opportunity to advertise and present our baby gym to other children in the school and we might even have a visit from baby Ailish who we are designing our baby gym for!

Wish us luck!

Miss Clark and Primary 3

 

Learning Letters, Primary 7, STEM 2017

Primary 6, 7/6 and 7 Cool Chemistry

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The Upper block are really looking forward to beginning our STEM topic for Term 3!

Have a look at our key questions which we will be aiming to answer during this five week topic.

  1. How do we ensure a fair and accurate test that has proved or disproved a hypothesis?
  2. What changes occur to different materials when introduced to another substance?
  3. What can affect the rate and how well substances dissolve?
  4. How are soluble and insoluble materials separated in water?
  5. Are there changes to substances which can be reversed?

Keep an eye out for photos and videos of our up and coming experiments on our blog page!

chemistry