Experiments in Mrs Doheny's Class - Energy and Forces Step 1 and Maths Step 4

Strand: Energy and Forces

Strand Unit: Forces (air)

1.    We considered whether air is strong.

2.   Many children posited that moving air is strong as evidenced by the recent storms

3.   We thought we might see could we prove this in the classroom

4.   Then we might look at whether still air is strong.

Experiment 1:  Is moving air strong?

Equipment; A hairdryer and a ping pong ball.

Children predicted whether the moving air from the hairdryer might be able to hold up a light ball. Some children thought it would, others thought it might fall off the air column.

So we tried it... see photos and the moving air was able to hold up a table tennis ball weighing 2.7g.

Experiment 2; Is still air strong?

Equipment: A table and 8 balloons.

We turned a table upside down and placed 8 balloons under it.

The children predicted that if a child walked across the upturned table that the balloons would cetainly burst. So we tried it! The balloons were able to hold up the weight of the children. Still air is strong. Each child took a turn walking over the table.

We found out that the average weight of a 7 year old is about 22 kg. We worked out that each balloon could support almost 3kg of weight.

Then we thought of practical applications of this ability of air to be strong and we thought of air beds and tyres.

Who knew air could be such fun!

Shapes of Science workshop Galway Science Festival - Step 1 Science week and Step 4 Maths

This year for Science Week, as well as all the activities we did in school Miss Slattery organised 'Shapes of Science workshop Galway Science Festival' for 3rd to 6th class. 

The workshops lasted about 40 minutes and involved the discovery of the fundamental three-dimensional objects known as the platonic solids through hands-on construction. The children encountered some fundamental concepts of geometry through a physical experimental process, Maths and science combined are great fun, have a look at our photos to see.....

STEP 1 - Environmental Awareness and Care - Junior Infant Bird Feeders-Mrs. Keane

Bird Feeders

Winter is approaching and the weather is getting colder. Birds find it difficult at this time of year to find insects, worms, seeds and berries. In Junior Infants we decided that we can help them to stay alive by making our own bird feeders.

Preparation:

We brought in recycled plastic bottles with tops. We decided that instead of using pencils as a perch for the birds we would use chopsticks.

We also needed a scissors, a funnel, twine and sunflower seeds.

Method:

We started the bird feeders by prodding small holes around the bottle. This was done by the teacher.
Two holes were made opposite each other approximately one third of the way up the bottle. We pushed the chop sticks through the two holes to make a perch.

The teacher then made two holes opposite each other close to the top of the bottle.With teacher guidance we fed the twine through the two holes. 

A loop was then made for the feeder to be hung off a branch of a tree.

Using a funnel we poured sunflower seeds into the bottle and then put    the lid back on the bottle.

      

Here are our completed bird feeders ready to be brought home. Hopefully they will attract lots of birds, such as the gold finch, green finch, siskin and robin. We hope they won't go hungry this winter.

STEP 4 MATHS (maths trail) - Maths Week 2018

For Maths Week 2018 we took part in lots of fun activities. All classes did maths trails outside, we all enjoyed the Maths Eyes competition and also the poets in Scoil Mhuire made the most of our Acrostic Poetry Competition about Maths Week!!!  Our Senior classes even incorporated maths into their art for maths week....maths really is everywhere!!!

Thank you Mrs Doheny for organising a fantastic Maths Week for us all!!

STEP 1 - Environmental Awareness and Care - Making a Bird Feeder - Juniors/Mrs. Marlborough

As we are now approaching winter and the increasing cold and bad weather the children learned all about the importance of feeding the birds.Birds find it hard at this time of year to find insects, worms and seeds. We decided that we can help them by making our own bird feeders.


Preparation - We needed empty plastic bottles with caps, a scissors, pencils or something similar to act as a perch, a funnel, twine and sunflower seeds.

The children all brought in recycled plastic bottles and we decided that instead of using pencils as a perch for the birds we would use chopsticks.

We started the bird feeders by prodding small holes around the bottle. This was done by the teacher.
Two holes were made opposite each other approximately one third of the way up the bottle. The children with the help of the teacher pushed through the chop sticks to make a perch.

                                       

The teacher then made two holes opposite each other close to the top of the bottle. With teacher guidance the children fed through the twine through the  two holes.A loop was then made for the feeder to be hung off a branch of a tree. With a funnel the children poured sunflower seeds into bottle and then put the lid back on the bottle.

Here are our completed bird feeders ready to be brought home.Hopefully they will attract lots of birds to our gardens such as the gold finch, green finch, siskin and robin and that they won't go hungry this winter.