STEP 1 DPSM 2020-2021

 STEP 1 

Environmental Awareness and Care 

This is a sample of some of the conservation & environmental awareness projects completed in our school this year. These projects were done by 3rd class, they created a fantastic display which we were all able to learn from. Well done 3rd class, fantastic work!!

Planting:

Children in all classes plant seeds as part of environmental awareness and care.

Mrs Doheny's Senior Infants 

Ms Beecher's Class - Sunflowers!

Nature Walks:

Several classes went for Autumn Nature walks this year to observe and record the signs of Autumn. We are fortunate to have Monivea Woods nearby and everyone always enjoys a walk to the woods!

Materials 

Senior Infants Science Experiment

Strand: Materials.  Strand Unit: Properties and characteristics of materials

 Experiment: Investigating which materials are waterproof.

In November, our theme was The Fire Station. As part of this theme, we wanted to find out what kind of material would be best for making wellington boots. After much discussion we concluded that the best material would be waterproof. To this end we investigated which of four materials, kitchen roll, newspaper, card, or tin foil were waterproof. We wanted it to be a fair test, so we decided to put the same amount of water on each material. After making predictions, all the children tested the materials with one teaspoon of water and the discovery was that tin foil was the best of the three. To take the experiment further we decided to see if any of the materials was inflammable as this was also deemed to be an important property of boots. Only the teacher conducted this part of the experiment, but all pupils observed. Tin foil again emerged as the only inflammable material.

The children then completed a worksheet recording their discoveries. 

Living Things 

Mrs Keane's junior infants had great fun learning about worms and all the work they do for our environment. As part of their learning they had to go digging for worms in the field next door to the school. Once they found enough worms Mrs Keane's class created their very own wormery so that they could actually see how hard the worms work under the ground!

Energy and Forces - SPACE WEEK ACTIVITY!

Here is an experiment Mrs Keane's class did while learning about energy and forces....it was great fun!!!

Launching!

Junior Infants- Mrs. Keane

Rocket Launch 1

Equipment: Large balloons (long shaped) (Round ones will work but the long balloons

look more like a rocket.), Balloon pump, String OR cotton thread OR fishing

line 3-4 m long, Drinking straw, Clothes-peg, Sellotape, Two chairs

Preparation: Collection of materials

The air coming out of the back of the balloon pushes the balloon forward. This is

how rockets work – the hot burning gases rushing out the back of the rockets

push them forwards.

Skills: Investigating and experimenting

Activity:

·       Blow up a long-shaped balloon and let it go. Notice what happens. (The balloon will travel off in random fashion as the air rushes out the back of it.)

·       Now control the path of the balloon by connecting it to a piece of string. (The balloon will whiz along the string).

Safety: Care with the string.

Rocket Launch 2

1.      Blow up a long-shaped balloon and let it go.

2.     Notice what happens.

3.     Pull string through a drinking straw.

4.     Tie the string to two chairs and pull it tight.

5.     Blow up a long-shaped balloon and keep the air in it using a clothes peg.

6.     Using sellotape attach the balloon to the side of the straw.

7.     Pull the whole thing back to the beginning of the string and take off the clothes peg and

8.     Launch your rocket!

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Mr Faherty's 5th and 6th Class also learned about Energy and Forces this year.

Testing the effect of air pressure.

Equipment:

matches, glass, candle, plate, water, food colouring

Steps:

1) Fill the plate with water and add food colouring

2) Light the candle and place in centre of plate.

3) Place glass over the lit candle

4) When the candle is extinguished due to lack of oxygen the water level inside the glass will rise. 

Reason for water level rising: When the glass is placed over the lit candle it causes the air inside the glass to heat up. This lowers the air pressure inside the glass. Therefore the air pressure outside the glass is greater than inside the glass. When the candle goes out the greater air pressure outside the glass forces the water inside the glass causing the water level inside the glass to rise.

Variations: Use various amounts of water, Use more or less candles, use a bigger or smaller glass to put over the candle.

Maths: Measure the liquid, time how long it takes the candle to extinguish, measure how much the liquid rises inside the glass

SCIENCE WEEK ACTIVITIES  

This year for science week lots of our classes looked at Health & Wellbeing

Junior Infants explored the importance of having a healthy environment to live in. They looked at and discussed healthy food, healthy air and healthy water, and how all of these things create a healthy environment for us to live in.

Cleaning the Ocean!

Classes from 3rd to 6th looked at the importance of having a healthy mind, each class designed posters to promote this idea, they did fantastic work!!

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