Focus on Science

Foundation Students

Last term, our Foundation students focused on materials. They learnt new words to describe the properties of materials. The Foundation students grouped materials based on the different properties such as; dull, shiny, hard, soft, rough, smooth, bendy, flexible, stretchy, light, heavy, natural and made. A favourite investigation was using their senses to test different types of hats; helmets, hard hats, sun hats, beanies, swimming caps and shower caps.

This term our Foundation students are continuing with their work on materials, delving deeper to explore how these properties can help objects do a job. Many more exciting investigations to come!

Grade 1 Students

Last term, our Grade 1 students focused on features of plants and animals. They completed lots of amazing drawings and developed their labeling skills.  A favourite investigation was using their knowledge to group different toy animals together based on their features.

This term our Grade 1 students are continuing with their work on living things, looking at how these features help living things to survive.

Grade 2 Students

Last term, our Grade 2 students focused on mixtures. They participated in many different experiments, determining if two substances were mixable or unmixable. A favourite investigation was looking at gelatine mixtures and how the properties change as we add different substances and over time.

This term our Grade 2 students are continuing with their work on materials, using their knowledge to discover how materials can be physically changed by different actions.

Grade 3 Students

Last term, our Grade 3 students focused on living things. They determined the difference between living, non-living and once-living things. A favourite investigation was zooming in on the life cycle of a plant and looking specifically at germination by observing a bean grow without soil.

This term our Grade 3 students are continuing with their work on living things, looking at food chains and the roles of producers, consumers and decomposers.

Grade 4 Students

Last term, our Grade 4 students focused on solids, liquids and gases. They investigated some of the properties of the states of matter and used these properties to classify matter. A favourite investigation was watching water vapour from a kettle condense back into a liquid when it touched an icy cold plate.

This term our Grade 4 students are continuing with their work on matter, using their knowledge to look at materials and their suitability for a specific purpose.

Grade 5 Students

Last term, our Grade 5 students focused on adaptations. They discovered the different types of and reasons for animal and plant adaptations. A favourite investigation was determining the importance of the human adaptation of opposable thumbs.

This term our Grade 5 students are continuing with their work on living things, exploring the survival of organisms when the physical conditions of their environment are changed.

Grade 6 Students

Last term, our Grade 6 students focused on solids, liquids and gases. They observed the properties of matter and modelled the arrangement of their particles. A favourite investigation was determining which states of matter could be compressed.

This term our Grade 6 students are continuing with their work on the states of matter, looking at how changes to substances may be reversible or irreversible.

Mariah Wylie

Science Teacher