STEM

Grade three and Four

In Term One all Grade Three and Four students continued to explore how temperature affects different materials. They conducted an experiment to find out how long we can keep the ice cube as a solid by wrapping it in different materials. For example, when ice cube is was wrapped in bubble wrap, aluminium foil, a tea towel and no material. They investigated all four materials wrapped in ice cubes every 10 mins and discovered bubble wrap keeps the ice cube solid for the longest amount of time. 

Further, students conducted a self-inflated balloon experiment to find out how two chemicals would react to each other to form a new chemical (carbon dioxide CO2). They used vinegar (liquid) and bi carb soda (solid) together in a bottle and witnessed how the balloon inflated due to the chemical reaction in the bottle. They learnt new science vocabulary words and phrases such as ‘Inflating and deflating’. 

GRADE 5 AND 6

In Term One all Grade Five and Six students continued to explore how states of matter change. They used cold and hot water to see how temperature influences dissolving substances. They learnt how common substances (such as, salt, sugar, sand and oil) dissolved in water.  Further, they investigated how reversible changes are used in recycling. Students discussed and explored how a glass recycling reversible change how a glass bottle would melt down into a liquid form (cullet) and then re-moulded into a new shape. 

Furthermore, they investigated how reversible changes are used to recycle water. They learnt why it is important to care for our precious water. They explored the key processes of the water cycle such as; evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation, infiltration and run-off. They discovered how this cycle has been altered by building dams and reservoirs that store water, which is then piped into taps to supply water to people.