Science

Year 3 & 4

Year 3 and 4 students have begun their Physics learning by exploring the topic of heat. They learned that heat is a type of energy and investigated how heat affects the movement of particles. Through a visual demonstration using food dye in cold, room-temperature and hot water, students observed that molecules move more slowly with less heat energy and faster as heat energy increases.

Students also learned how to measure temperature using thermometers in different water temperatures. They then explored different producers of heat energy, including chemical, kinetic and electrical energy. This included watching a video demonstration of steel wool and vinegar creating an exothermic reaction, as well as conducting a kinetic energy experiment. Students rubbed a microfibre cloth on a metal coat hanger, plastic pen, cardboard tube and wooden skewer to investigate which material was the best conductor of heat.

Year 5 & 6

Year 5 and 6 students have been exploring the Physics topic of light. They began by sorting examples of natural and artificial light sources before investigating how light allows our eyes to see objects. Using a box experiment, students observed how objects became visible as more light was introduced.

Students also explored how light travels in straight lines by lining up cardboard pieces with holes and observing how light passed through each one to reach a solid card at the end. To finish the week, students conducted an experiment on how shadows are formed and how their size changes. By measuring the height of a glue stick’s shadow at increasing distances, students had a great opportunity to practise their science inquiry and measurement skills.

Stay curious and keep experimenting!

Katie Smith 

Science