Year -1/2 Unit

Last week students followed steps to make a groovy lava lamp. They had so much fun and some students asked for the instructions so that they could recreate the lava lamps at home. 

Here are the instructions for making a lava lamp at home.

How to Make a Lava Lamp!

Goal:

To create a fun, fizzy lava lamp that shows how liquids with different densities behave when combined, and to explore how gas bubbles can move liquids in a colourful and exciting way!

What You Need:

• A clear plastic bottle or cup

• Water

• Vegetable oil

• Alka-Seltzer tablets

• Food colouring

• Funnel (optional)

Steps:

1. Fill the bottle halfway with water. Add a few drops of food colouring.

2. Pour vegetable oil into the bottle, filling it nearly to the top. Let it settle so the oil and water separate.

3. Break the Alka-Seltzer tablet into pieces and drop one into the bottle.

4. Watch the magic happen! The bubbles will move up and down, just like a lava lamp.

Fun Fact:

The oil floats on top of the water because it's less dense. The Alka-Seltzer creates bubbles, making the coloured water rise and fall!

Conclusion:

By making this lava lamp, you can see how liquids with different densities don’t mix and why the oil stays on top. You also learned how gas bubbles can make the water move in a fun and colourful way.

Students then wrote their own procedural texts based on the lava lamps they made.

During this week’s Inquiry lesson students explored how computers had changed over time. They were surprised to learn that early computers were as big as a room and could play simple games and music.

Students have also completed place value activities in maths, explaining the value of the digits in the number, making the highest and lowest numbers, and ordering numbers using place value to help. 

This week one of the biggest highlights was going on the Woodend History Walk. Students learned about the bluestone bridge, streets, buildings and homes. Some students were amazed to find out that bushrangers robbed people on their way to and from their way to the goldfields, in the Black Forest. The vintage car out the front of Islay House was especially awesome! This walk tied in well with our inquiry lessons which have focused on inventions in homes and schools and students will be using the experience in our writing across the next few weeks. 

Students also loved making butter this week. They each got a turn at shaking the cream to turn it into butter. This was a simple but effective process where students could experience the steps in real time. Many students had a taste test and said it was good. 

Year 1/2 Teachers

Greer Arnold/Iain Sparrey (12A), Christine Endress (12E), Lyndsay Adamson (12L), 

Katherine Richardson (12R), Juliet Smith /Emma Beaumont (12S)