Specialists at St Thomas

STSS

Students across the school have embraced our new science learning in the area of Chemical Science for Semester 2.

Foundation - Year 2

The junior school has been studying various objects and examining their properties. They have looked closely at objects to see what materials they are made from and have been exploring how different materials can change the way things move or work.

They are also learning to group materials based on how they feel and look. They are finding out what makes some materials strong, soft, flexible, or waterproof, and how these properties help us make useful things. They have observed that some objects are made from more than one material and are learning why that is important. We have had investigation walks around the school, looking at objects and analyzing what materials they are made from and why.

They have also participated in various tasks which fall under the Design Technology curriculum, where they learnt that comets are made of different materials like ice, dust, and rock and had fun making a comet of their own. They have also conducted an experiment to see which type of fabric raincoats should be made of to help keep us dry.

Year 3 & 4

The middle school students have been learning about states of matter (solids, liquids & gasses) and how we can classify these.

Students began the term with an experiment that saw them examining oobleck to see if they were able to classify it as a liquid or solid. They have since learnt that oobleck is a Non Newtonian fluid, which sometimes acts as a liquid and sometimes as a solid, depending on the amount of force applied to it.

Students have also participated in additional experiments where they have been learning about what happens when we add and remove heat from matter and how it changes through the different states of matter as a consequence.

In Digital Technology, they have also been introduced to coding where they have learnt about how computer programs follow instructions. They have learnt about simple block coding and how to work through debugging a program as errors arise. 

Year 5 & 6

The senior students have been learning all about the properties of matter. So far this term, the students have carried out several experiments. They have tested which (out of a liquid, solid or a gas) is able to be compressed. They have also considered how a presented group of objects can be classified based on their properties. Finally, students have also completed an experiment where they explored that air has volume and that it takes up space, by placing tissue paper in the bottom of a cup and fully submerging the cup in water. The aim of this was to see if the tissue paper would get wet or if it was protected by the gases already present.

In Digital Technology, the Year 5 & 6 students have been learning how to safely collaborate online in order to complete a group task. They have looked at the possible dangers of this and also its benefits.

Kind regards,

Chantel Prince

(On behalf of the STSS Team)

Contact Us

specialist@cranbourneeast.catholic.edu.au OR