STEM News
Prep students
Over the last 2 weeks Prep students have continued to explore weather through the seasons. They learnt about how the seasons affect the landscape, and how the weather can affect animals through migration or hibernation.
Resources used in class:
When and why animals migrate. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEhkYSyZ5Zs
What is hibernation? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FonCq9YJJxw&t=10s.
Grade 1 students
Grade 1s have been continuing to explore joining techniques and joining materials. They went on a treasure hunt around the classroom to try and find objects made from different materials – metal, glass, wood, plastic, paper and fabric. They practised their recording skills by drawing their own table in their book, and worked collaboratively to find all the materials in the classroom.
Resources used in class:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCKSMsbpn1Y&t=1s
Grade 2 students
Grade 2 students had a very exciting week last week because they all collaboratively built a water filter using their selected materials. The students chose 4 materials from the options of cotton wool, charcoal, leaves, grass, rocks, bark, paper and paper towel. Students were amazed that water could be cleaned using these simple everyday materials in a filter!
Resources used in class:
Make a water filter at home - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60Big9Ut6Mc&t=20s
Grade 3 students
Grade 3s started investigating the different methods that some cultures use for cooking food. They learnt about a hungi which uses geothermal heat from deep in the Earth to boil water and steam food; jigoku mushi which uses geothermal heat to cook food; and a ground oven which uses hot rocks and ashes to cook food. This investigation is to prepare students for their design project of creating a solar oven to melt chocolate.
Resources used in class:
Jigoku-mushi - https://beppu-yanagiya.jp/en/jigokumushi /
Hungi - https://teara.govt.nz/en/artwork/40267/inside-a-hangi
Grade 4 students
Grade 4s have continued their research and planning of how drought affects people, landscapes, animals and plants. Some students have started adding their research to an interactive keynote presentation.
Resources used in class:
What is drought? - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAf6bJphuqU
“Drought” by Jackie French and Bruce Whately -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goAhkZNhDek
Grade 5 students
Over the last 2 weeks grade 5s investigated different materials that simulate leaves. They were examining the adaptations of different leaves that make them more or less absorbent.
Grade 6 students
Students in grade 6 have continued to explore how electrical energy is generated in different ways, for example steam, wind, water and solar. They identified the positives and negatives of using fossil fuels versus renewable energy. They also manipulated and created a full electrical circuit to play arcade games, using Makey Makey kits.
What is Makey Makey? - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfQqh7iCcOU
What is energy? - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20Vb6hlLQSg&t=2s