Science - Ms Foley

Juniors:

This term in Physical Sciences the juniors have been investigating how we use our senses in our everyday lives. We have posed questions such as, ‘How can we hear?  How can we see?”.  We have become ‘Sound Spies’ and have found that there are lots of inside school noises and outside noises. We used annotated drawings to show our results. We also created light puppets using plastic lids and permanent markers. We discovered that light can only travel through transparent objects and it can’t travel through opaque objects. 

Middles: 

This term in Physical Sciences the middle school students have been learning about forces. We have been investigating Rube Goldberg machines. We have found that he invented machines that do simple things in very complicated ways. We have discovered that machines don’t always need a power source such as electricity but can also be created using forces. We have investigated the use of ramps and have found out that the higher the ramp the further a ball can travel. We have also been learning the importance of recording our results and data and always ensuring we have evidence when we make claims. 

Seniors: 

This term we finished up our Earth and Space Science unit by completing an engineering challenge. In a team we had to create a structure which could withstand an earthquake. This challenge involved us working together to stay within our budget and ensuring we used our scientific knowledge (such as cross bracing) when creating our shelter. We were able to test our results on a shaker table. 

In Physical Sciences we have been investigating circuits. We were challenged to complete a cutaway diagram to show how we think a torch works.  We also have started investigating circuits using batteries, wires and light globes. 

The students have really enjoyed the hands-on experiences this term. It is so nice to see them investigate, pose and ask questions and challenge themselves and each other.