As part of our topic on light we have been learning all about reflective materials. Class Three tested different materials to see if they reflected or absorbed light. They used this knowledge to design a new running jacket for Mrs Coker to keep her safe. I think you will agree the designs look fantastic! The children were all very enthusiastic and have continued to point out reflective materials as they see them.
Class Three have continued to learn all about rocks and soils. We have learnt how fossils form and about the work of Mary Anning. We made our own fossils by creating a mould using plasticine then filling this with Plaster of Paris. We finished then off by painting the set plaster. Don’t they look amazing!
Before the break, Scafell began an experiment to see if they could grow Salt crystals in the classroom. We explored substances which dissolve, and then asked the question “how can we get it back?”
Dissolving salt into water, we then watched and waited as, over time, the water slowly evaporated. As it did so, the salt we dissolved in was left behind!
We did have some unexpected results as the salt crystals formed on the outside of the glass instead of the string as we’d expected, but we certainly got a lot of crystals forming!
Reception have had a wonderful time at the Wildlife Oasis in Milnthorpe today. We enjoyed learning about some less well-known creatures and their habitats. The first workshop was about conservation and fitted in nicely with our topic about Sir David Attenborough. We learnt about the habitats of stick insects, millipedes and the fascinating leaf insect! All these animals originate from the Amazon Rainforest and we thought about why they were suited to this habitat. A tower of Jenga blocks all being removed at the same time was a great visual representation of what might happen to these animals when the trees in the rainforest are cut down. A second game of Jenga, which involved replacing blocks as well as removing them, showed us how planting a tree for each one that is cut down can help sustainability. We also learnt about everyday products which come from the rainforest and were very surprised at some of them! We then enjoyed getting up close to a blue tongued skink, leaf cutter ants, meerkats and lemurs to name just a few!
Wow, what an amazing day we have had at the Westmorland County Agricultural Society Farm Open Day at Heaves Farm. We were complimented often on our good answers and questions and we listened carefully and showed excellent manners throughout the whole day.
Here is what some of the children had to say on our return…
I loved it when a calf came and licked my hand. It felt slobbery! AB
Did you know cows have 4 stomachs? ER
My favourite thing was seeing the piglets and the lambs. GH
I liked seeing the sheep dogs as they are my favourite animals. They are well trained, MAB
I liked to see how the dogs rounded up the sheep . He showed us which whistles meant left, right, walk and lie down. CH
I really liked the baby animals – the chicks, the piglets and the sheep. CR
I enjoyed listening to Storm the dog’s heart beat using a stethoscope at the vets. FH
I enjoyed pretending to help the sheep give birth. PH
I enjoyed the little sheep. They were very calm when you touched them. All the animals were well trained. HR
Thank you so much to all the farmers and helpers who made the day a really memorable one for us all.
Class One were very lucky to receive a visit from Jen the vet a couple of weeks ago. She came to tell us all about her job, the types of animals she cares for and why they might sometimes need to see a vet. We enjoyed looking at photographs of some of the animals she has treated and finding out about them. We also learnt how to care for guinea pigs, finding out what they need to have provided for them, what they like to eat and play with too. Our favourite part of her visit was getting to have a cuddle with Fudge and Brownie and feeding them strawberries and peppers!
Class 3 have had a wonderful day, learning more about Electricity by visiting Heysham Power Station Visitor Centre. The staff there were super impressed with Class 3’s great thinking skills, their understanding of electricity and the way they approached the activities. The sessions we did were perfectly pitched to embed their existing learning in school and make links with other areas of science, engineering and maths to deepen our understanding and curiosity about the world.
We learnt how Michael Faraday found that electricity could be made by spinning magnets in a circle of copper wire using turbines and steam and this is still what happens today inside the power station. In a safe and controlled way, we learned why water and electricity are such a dangerous mix – because water is a good conductor of electricity. We had great fun making different circuits using special kits and even made human power stations! We learnt which appliances in our homes are the greatest guzzlers of electricity per hour of use – very useful information at a time when we all wanting to save electricity too. Do ask some of Year 3 and 4 for their advice if you’d like to know more!
Class 4 have been getting stuck into their science topic this term by constructing electrical circuits! We’ve learned what a circuit needs in order to function, we’ve built a range of different circuits and we’ve also tested the impact of making changes to our circuits.
Once we’ve learned all we can, we will be using our Design and Technology skills to then build a “Steady Hand” game to take home. Take a look at the gallery below for a sneak-peek into our process!
Class 3 have been exploring forces and magnets in science throughout the spring term. They explored when magnets repel and attract and how they worked through different materials, even through the table! They investigated to see if different magnets were different strengths. Here they are at work…
