In Science some of our children have been creating a tasty model to investigate plate tectonics.
This was a hands-on activity to teach students about plate tectonics.
The model describes the structure of the Earth’s plates and the Earth’s layers as well as the theory of plate tectonics.
This activity was completed after initial instruction on the layers of the Earth and tectonic plates.
Last term, some of our students worked on designing their own planet during their Science lessons.
They started with planning, focusing on areas such as what the planet would look like, what colour it is, does anyone live there etc.
The children had the freedom to create their own version considering physical aspects as well as species that may live on it. Then the children went on to making their designs into a model.
This was a fun way to encourage students to be creative by allowing them to invent their very own planet!
The programme of learning activities began with the children exploring the interactive exhibition area and was then followed by an introduction by the Education Officer, which focused on learning about the various coloured bins and the waste that goes in them. The children then participated in an interactive discussion, showing how the items in the mixed recycling bin are matched with an item of science equipment that can be use to separate them (e.g. Magnet separates the steel cans).
Some of our home-schooled students have been looking at the topic: The sun, moon, and stars during Science lessons.
The children reviewed what they have learned previously and then focused on the area about phases of the moon.
Students got to learn that the moon doesn’t actually change shape—it just appears to change as it orbits Earth.
One of our home-schooled children has been busy working on a Science project all about Hurricanes.
The project focused on what Hurricanes are and how to react if one approaches..
In Science, our home-schooled children have been learning about different types of germs & bacteria.
Germs are tiny organisms. They are so small that they are not visible to the naked eye and can only be seen using a microscope.
Many germs are useful and keep our bodies healthy. Some types of germs are even used to make food like bread and cheese, or as medicine like antibiotics.
Occasionally, germs can make us feel poorly. Only certain types of germs can have this effect.
There are 4 main types of germ: Bacteria, Viruses, Fungi & Protozoa.
Our home-schooled children have been busy participating in a science experiment which involved making coloured carnations.
They made colourful carnations from fresh, white carnations using food colouring and water.
The children experimented with red and green food colouring creating different-coloured flowers by using the plant’s ability to absorb water through its stem.
As we are coming towards the end of term, children have been revisiting topics of Ecology and Plant Nutrition/respiration in plants as well as many other areas.
Display posters were created which involved diagrams and pictures showing the part that flowers play in the life cycle of flowering plants.
By the end, the children were able to demonstrate understanding of the process of seed dispersal, the processes of pollination, fertilisation and germination as well mention the different stages of the life cycle of a flowering plant.
Our home-schooled children have been working together to make a mini-ecosystem for earthworms, using a soda bottle and a little creativity.
As with all other organisms, earthworms occupy a certain niche: They are both decomposers and consumers, feeding on things like decomposing remains, manure, and other small underground organisms like nematodes, bacteria, fungi, and rotifers.
Earthworms breathe by coating themselves with mucus, which allows dissolved oxygen to pass into their bloodstream, so living conditions must be moist and humid, or else the worms will dry up. They are ecologically important because they loosen and mix up the soil, enabling water and nutrients to seep through to plant roots. Since they can’t walk, earthworms move with tiny bristles, or setae, which are paired on each of their segments and grip onto the worms’ tunnel walls. Then the worms push themselves forward with strong muscular contractions.
By studying the anatomy of a sheep’s heart, children learned about how our own heart pumps blood through your body and keeps us alive.
The experience of dissecting real animal material adds an extra dimension to understanding the structure of the heart and the relationship of structure to function.
The activity allowed the children to investigate and explore the texture and thickness of the vessel and chamber walls, and the movement of the different kind of valves.
Using handouts with pictures/diagrams the children could also see what was going on with the heart in different stages of the dissection.