Science Foundation Ireland

Discover Science & Maths
Log of Evidence 2018

St. Brigid’s N.S.

Limerick

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In September 2017 we decided to register our school for the D.P.S.M. Plaque of Excellence. This required participation by more than half the classes in the school in some aspect of the steps outlined below. We are delighted to say that we had enthusiastic involvement by almost 90% of our 18 classes from Junior Infants to Sixth Class.

Throughout the first and second terms classes recorded activities in all the S.T.E.M.areas of the curriculum. We had Science and Engineering visitors and we attended events in the University of Limerick. All this work culminated in our Science Fair on 13th March. For the sake of the planet and to make our log accessible to parents we decided to present it in digital form.

The following is evidence of our participation and the fun and learning which accompanied it.

Log of Evidence

Step 1 Science

For this step we show evidence of hands-on Science investigations from each of the following four strands:

*Living Things

Junior Infants categorised objects into Living and Non-Living things and recorded their results.

       
Examining Conditions Necessary for Plant Growth

Looking For Signs of Life on a Spring Nature Walk

First Class identified seeds found inside and outside fruits. They also counted seeds and segments and tasted samples.

Sixth Class studied aspects of the human body.

 

Sixth Class studied a prehistoric plant.  They looked and predicted what would happen.  Some children thought it was dead, others predicted that not much would happen and a few thought that with care over time it would grow.  They were surprised at how it changed in a few hours.  Initial observations, predictions and final observation noted in observation copy. 

Picture 1 Lava stones, picture 2 plant on lava adding water, picture 3 plant opens in under 2 hours.

Light and the Human Eye, Sixth Class.  Exploring photosynthesis and phototropism. 

Trigger – where does light come from?  Do we need natural light? 

Discussion and brainstorming came up with three areas to explore – how do we know that a plant needs natural light –

Experiment:

1 plant in a box with no light, plant in a box with torch light and plant in a box with a small hole at the top (Constructed a maze in this one to make it interesting and also explore phototropism) and plants on the window unobstructed in any way.

Observed that those on the window grew the fastest. .  Looked at plant cells under the microscope and discussed choroplasts and their function.

Looked at how light travels, and used the trigger of a prism in the window to discuss how white light separates into rainbows.  Made Newton spinners and discussed using another prism at the right angle.

Trigger – how do we see?  Looked at the human eye and lenses. 

Made a working telescope and then a model of the human eye using paper mache, coloured card and a convex lens.  Also made a periscope (without instructions) using mirrors, cardboard and 45 degree angles .Various other mini triggers were used to explore how water can work as a lens.

 

*Energy and Forces

Sixth Class brainstormed vocabulary relating to the topic ‘Forces’.

Third Class performed a fair test to establish how surface materials affect friction.

Fourth Class tested the force of gravity with their acrobatic clown. They discovered that every object has a centre of gravity. The lower the centre of gravity the more stable the object.

Fourth Class describe how to make a car which can be propelled using magnetic force.

Fourth Class also tested their Rockets

Fourth Class set up a chemical reaction between vinegar and baking soda which caused a balloon to inflate.

A further Energy experiment by Fourth Class led them to conclude that:

[1] Air is rocket fuel

[2] You get out the energy you put in!

Fifth Class did a great study of the force of electricity.

The class explored what Electricity is and how it works. The children learned how to design simple, switched, series and parallel circuits. The focus was on understanding how electricity is conducted and insulated through circuits.

Is the Moon a natural source of light?

 Sixth Class explored the location of the moon, earth and sun in the solar system. 

They explored how craters form on the surface of the moon and why are they different shapes.  Pupils experimented using a tray of flour and some marbles, measuring different heights and weights and observing the impact.

They looked at videos of the moon landing and watched the astronauts move and interact with objects, then  calculated their  weights and how high they could jump on the moon and contrasted this with the images of people on the space station .

 

*Materials

Second Class investigated the properties of Materials as they experimented with objects which sink or float. They discovered that an orange has unusual qualities …

And they took up the challenge to design a boat.

Fourth Class pupils used iodine to test a variety of materials for the presence of starch.

Junior Infants discovered the effect of heat on chocolate and explored the effects of water on flour and salt. In the process they made playdough.

Fourth Class blended a variety of healthy ingredients to produce an Energy Drink.

                           
                            

Sixth Class studied the composition and gravitational pull of the Moon. 

*Environmental Awareness and Care

Autumn exploration of our School Grounds.

Our Green Schools Committee, currently working towards the Global Citizenship Energy Flag distributed battery boxes to ensure the safe recycling of dangerous and toxic battery waste.

Plus: Visits by Science Speakers

Visit by Animal Magic enabled children to gain hands on experience of exotic and native animals.

Naturalist Geoff Hunt accompanied Sixth Class to Curraghchase Park to observe the native Red Squirrel in one of its few remaining strongholds. 

Four lessons covering the identification, diet, habitat of the squirrel and the geography of the area were completed prior to the visit.  Also included on the day was the observation and identification of flora and fauna in the area including trees and water fowl.

He also accompanied 5th class on a trip to observe winter water birds at the local canal. 

Ruth Butler, First Year Engineering ambassador at the University of Limerick, visited St. Brigid’s during Engineering week and spoke to Sixth Class about her course and careers in Engineering.

Plus: Attendance at a Science Week 3D Space Show in UL.

Step 2 Technology

Insects: September – caterpillars arrived newly hatched.  Observations were carried out, one caterpillar was missing, lengths were taken and children filled information into their observation copies.  The missing caterpillar was a late hatch ling and this provided the children with a most interesting comparison as they developed as the late bloomer was always a life-cycle stage behind.  Length was recorded and each change was noted, observed, drawn and detailed.  Average days with and without the outlier were calculated and outside temperature was taken to ensure the correct temperature of release.  This was captured by the children in a video filmed and scripted by themselves and entered and shortlisted by the REELlife science competition.

        

  • Student Powerpoint by Ava, Fourth Class

    (Click link to view) The Swallow

Use of technology to record and analyse data collected

Pupils from 3rd Class worked on Scratch Programming to create a number of projects such as ping pong and racing games, fashion and animal animations. The pupils have also worked on Lego Education We Do Software to build mobile characters using pulleys, motors and gears, and programme them to move and complete various instructions through coding.

Step 3: Engineering

Engineer Visit: Rising to team challenges under the direction of the experts from ‘Learnit, Building Tomorrow’s Engineers’.

Fifth Class spent a day building robot cars and writing programmes to control their movements. The winning team represented our school at the Analog Robotics Competition and came Third out of a field of thirty schools.

  • Design and Make activity i.e. making models (exploring, planning, designing, making, evaluating) egg carrier, tall structures.

Fourth Class built tall and stable structures using cubes and pyramids.


  • Participation in Engineers’ Week activity : Engineering our World

  • Engineer’s Week event U.L. Fun with Mirrors

Step 4: Maths

  • Using Maths to record Science investigation results.

Third Class

Strand: Energy and Forces

Strand Unit: Magnetism and Electricity

The class discovered which objects can hold a static electricity charge. They made an online tally chart of their predictions.

  • Using Maths skills and knowledge as part of Science e.g. measuring distances, capacity, weight, recording and analysing data. Using maths operations; ratio, percentages, averages.

 

Fourth Class recorded the results of their balloon race.

and Third Class represented the results of their experiment on Friction on graphs.

Step 5: Stem Showcase

  • Science Fair to present children’s work to other pupils and to parents.

 

           St. Brigid's Science Fair Exhibits

Light

6th Class

Ms. Lynch

Floating and sinking

6th class

Ms garvey

How electricity works

5th class

Mr scanlon

The digestive system

5th class

Ms Fitzgibbon

Gravity and

The Acrobatic

Clown

4th class,

ms Hartigan

Chemical

and food energy

4th class

Ms Wallace

Magnets

4th class

mr geaney

Friction

3rd class

Mrs ryan

Static electricity

3rd class

ms o’connor

Materials

2nd class

mr reidy

Animal x -rays

1st class

Ms Farrell

The naked egg

1st class

ms fitzgerald

Floating and sinking

Senior infants

ms allen

Requirements for plant growth

Senior infants

Ms daly

investigating fruit

Junior Infants

Mrs McGrath

How plants drink

Junior infants

Ms Farrell

Scratch and lego coding

Ms Costello

after-school club

Science Fair…

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A snapshot of our year…

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Videos…

Infants- Science Fair video

Floating and Sinking- Science Fair Video

6th Class Forces Video- Science Fair

5th Class- Engineering Challenge

4th Class Aeroplane Testing

Lego Programming- Science Fair

Gravity and Static Electricity- Science Fair

X-rays and Floating Video- Science Fair
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