The children in the Senior Room were thrilled to present their recent science projects, created with our fantastic new science kits, to the younger students. This collaborative experience was beneficial for everyone involved.

For the younger children, it was an exciting opportunity to see science in action and to learn from their older peers. Watching the older students confidently explain their projects inspired curiosity and showed that science can be fun and accessible at any age.

For the older children, presenting their work helped to build confidence, communication skills, and a deeper understanding of the concepts they were sharing. By teaching others, they reinforced their own learning and took pride in becoming role models for the younger students.

The presentations not only showcased the students’ creativity and knowledge but also fostered a sense of community and enthusiasm for science throughout the school.

Science isn’t just about reading from textbooks—it’s about getting hands-on, asking questions, and discovering amazing things. That’s exactly what the children did during their recent science presentations.

This presentation introduced their classmates to the fascinating world of non-Newtonian fluids by making and experimenting with oobleck.

Oobleck is a strange and wonderful substance that’s both a solid and a liquid, depending on how you interact with it. Scientifically, it’s called a non-Newtonian fluid, which means it doesn’t follow the usual rules of how liquids and solids behave.

The Science Behind Oobleck

During the presentation, the children explained what makes oobleck so special.

• Normal liquids, like water, flow smoothly and always behave the same way, no matter how much pressure is applied.
• Non-Newtonian fluids, like oobleck, are different. They change their behavior depending on the amount of force applied.
  • When oobleck is squeezed, pressed, or hit, it acts like a solid because the particles of cornstarch lock together.
  • When it’s left alone or moved slowly, it flows like a liquid because the particles have time to move past each other.

The children enjoyed the first episode of the Meet the Scientist – Webinar Series. The children met Eleanor Dunn, PhD  a student in seismic activities. She shared insights from her recent research on how Taylor Swift’s Dublin concerts triggered seismic activity felt as far away as Wexford.

The children loved this simple but exciting science experiment involving compressed air! When the plastic bottle is squeezed, the air inside is compressed, forcing the air molecules closer together and increasing the pressure inside the bottle. When the cap is released, the high-pressure air rushes out into an area of lower pressure, propelling the cap across the room. The loud “pop” is caused by the sudden release and rapid movement of the air.

As part of Science Week the children in the Senior Room presented their own Science Experiments. The children were fascinated by the Milk Fireworks experiment. Milk isn’t just a plain liquid—it’s a mixture of water, fats, and proteins. The fats and proteins are like tiny blobs scattered throughout the water. Milk also has something called surface tension, which acts like an invisible “skin” holding the surface together.

When you add washing-up liquid, it breaks the surface tension, but only where the soap touches the milk. This creates an imbalance, like when part of a balloon bursts and the rest quickly pulls away. The movement causes the milk to swirl and churn, mixing the colours into the beautiful patterns you see.

The children in the Junior Room explored the chemical reaction between baking soda and vinegar during the Fizzy Colours science experiment. When baking soda and vinegar are combined, they react to form water, a salt (sodium acetate), and carbon dioxide gas. The bubbles produced by the reaction are the carbon dioxide gas escaping the water.

The children in the Senior Room were delighted by the Create a Rainbow using Coloured Water Science Experiment. They watched as the coloured water walked along paper towels and fills an empty glass.

During this experiment the water travels through gaps in the paper towel fibers and “walks” into the empty jar. This is a process called capillary action, and is what helps water climb from a plant’s roots upward to the rest of the plant and leaves.