The children in the Senior Room were given the task of fabricating a model capable of flight. It was fascinating to see the wide variety of shapes, sizes and fabrication techniques that the children used to create their models. The children demonstrated their models and discussed their fabrication with the younger children.
The children from 3rd to 6th classes had a fantastic day at the Lifetime-Lab on Friday. Lifetime Lab, with its interactive exhibit area, dedicated classroom space, onsite playground and historical importance, is an ideal location for primary school children to engage with science and maths (STEM subjects). The primary science workshops focus on the skills, concept development and content objectives of the SESE Science Curriculum. This year the theme of the workshop was electricity. The children were soon creating and drawing electrical circuits, making battery operated models and learning about amps, conductors and resistors. Find out more about the Lifetime-lab here http://www.lifetimelab.ie/
The children in the Junior Room enjoyed a scavenger hunt in the school grounds last week. A scavenger hunt is a great fun activity that allows children to get outside, get active and develop an appreciation of nature.
Today, February 1st, is historically known as the first day of spring in Ireland. The days are starting to get a bit longer and nature is awakening from it’s winter sleep. The children created these beautiful spring artworks to celebrate the return of the colourful flowers and the promise of longer, warmer days ahead.
We were delighted to receive one pear tree and three apple trees from Dunmanway Family Resource Centre. This is part of a Bees Orchards in the community project.
It is all about Bee Friendly & ensuring children get the opportunity to engage in biodiversity by planting trees & plants for our bees to pollinate & reduce the decline in our bees in Ireland.
They were planted in our school garden today and we look forward to the fruit they will produce in the next few years.
As part of Science Week the children in the Junior Room participated in the Great Egg Drop Challenge. The difference work groups were each given an egg and a range of materials – with the challenge to use the available materials to ensure that the egg could be dropped from a height without breaking. This challenge encourages problem solving, egg -perimenting and egg-samples of egg- cellent, egg- quisite and egg-traordinary egg puns (sorry!)
The children in The Senior Room enjoyed a really interesting and informative webinar for Science Week. This was followed by a hugely entertaining Science Quiz using Kahoot on our iPads.
When you stretch a rubber band it stores potential energy. Specifically it stores elastic potential energy—the type of energy stored when a material is deformed. A rubber band can be attached to a simple machine—a wheel and axle—to build a simple rubber band–powered car. Experimentation and re-design allows the rubber band – powered car to go further and faster. During Mr. D’s Science Workshop the children explored and experimented with rubber band-powered cars to make their cars go further and faster. Hope you enjoy our video.
During the summer two teachers from Togher N.S. were invited to a workshop on 3D design and printing. This 3.5 day course was funded by EIT-Manufacturing and supported by Stryker and I-Form (University College Dublin) in Ireland; Arts et Metier Institute of Technology in France; and University of Tartu in Estonia. Participating teachers were provided with a free, long-term loan of a 3D printer for their school.
3D printing makes learning active, giving students hand-on experience and brings their CAD (Computer-aided design) projects to life. With the expansion of the applications of 3D printing technology throughout industry, it is important that students start to develop the design and technical skills required to harness this technology while giving them an enjoyable, self- directed experience.
This week we explored computer aided design and set up our 3D printer. We soon printed our first CAD drawings.
During Mr. D’s Science Workshop the children were challenged to build the tallest tower using wooden blocks. We hope you enjoy our video.