What a treat to have our resident expert guest speaker on all things Science and Technology, Harold Yap. The boys were a treated to a wonderful presentation about the science of light. To begin the boys were asked to share what they already knew about light. Their prior knowledge on this topic was astounding as were the questions they had for Harold. The discussions about electromagnetic radiation, wavelengths, speed of light, photonics, reflection, refraction and many other elements of light were fascinating and hopefully ignited a new interest or field of research for the boys.
Another trip to the Senior Science Libs and Mr Dall'Oste once again sparked (quite literally) excitement for our boys. First, the boys were taught about adaptations in plants. They looked at plant cells and were guided through setting up slides for observing cells through a microscope. The boys enjoyed learning about magnification and were quite adept at observing and then drawing the cell structures. The boys particularly enjoyed zooming in on their skin and scab wounds! Not pleasing for the sensitive stomachs amongst us. The next session was followed by a look at simple circuits, switches, lights and hydroelectric engines. Finally the boys looked at a Van de Graaf machine to look at electricity - with some hair raising results. All of these experiences have led to our boys finding a research question that is exciting to them and their understanding of the central idea - 'scientific understanding impact lives.'
Today, the boys went up to the Senior School D&T area to create fan powered cars. For this to happen, the boys were introduced to Mr Scotti who talked to the boys about how circuits work. The boys were then taken through the making of a fan powered car. After that, it was all on! The boys were grouped into three by looking at scientific elements, which were easy for some and more complex for others. Ideas thrown around included the theory of relativity, solids, liquids and gases, particular elements and famous scientists.
Once grouped, the boys set about their task with aplomb. The images and videos showcase their work and allowed them to use their communication skills, collaboration skills and social skills. Today, the boys spend time to finalise their central idea for this unit. All year 5 boys voted on one of four central ideas. The ultimate central idea that the boys voted on is; Scientific understanding impacts lives Once completed, the boys looked at developing their ideas related to the branches of science: biology, chemistry, physics and earth and space sciences. The boys need to develop a question that fits within the extended lines of inquiry for these branches.
Biology - living things and adaptations; physical conditions and survival, viruses and disease Chemistry - solid, liquids and gases; materials and changes Earth and Space sciences - understanding space exploration and the universe; geological changes and extreme weather events; what lies beneath the earth Physics - light; energy; circuits It would be great if all boys could have these ideas finalised by Friday (Monday at the very latest). See some of our brainstorming below! Today, we went up to the Senior School Science labs again to work with Mr Dall'Oste. We looked at chemistry and with our gloves and glasses on, we mixed some substances together to see what would happen. We had items that fizzed and changed colour before we moved on to our next challenges. Some boys put substances into water and changed the pH level of the water. After that, the boys put acetone onto polystyrene and found out that the acetone solution broke down the polystyrene. When touched the solution, which was cold and felt slime-like. Finally, the boys finished off with a bang! Standing from a distance the boys had a candle lit and exploded the balloon into a ball of flame. The boys were very impressed with this! Check out the videos!
Our second guest speaker for the day was a mum from 5C, Dr Kate. She spoke with the boys about her lifelong passion for science. A great story she shared was her fascination with all creatures starting at a young age when she brought home a dead snake to show her family. It was put in a jar to bring in to school. Kate has studied many different fields of science including zoology, biology and veterinary science (including a range of science branches like anatomy, chemistry, pharmacology, neurology, microbiology) for a total of 12 years of study! Her passion is behaviour medicine, which has led her to being an expert in animal brains and behaviour. The boys were given lots of examples of dog behaviours and how important it is to try to understand what animals are trying to tell us. This is to alleviate anxiety dogs might feel and also to avoid aggression. The boys listened attentively, asked great questions and took notes throughout the speech. Now we are left with another fascinating field to ponder ... biology and adaptations! Thank you to Kate for sharing her knowledge with us.
We were lucky enough to have a Zoom call by Dr Celeste Donato to speak to the boys about microbiology today. Dr Donato spoke to the boys about viruses, bacteria and her research at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute in Melbourne. The boys were fascinated when it came to looking at Covid-19 as currently Dr Donato is researching this current outbreak and how families shift Covid-19 between each other. The boys were very receptive to the presentation and had lots of questions to ask, so much so that we had to cut them off. We thank M
As part of our provocations, we headed up to the Senior School Science department to look at a fossils. We created our own fossils as part of the activity and we used magnifying glasses to look at fossils that were millions of years old. We listened to Mr Dall'Oste provoke our thoughts about fossils, what they are and how they formed. Further to this Mr Dall'Oste spoke about imagining a world without any form of greenery (grass, leaves etc) to get the boys to try and visualise what it would have been like all those years ago. Below are some images of our work. We look forward to heading to the Senior School again next week. This week the boys have been getting their first taste of Exhibition. After explaining what Exhibition is and isn't, we asked the boys to create a headline that sums up how they are currently feeling. Here is some of our work.
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AuthorsY5 students at Scotch College, Perth Archives
November 2020
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Photo used under Creative Commons from joshtasman