We are very lucky to have parents in our school that are scientists in MTU and are good enough to come in for Science Week and teach us all about their field of expertise. Different stations were set up in the hall and all the classes got to see real beetles and tarantulas under microscopes, tarantula skin having been shed, take part in experiments on light and optical illusions, build DNA models, look at both plant and animal DNA under the microscope and experience and learn about bio-photonics-a toroidal vortex whereby a vortex cannon sent a burst of air through streamers to make them blow. The children really enjoyed every second of this. 6th Class students got to man some of the stations too and there are definitely some budding scientists in the making.
Blennerville Mudflats
We invited in one of our parents, who happens to be an ecologist, to come in and talk to us (4th Class) about the different birds that use the mudflats along the local canal as a source of food. We learned about all these different types of birds and identified their features which helped them to search for food. We even went on a walk down by the canal and did some birdwatching accompanied by members of MPW who helped us spot some birds using binoculars and telescopes. We saw the Brent Goose, Comorant, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Golden Plover, Lapwing, Redshank, Curlew, Black-tailed Godwit and Turnstone.
For Science Week, a lot of the classes tried to incorporate science into the other curriculum areas- through Aistear, PE and look at more science experiments etc. Have a look at some of fun the classes got up to.
4th Class Ms O’ Shea’s 4th class completed a number of science experiment for Science Week. They looked at a tornado in a jar using different different food colouring to see if one colour was better for seeing the tornado. They also looked at polymers. When you poke through the plastic, you are stabbing between the long strands of polymers and the bag seals itself around the pencil keeping the water inside.
Science Week Event in Local Library 6th Class were invited to a workshop organised in the local library for Science Week 2023. In this workshop the children became lab techs for the day working in a lab of a pharmaceutical factory. This factory makes ointment for wasp stings. The children's task was to test the ointment to establish how much ointment was required to "fix" the sting. Here the children were introduced to the concepts of making a control sample, acid/base chemistry and titrations and get an idea of what working in a lab is like.