Science exhibition

On Wednesday 9th of April we held a Science exhibition for all the students of the school and all the parents. It took place from 1 o clock and lasted until 2 o'clock. Each class had a stand and a presentation and all students were involved and had to showcase their work to the other students and the parents. We described each of the experiments and explained their purpose and we also let the parents and students have a go at some of them. It was a very enjoyable day and we also learned lots from the students at the other stands. One of our favourites was the yeast experiment carried out by Ms.Mc Dermots class. they used the yeast to make bread and we all got to try some. It was yum.
Here are some pictures from the day:

Measuring rainfall in millimetres

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• On the 29^th of January we made a rain gauge in class. We observed a powerpoint presentation on rain gauges and we discussed their purpose and how they work. 
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• We cut 2 litre bottles about ¼  from the top. We used the top as a funnel and stuck it into the bottle.
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• We placed the rain gauge in a red bucket and surrounded it with stones to support it and ensure it didn’t fall over. We placed the bucket with the rain gauge in the field and we were careful to place it in an open area away from any shade/shelter.
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•  Seán and Emma checked the rain gauge for water each day. They poured the water from the rain gauge into a measuring jug. They then divided the amount of millilitres by 9.2 to convert it into millimetres. Rainfall is always measured in millimetres. We recorded the information on our rain gauge recording chart.
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• So far we have completed two full weeks. We measure the rainfall each day and record our findings. On a Monday we must divide our answer by three because this measurement is for the entire weekend. In week 1 we had a total rainfall of 10.9mm and in week 2 we had a total rainfall of 24.25 mm. We are nearly finished week 3 and we are expecting less rainfall than last weeks total as this week has been quite dry.
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• We drew graphs in class to show the difference between week 1 and week 2.
• ·       We also drew graphs in class to show the difference each day in week 2.
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Amazing Triangles

• ·       Firstly, we discussed the different types of shapes we know and discussed which 3 d shapes would be best to use for building. We then viewed pictures of buildings made from different shapes. We thought the Eiffel Tower which is shaped like a triangle looked very strong and steady.
• ·       We then divided into groups and tested different shapes. We made the structures using cocktail sticks and marshmallows.
• ·       We started by making a cube. This took 8 sweets and 12 cocktail sticks. It looked stable but when we put pressure on it the shape became deformed and stretched like a parallelogram.
• ·       We then made a triangular based pyramid. This also looked strong and when we put pressure on it we discovered that it was stronger than the cube.
• ·       We then made a square based pyramid. This looked very steady and when we tested it we discovered that it was the strongest of all the structures and did not become deformed when pressure was applied.
• ·       The next step was a construction challenge, which we did in small groups. We were given a number of cocktail sticks and marshmallows and asked to make the tallest structure we could. This was difficult to do without it falling over. We discovered that a square base worked better to keep it stable. 
•       The next part of the construction challenge was to build to biggest and strongest stricture. Most people used the triangular base and based their structure on the Eiffel Tower. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   

Making concrete

·   On Wednesday 3rd April we made concrete in class. First of all we discussed the purpose of concrete buildings, walls, paths, floors, etc. We then discussed the different types of concrete. We learned that you can make concrete using:

ü  Builders sand

ü  Beach sand

ü  Gravel

ü  Mortar mix

·       We then discussed how we would make the concrete. We learned that the ratio for making concrete is 3:1. 3 parts sand to 1 part cement. We also discovered that you need to be very careful when adding water.

·       We then made our way outside and divided into 4 groups. Each group was going to make a different type of concrete:

·     Group 1 made concrete using gravel- we mixed 3 parts builders sand and stones with 1 part cement and we added water sparingly. We made a mistake by adding too much water and had to start again. We mixed the materials in a bucket and poured the mixture into plastic containers. We stuck a lollipop stick in the container to make it easier to remove once it has dried.

·       Group 2 made concrete using beach sand- we mixed 3 parts beach sand with one part cement and added water sparingly. We mixed the materials in a bucket and poured the mixture into plastic containers. We stuck a lollipop stick in the container to make it easier to remove once it has dried.

·       Group 3 made concrete using builders sand- we mixed 3 parts builders sand with one part cement and added water sparingly. We mixed the materials in a bucket and poured the mixture into plastic containers. We stuck a lollipop stick in the container to make it easier to remove once it has dried.

·       Group 4 made plaster using mortar mix- we mixed 1 cup mortar mix, water and 3 cups cement. We mixed the materials in a bucket and poured the mixture into plastic containers. We stuck a lollipop stick in the container to make it easier to remove once it has dried.

·       We labelled all the containers and left them for a week to dry.

·       We then discussed which types of concrete would be the strongest and we carried out a test to investigate. Here are the results:

Types of concrete	We predicted	Result	Used for
Gravel	Very strong	Very strong (4/5)	Paths and floors
Builders sand	Strong	Weak (3/5)	Walls and buildings
Beach sand	Weak	Weak  (3/5)
Mortar	Weak	Very weak (2/5)	Plaster on walls

Viewing the Hawthorn tree

Although we have recorded an official record on the Greenwave website we are still observing the hawthorn tree in order to see the May blossom. This is a white flower which will appear in May.
Here is a picture of what we are waiting to see:

Viewing the Hawthorn tree- 07/04/14

On Monday 07th of April we examined the hawthorn tree yet again, to check for signs of Spring. We knew that last week the buds had been almost ready to open and therefore we were excited to see if they had burst this week. The buds had opened and leaves were now visible. This means that it is now an official record. We uploaded the pictures and information to the Greenwave website.
Here is a photo of our official record:

Viewing the Hawthorn tree 01/04/14

On the 1st of April we examined the Hawthorn tree again in order to see if the green buds had burst open and leaves had appeared. Although the buds are very close to bursting open, there is no sign of leaves yet. We hope to see leaves within the next week. This was an observation and not an official record.
Here is a picture of the hawthorn tree:

Viewing the Hawthorn tree- 24/03/14

On the 24th of March we examined the Hawthorn tree again, to see if it had changed and had developed any signs of Spring. We noticed that although the buds had not opened yet, they had changed from a brown colour to green. However, this still meant that this was an observation and not an official record.
Here is a picture of the hawthorn tree:

Viewing the hawthorn tree- 10/03/14

On the 10th of Match we examined the Hawthorn tree again to see if there had been any change from the previous time. We saw that again, no buds were opening. We also noticed that the red berries were dying and had started to turn black. All this information means that this is an observation and not an official record.
Here is a picture of the hawthorn tree: