Ear drum model (3rd Grade)

Good afternoon everyone!

Today, with 3rd Grade pupils, we have made an EAR DRUM model (we are learning about the sense of hearing).

The EAR DRUM is a very sensitive organ, inside our ears, which vibrates when sounds pass through it.

With very common materials (a can, a balloon and salt), we built a model of it. To see how it works, you just have to make loud sounds near it and then observe how the salt moves without touching it, just by the vibration of the balloon (=ear drum):

Newton Disc (4th Grade)

Hello children of 4th grade!

As we all know, Sir Isaac Newton, discovered that discovered that WHITE LIGHT is made up of these colours:

RED, ORANGE, YELLOW, GREEN, BLUE, INDIGO and VIOLET.

Don't you believe that? Then, try to do this experiment at home:

Butterfly Life Cycle

Hello everyone!

Today we want to share with you a very special project. For the last weeks, we have been observing the life cycle of butterflies:

It all started when our teacher found some eggs on a broccoli leaf and brought them to school. We observed them through the microscope and saw that we had around 50 yellow eggs:

Two days later, lots of tiny caterpillars hatched from the eggs. We realised that they were very hungry because they started to eat from the very beginning:

We observed them every day: they grew super fast.

At his point, we found out that they were caterpillars from a butterfly called Pieris brassicae.

They were "eating machines" (so, if you look at the pictures, you will realise that there were faeces everywhere...haha):

We also discovered that our caterpillars changed their skin several times. Even their head!

Many of us, took a couple of caterpillar at home, in order to keep observing and taking care of them consciously. 

About one month after hatching, these larvae were big enough to start their transformation into a butterfly. This process is called METAMORPHOSIS, and happens to all insects. 

The caterpillars attached themselves at the top of the box and started to build their chrysalis:

And finally, about 15 days later, when the pupas turned darker, butterflies started to emerge:

It has been a great project that has caught pupils of all ages.

We couldn't end our project in any way but setting the butterflies free and wishing them good luck!

Electricity (6th Grade)

Hello everyone!

In 6th grade we are studying the ELECTRICITY. Let us show you some of the contents learnt:

We know that all objects have electrical charges. Some charges are positive, PROTONS, and some are negative, ELECTRONS.

Sometimes, the negative charges pass from one object to another. For example:

- By rubbing a pen to a piece of cloth, we pass negative charges from the cloth to the pen. Now the pen is (negatively) electrically charged. So, it can attract small pieces of paper.

- Or by rubbing a balloon to a piece of cloth, we pass negative charges to the balloon. So, it is attracted to other objects:

- But when we approach 2 negatively charged balloons, they repel:

This is STATIC ELECTRICITY.

We also know ho to build an electrical circuit, which carries electrical current:

Finally, we can say if some materials are conductors or insulators after adding them into the circuit. For example:

Wood: insulator.

Pencil lead: conductor.

Pencil lead: conductor.

Salt water: conductor.

Magnetism (6th Grade)

Good afternoon!

Magnetism is our current learning topic. 6th Grade pupils are experimenting with this force and trying to understand how it works.

Last week we learnt what the magnetic field is: an area around a magnet in which there is a magnetic force. There are invisible lines that go from the north pole of a magnet to the south pole (or the opposite).

By performing an experiment, we could see these invisible magnetic field lines. All we did was spreading out some iron fillings onto a paper, which was laid on a bar magnet. Then, we gently tapped on the paper and...

The next day, we created some temporary magnets:

Density experiments (5th Grade)

Hello, everyone!

In 5th Grade we learning about MATTER and its properties: mass, volume and density. 

After calculating the mass and the volume of some solids and liquids, we moved to density. 

"Density is the relationship between mass and volume".

Fist of all, we compared a rock and a piece of cork from similar sizes. We all agreed that they occupy the same space (they have the same volume) but the rock is heavier than the cork (it's got a bigger mass). So, we learnt that the rock was DENSER that the cork.

Then, we moved to liquids. 

1. First, we observed different liquids that have the same volume but weight different.

2. Then, we put the same quantity of water, honey and vegetable oil in 3 different beakers and we poured small objects inside, in order to observe if they floated or sank. Of course, we made predictions first!

"The denser a liquid is, the easier it is for an object to float on it". 

So, we could order the density of the liquids (from most to least):

1. Honey 

2. Water

3. Oil

3. We mixed them up and we saw that liquids with different densities don't mix.

4. Then, we tried to mix hot and cold water, to see if they have different densities (they do!):

5. And we did the same with salty or sweet water:

6. Finally, we poured all the liquids we saw at the beginning of the lesson into a container and we could check that...

"Liquids with different densities don't mix".

Now, it's your turn! Why don't you try it at home?

Thank you Maryam, Rihab, Andreea and Elena to share with us your experiment done at home!

Oberving a macro cell: an egg! (5th Grade)

Hello boys and girls!

As you know, 5th Grade pupils are learning about the cells.

Most of the cells are so tiny that are invisible to the human eye; we need a microscope to see them.

But, if we look at an unfertilized egg, we can see a cell! In fact, the YOLK (yellow part) is a single cell.

We could identify:

• the cytoplasm (yellow)
• the membrane (by smashing soflty the yolk)
• the nucleus (a white spot in the cytoplasm)

We make cell models (5th Grade)

Good morning!

In 5th Grade we are learning about the CELLS.

First, we answered what, where and how cells are.

Then, we observed different cells through a microscope.

After, we classified them into ANIMAL CELLS and PLANT CELLS. We read about their main parts and we decided to build a big model of them.

Pupils worked in groups.

5th A Class

Let's make a lungs model! (4th Grade)

Good morning!

4th Grade pupils are studying the Respiratory System.

Last week, they made a lungs model. They could observe the different movements in breathing in and breathing out:

Watch how the lungs inflate and deflate:

STEM Challenge #5: Map your brain!

Hi, children!

In 3rd Grade, we are learning about our senses, so this challenge is focused on the sense of TOUCH.

We wanted to know which body parts are more sensitive and we found an experiment developed by Dr. Rebekah Corlew and Theo Walker of the Fitzpatrick Lab at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience. This experiment is called The Homunculus Mapper.

https://www.maxplanckflorida.org/fitzpatricklab/homunculus/ 

First, we made this card:

Then, in pairs, we took measurements:

1. The tested pupil should close their eyes. 
2. The tester pupil should press 2 points of the card against the skin of the subject and ask if they feel one point or two points. The tested body parts are: HEAD, BACK, ARMS, HANDS, LEGS and FEET.
3. Start with the largest distance and keep testing smaller and smaller distances until the subject indicates that they feel one point.
4. Record these distances. 
5. Enter these numbers on brainmapper.org.

Finally, we entered our results on the web. The more sensitive parts looked larger and the less sensitive parts looked smaller. This is how "our brain thinks we are". For example:

It was an interesting experiment and very easy to do at home ;)