Step One – Science

First and Second Class

Living Things

Strand: Living Things

Strand Unit: Plants and Animals

1. Using a celery stalk, make a fresh, clean cut with a knife at the bottom of  the stalk.
2. Pour some water into a glass jar and put some food colouring into the jar of water.
3. Stand the celery in the jar of coloured water.
4. Leave the celery  in the water for a few days. This gives the stalk the best chance of absorbing dye.
5. After a few days, the stalk is cut and the children observed the now ‘coloured’ pipes within the stem.

All plants need water to live. Their roots get water from the ground.

Plants use tiny pipes to transport liquid around them.

The pipes are usually difficult to see but we can make them visible if we use a dye.

Senior Infants and First Class:

Waterproof Materials

Strand: Materials

Strand Unit: Properties and Characteristics of Materials/ Materials and Change.

Senior infants and first class had great fun experimenting with different materials to see what materials are waterproof. We tested a piece of paper, a cloth and a plastic bag. Before we started the experiment, the children predicted that the plastic would be the most waterproof and the paper would be the least waterproof. They were correct!

Senior Infants and First Class

Science Experiments

The children in senior infants and first class have been participating in science experiments based on the strands ‘materials’ and ‘living things’.

We have learned lots of information and we had lots of fun in the process!

1. Lemon suds – Strand: Materials – Strand unit: Properties and characteristics of materials. We made our own lemon soap. We mixed baking soda (a base) and lemon juice (an acid) together. They bubbled up and produced a gas.
2.  Our eyes play tricks – Strand: Materials/ living things – Strand unit: Materials and change/ Plants and animals. We made a thaumotrope and it spun around so fast that our brains got mixed up!

1st and 2nd Class 

Strand – Materials / Living Things

Strand Units – Properties and characteristics of materials/ Plants and Animals / Myself

First and Second class were all hands on deck experimenting and learning about the properties of air and the fact that air takes up space. Children were introduced to the ‘magic’ of air.

Junior Infants

Strand: Energy and Forces

Strand Unit: Magnetism and Electricity

The children in Junior Infants had lots of fun painting with magnets. We used paper plates, paint, paperclips and magnets in order to investigate how magnets work!

Third and Fourth Class: Making a Bird Feeder

Strand: Environmental Awareness and Care

Strand Unit: Caring for the Environment

How to make a bird feeder:

Aim: To make a bird feeder

Equipment: 1. Thumbtack

2. String

3. Plastic Bottle

4. Pen

5. Bag of peanuts

6. Pencil

Method:

1.  Use the thumbtack to make holes near the bottom of the plastic bottle.

2. Push the pen through the holes made by the thumbtack to make the holes bigger.

3. Push the pencil through both sides of the plastic bottle to make a perch for the birds.

4. Tie the string around the neck of the plastic bottle to make a loop.

5. Fill the bottle with the peanuts and put the lid on the bottle.

6. Hang the bottle out on a tree for the birds to enjoy during the cold winter months.

Result: Happy and full birds!

Third and Fourth Class

Making a Bird Feeder

Strand: Environmental Awareness and Care

Strand Unit: Caring for the Environment

Third and Fourth Class have been working very hard this week at making bird feeders. The weather is very cold outside and we thought it would be a good idea to make some bird feeders to feed the hungry birds! We wrote the steps into our science copy and drew a picture of the end result. The children then worked in groups and we made four different bird feeders. When the bird feeders were made we then filled them with peanuts or bird seed before bringing them out to hang around the school area. They really enjoyed the activity, as you can see from the photographs!

We also learned some interesting facts in our lesson today:

1. In icy cold weather, there is no water for the birds to drink because it is frozen. We must remember to leave out some water for the birds as well as their food!
2. In very cold weather, one in four small birds will die from hunger.
3. Birds such as geese and starlings come from cold lands to spend the winter in Ireland and then they leave again in the spring.

Third and Fourth Class

Finished Bird Feeders

Strand: Environmental Awareness and Care

Strand Unit: Caring for the Environment

Third and Fourth Classes finished bird feeders are out around the school for the hungry birds ahead of the cold weekend ahead. Well done again to all the boys and girls in Third and Fourth Class for their hard work. The birds are going to be very happy!

Science Day – Tuesday, 12th November 2019

Science Day in Kilbride N.S., was organised as part of Science Week.

All of the children in our school did a great job today at demonstrating all their science experiments to parents, guardians, grandparents, aunts, uncles and even cousins!

Well done to all the boys and girls from Junior Infants right up to Sixth Class.

Space Week 2019

All classes enjoyed engaging with Space Week activities. Space proved to be an area of great interest for the majority of children in our school. They worked hard and learned lots throughout the week. Well done everyone!