During Science Week we had lots of fun doing experiments. We separated water from salt by mixing salt with warm water. We left the warm water and salt on a saucer at our window. After a few days only the salt was left! The water evaporated. Next we put some flowers into a jar with different coloured food dyes. After a day the flowers changed colour! Then we investigated surface tension of water and the shape of water.
Intel Mini Scientist
During Science Week, we were involved in the Intel Mini Scientist. This runs for four weeks. Each week we learn about a different topic. The theme for Science Week is ‘Science Week - Choosing our Future’ and focuses on how science can improve our lives in the future, and in the present. The week will help students explore how science can help us to make positive choices that will impact the environment, our health, and our quality of life.
All material is linked to the following topics; Energy & Forces, Materials, Living Things, and Environmental Awareness & Care with an additional experiment that can be done over a number of weeks.
The Topics in more detail:
Week One – Everybody Knows Humans, animals and plants all evolved in special ways to help them survive here on earth. Your skeleton and muscles work as an awesome team to help you do the things you love. Without this team, your body would flop around like a soggy noodle! By building a working model of our muscles, we can understand how we move, and see how amazing our bodies are!
Week Two – You’re in Charge Imagine you could clean your room with just the click of a switch? You hit the button on the wall and bang the dirt is gone. Intel does exactly this with its computer chips and in this exploration, students will learn all about static electricity, magnets and how they can take charge to do the work for you!
Week Three – The Makings of Invention Look around you. The world we live in is made up of all types of materials used for all sorts of things; shoes, books, furniture, bikes, buildings, you name it, it’s made of something, and usually quite a few somethings all working together to make a finished product. But not all materials are the same and selecting the right materials is an important part of inventing, designing and building. By testing materials, we can see what properties they have and think about what they would be most useful for.
Week Four – It’s in our Nature The world that we live in is a wonderful place and it is the biggest research lab that ever existed. Our Earth has evolved over billions of years, so why not copy it when we’re coming up with new systems to make our lives easier? In this experiment, students use our natural resources to see how we can sustainably clean water without damaging the planet.
Bonus Topic – Wheatgrass This experiment involves growing your own wheatgrass and should be completed over a 4-week period. It is recommended that you begin this experiment in Week one. It will act as a longer-term experiment that will continue in the classroom even after the initial Intel Mini Scientist lessons have been completed.