As part of our commitment to the Waterwise Schools program we are invited to submit our learning activities to their Ripple Effect page. Ripple Effect is about sharing our water education activities, exploring what other schools are doing and voting for our favourites!
Please click on this link and you will be taken to the Ripple Effect page where you can vote for St Emilie’s Year One students.
Drip tips on Ripple Effect – Waterwise Schools
The media this week has been covering many new Science innovations as part of it’s coverage about National Science Week. Here at St Emilie’s we also celebrated this exciting learning area. Enjoy these few images and clips about our experiences this week.
Our major event was by invitation to the CSIRO STEM in Schools ‘virtual classroom’ that took place this morning. By invitation only, through our involvement in Scientists and Mathematicians in Schools, we were included in a webinar/virtual classroom with a panel of Australians working in the space industry.
Our Year 5 students prepared their own questions to ask the panel and we submitted these for consideration last week. Here are a few of the ideas that we proposed to the panel-
Joshua P– Is it possible for the space junk to come back to earth?
Joshua D – How many times have there been a space disaster on a satellite? How far is the furthest satellite from Earth? What is the most common piece of material in space? How long does it approximately take to make a satellite or rocket ship?
Emmy M– What age was the youngest person ever to go into space?
Meilee R – Do you need to go up there and collect all the space junk?
Francheska D – Have you found any other planets that we humans could also live on?
Joanna T– What was the laser invented for in the first place? What was its purpose when it was first made?
Annette C – How does it space junk stay near Earth without falling back to Earth? What would happen if we didn’t have an ozone layer?
Drew M – Is it possible to go to a different planet and still return? Do you think that there are some undiscovered planets? In NASA who are the most important people for scientific breakthroughs?
Luke H – Could you make something that clears or sucks up all the space junk? How long does it take to reach Mars? Would people be able to live on Kepler?
Enjoy these images of our experience this morning.
The Year 5 students all ready and keen for the ‘virtual classroom’ event to begin.
We heard the answers to questions presented by students from schools all over Australia.
St Emilie’s were lucky to be acknowledged in a ‘shout out’ to schools invited to the webinar. Click on this link and you can view some of the webinar.
Here are some the other lessons that occurred during National Science Week.
The Year 2 students measured the seedling in their Future Garden made from a recycled soft drink bottle.
The students in 5B enjoyed a visit with Gina Pearse from the Mildew Mania project at Curtin University. She also treated our students to a few gifts to celebrate National Science Week.
The Year 4 students are learning about the diversity of bird species that inhabit the school bushland. They are in the process of making their own bird feeders so that they can entice birds into their own gardens at home.
Year 6 students are investigating ocean acidification. The students conducted an investigation with two marine shells placed in different solutions.
Year one students explored the value of water and how it is a vital necessity for life.
Happy National Science Week to all…
Mrs Cogger
Mrs Cogger would like to remind all our science enthusiasts about the
FRONTIERS OF SCIENCE EXPO
on Sunday 20th August.
This is always a wonderful ‘free’ event in our local area (Kent St Weir in the Canning River Regional Park) to celebrate National Science Week.
Here is a link to the event details.
Did you know that next week 12-20 August is National Science Week? This means that as a whole nation we celebrate Science in all it’s disciplines and forms. At St Emilie’s we constantly engage in innovative Science projects with the wider community. The National Science Week topic for 2017 is Future Earth and one of our learning focuses is to ‘promote sustainable rural futures’.
Our Year 5 students have been involved in the Mildew Mania project through the Centre for Crop and Disease Management at Curtin University. So what is Mildew Mania?
Powdery mildew a common barley disease is caused by a fungus called Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei (often shortened to Bgh).
This is the major disease of barley in WA, particularly in wetter areas.
A severe infection of powdery mildew (or Bhg) reduces yield and can cause grain to be downgraded to feed.
To commence the project, late in term two the students planted several varieties of barley and wheat.
Then we left our crops to grow. We planted the following varieties of barley – Hindmarsh, Buloke, Baudin and Oxford. We also planted Wyalkatchem wheat. Every week we investigated our crops to see if their was any powdery mildew. This is what it looks like.
This week we invited Gina Pearse and Emily from the Mildew Mania project to come in and talk to the students about the project.
First the students were shown a powerpoint and given little key pads so that they could enter their own answers to various questions.
After the presentation the students were split into four groups and conducted their own investigations using the equipment provided by Gina and Emily.
Station one – using a Dinolite digital microscope to investigate barley seeds and a barley plant.
Station two – taking a barley leaf sample and placing it carefully into a test tube with agar jelly and then taking a swap of the leaf.
Station three – identifying different seed varieties.
Station four – using a microscope with a barley sample that has been infected with the disease.
After careful examination of our own Baudin barley crop, we were able to observe that our crop has the powdery mildew disease!! We were able to see the pustules by using the Dinolite digital microscope provided by Curtin University.
So what does this all mean? We will continue with the project throughout term 3 and into term 4. We will monitor our crops each week to see if the other varieties of barley and wheat have become infected. In term 4 we will take samples of all our crops and submit them to the scientists involved in the Mildew Mania project and they will examine the samples in further detail.
It was in blustery wintery conditions that the Year 3 students bravely tackled their planting project this morning. 100 tube stock native plants were donated to schools in the southern suburbs by the City Of Canning. This was part of an initiative to celebrate National Schools Tree Planting Day.
The students planted kangaroo paws and Banksia seedlings as well as smaller bushes and ground covers. The 3B students planted their tube stock in the early childhood and Year 1-6 bushland.
The students had fun using the ‘tube stock planter’. It’s like a big pogo stick!
Mrs Cogger was impressed with the care that the students used to dig a large hole for their seedling and the gentle way seedlings were removed from their container.
3G planted their tube stock plants along the entrance to the school and by the exit gate where the Busy Bee helpers worked very hard to clear the weeds and dense scrub in Term One.
Mrs Cogger sincerely thanks the wonderful parents who volunteered to help. We had a wonderful time and much was achieved with their help and supervision of the students. We also thank the City of Canning for the generous donation of tube stock. You will see our fantastic work when you use the drive through.
Well done Year 3s!
Mrs and Mrs Cogger were able to borrow a ‘night activation camera’ from the Armadale Reptile Park. We had the camera for two weeks and during that period we set the camera up most evenings before we left the school.
Prior to setting up the camera we had a created a ‘feeding station’ for the bandicoot. Firstly we tried using a small bowl of dog biscuits but that attracted the local cats.
Each morning a small group of students went out to the feeding station with Mrs Cogger to see if there were any bandicoot tracks and if the food had been eaten. Our findings were recorded in our ‘Bandicoot Diary’. Bandicoot? Or bird tracks?
Belinda Bloxsome who was visiting from Sustainable Futures suggested that we try mealieworms at the feeding station as we were worried about encouraging local cats. And finally we had some success. Here are some images of our little friend.
We are most grateful to Armadale Reptile Park for the loan of the camera. This has been a wonderful adventure of learning for our students.
This week we have had presentations from Vivienne Fepuleai who is the Education Officer at Cleanaway. Cleanaway are responsible for removing the waste we create at St Emilie’s and from the households in the City of Gosnells. Vivienne is currently presenting waste and recycling incursions to the students in Years One to Six. These incursions are teaching the students the importance of recycling and sustainability and the impact it will have on our future actions.
Each student has received some information from Cleanaway to take home and share with their families. This will help inform you about the Cleanaway waste service and also the types of waste that can be placed into your yellow recycling bin.
There is also a parent survey that needs to be completed and returned. Cleanaway appreciate your input as it helps them to make informed decisions about the service that they provide. Each student who returns the survey next week will receive a foldable Cleanway rubbish truck and also go into a raffle draw to win a mini wheelie bin.
Here are a few images of the students in Years 1-6 enjoying the incursion.
The students had to sort out the cards and work out how long it takes different types of waste to rot and decompose.
Vivienne played a dice game and the students had to use their imaginations to think of different ways we could creatively recycle different types of waste.
The students played a card game. They had to sort out which images showed a ‘waste free’ lunch and only those images were placed into the lunch bag.
The waste flowing out of this house is the amount waste produces by a family of 5 in one year!!!
Each student has received a copy of this information sheet. By referring to it you can work out which household waste goes into the recycling bin.
This morning at the Year 4 assembly our school community was recognised for 10 years commitment to the Waterwise Schools program. Alana P and Gisela Z welcomed our guests from the Water Corporation.
Tracy Martino is the Water Corporations Priority One Communications Officer and Emma Williams who is the Water Corporation’s Waterwise School Coordinator. Both Tracey and Emma made a presentation to St Emilie’s for 10 years as a Waterwise School.
We also welcomed Vivienne Fepuleai as our environmental representative. Vivienne is from Cleanaway. Cleanaway are responsible for removing the waste we create at St Emilie’s. Vivienne is currently presenting waste and recycling incursions to the students in Years One to Six. These incursions are teaching the students the importance of recycling and sustainability and the impact it will have on our future actions.
The Year 6 Environmental Committee gathered for a photo with our special guests at the conclusion of the assembly.
Mrs Cogger shared a powerpoint to showcase the wonderful learning activities about water that our students have been participating in.
Over the last fortnight the Year 4, 5 and 6 students have had incursions run by Belinda Bloxsome from CSIRO Sustainable Futures. Our whole school Mappen focus this term has been a study on Sustainability. The Year 4 and 5 classes have been learning more about the fragile biodiversity of St Emilie’s Bushland and the Year 6 students having been studying the CSIRO Carbon Concerns unit. These resources are available to schools through the Sustainable Futures program. Sustainable Futures is an education program that combines the latest in climate science with education in sustainability.
Over the two week period Belinda presented a variety of interesting activities to designed to challenge the students ideas about such topics as global warming, greenhouse gases, climate change, fossil fuels and the carbon cycle.
Week one for the gold classes focused on the Biodiversity Hotspot of South West WA. The students visited our school bushland to investigate in detail native flora. We then returned to class and Belinda showed the students how to upload the details on to the Living ATLAS of Australia. This is a citizen science initiative and anyone can do it. Here is an image of the students at work in the bushland.
Week two for the Blue classes was about carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and how the increase in carbon dioxide is affecting our climate and contributing to ocean acidification. The students conducted a most interesting investigation. They worked in their collaborative teams of three. Our investigation question – is there more carbon dioxide in our breath or in the air around us?
The students used red cabbage juice as a pH indicator. They squirted the liquid into each beaker using pippettes.
The students blew up two balloons. One balloon they filled with air from their lungs. The other balloon was filled with air from the atmosphere using a pump to collect it.
Once the students had trapped the air, they slowly ‘bubbled it’ into the beaker.
The students had to observe if there was change of colour in the liquid in each beaker and compare the colour to the pH indicator strip.
The students recorded their findings on a table for ‘before’ and ‘after’. As a class we worked out the average.
We concluded that the beaker with the gas from the air we breathed out became slightly more acidic (with a lower number). The carbon dioxide from our breath reacts with the water in the cabbage solution to form carbonic acid which changes the pH of the cabbage solution.
We compared these findings to ocean environments and concluded that the average pH of seawater at the ocean’s surface is 8.1, slightly alkaline but more acidic than the average pH before the industrial era began. When carbon dioxide from the atmosphere reacts with water it forms carbonic acid. The result is a lowering of the pH and a decrease in carbonate ion concentration in the water. Less carbonate ions in the water makes it difficult for marine organisms such as coral to build calcium carbonate shells and skeletons.
Last Friday the year 6 girls had a a Robogals incursion. Robogals offers technology workshops free-of-charge in their local communities, focusing on encouraging girls from primary to secondary school to explore an interest, as well as cultivate self-confidence, in these areas. Introducing female engineering students to girls at a young age also provides visibility to female role models, of which there is a significant deficit in the STEM field.
Aaron and Kim arrived with a case full of Lego Mindstorms robots and laptops. The session started with a presentation from Aaron about Robogals, STEM and the need in the community for females to study STEM courses. Then Kim explained to the girls about how to use ‘code’ to operate and control their robot.
The students made up teams of three and collected their equipment.
Our first challenge was to make the robot travel in a square.
Some of the students took the task seriously and even drew a rough plan.
Our Year 6 girls requested a group photo with Aaron and Kim from Robogals and with their robots. Mrs Cogger and the girls throughly enjoyed the incursion. We are sure that the visit has ‘sparked’ some interest in the girls considering STEM courses for a future career.
Ava and Mia created this iMovie about the incursion. Click on the link below.
Lastly Mrs Cogger would like to say that she arrived at school this morning and waiting on her desk was a lovely thank you card from the Year 6 girls. It made her day.
