Thrilling Thursday

Since moving to Whetu, I have been taking part in 'Thrilling Thursday'. On Thursdays each teacher takes a different learning area. My focus area is Science and Technology. I have not taught these two learning areas for a while and so far have really enjoyed the challenge.

I found this website which helped me to search through various BP technology challenges and select those appropriate.

http://www.starters.co.nz/bpchallenge-index.html

I have also found this science website which has also given me a few ideas.

http://www.kidsciencechallenge.com/year-four/teachers_activities.php

Leaning Tower of Pasta:

This activity was a real challenge for most groups. The tallest tower was only about 30 cm tall. Students found it difficult to construct a tower that had a good foundation. This meant that they couldn't build very high as it kept collapsing.

Studying finger prints and extracting finger prints:

This was one of my favourite learning experiences so far. Students used ink pads and paper to get one of their finger prints. We then looked at them with a microscope and studied the different patterns. It was interesting to see who was familiar to who etc. Students loved discussing and comparing their prints with each other. We then put a print on a balloon and blew it up slightly. This meant the print was magnified and you could really see it in detail. After that we used glasses to put a print on and we extracted it using cocoa powder and tape.