Disgusting SCIENCE!

Our class has been conducting an investigation into micro organisms and it has been spectacularly revolting!

We took two slices of bread (one white and one brown) and rubbed our dirty hands thoroughly over one side of each slice. We then sprinkled some water onto the surface of the read and then locked them up inside plastic ziplock bags. 

And then? We waited...for the magic to happen!

What did happen after only a few days was the appearance of moulds and various fungi. That was expected! What wasn't expected, however, was the amazing variety of different things that appeared.

There were dark green spots, thick black fur, delicate white fuzz and dark brown patches. There was even some orange and pink varieties!

The time has come to throw our little microcosms away (they are starting to smell!), but we will try to identify some of the different species that grew in Rm 22. 

Check out a few of our disgusting creations. 

Don't be so DENSE!

In Rm 22, we are always up for learning more about the world around us, and some of the physical laws that govern the universe.

This week, we have been learning about DENSITY, which is the relationship between an object's volume (the amount of space it takes up) and its MASS (which is its, er...MASS). Floating and sinking depends on the density of the medium in which you place something into, and the density of the thing you are placing! (Simple, right?)

Since water has a specific density (1.025 kg/L), an object with a lesser density will float if placed into it. If it is more dense than the water, it sinks. Incidentally - to physicists, they make no distinction between liquids and gases when it comes to floating and sinking. They sometimes refer to us as living at the bottom of an ocean of atmosphere! 

Anyway, the students worked with lumps of plasticene and discovered that a lump of plasticene sinks like a rock, but if you alter its overall density by increasing the volume of the shape by making it into a boat shape, it will float. This is how battleships made from steel can float. They have a large volume, they are filled with air, and their mass is spread out over the larger volume. 

The children had a lot of fun making their boats float, and then tested their carrying capacity by weighing them down with wooden blocks. Shreya and Alka managed to make a boat that carried 34 blocks! Not bad girls - maybe you should consider engineering as a future career?

Oral History Project: Then and Now

As part of our HASS studies, we will be comparing and contrasting life today against life from  previous generations. I think this will prove highly instructive to our children! Hopefully, it will give them a better appreciation of just how fortunate they are to be living in this time and this place.

I am asking the students to conduct an interview (or series of interviews) with either a grandparent or, if possible, a great grand parent. They will ask the interviewee questions about their childhood, and how things were different when compared to today. 

This project will run over several weeks, and our MAC students will collate their information, then write it into a report, and present this in a multi media format. To this end, any photographs, letters, (etc.) would be a wonderful addition to their report (though not mandatory - it might not be possible to obtain them!).

I do understand that for many of our students, grandparents might live half way around the world, making a direct interview rather problematic. If this is the case, perhaps e-mail or even a good old fashioned letter might address these issues. Either way, I fully understand if the logistics are just too difficult to overcome, but hopefully, we can get most of the students to find a suitable source. It doesn't even have to be a blood relation - just someone who can offer insights into a life from the past! Additionally, students are welcome to interview more than one person, if they wish to get a broader range of perspectives. 

The students can ask any questions they like, but here are some general lines of inquiry I would like them to explore:

• Where did you grow up? (rural, city...)
• How did your childhood home compare to the homes in 2018? (similarities, differences...)
• What were you expected to do around the home as a child?
• What toys/games/hobbies/leisure activities did you engage in as a child?
• What was parental discipline/expectations like when you were a child?
• What was a wonderful childhood memory?
• What was school like? Describe a typical classroom, day...
• Can you retell a funny/amusing incident from when you were growing up?
• Can you tell me about your first paid job? What was it? How much did it pay?
• Was there ever a time in your life when events (where you lived) were dangerous, or sad, or worrying? (wars, poverty, etc...)
• What are three things you think present day life has 'lost' from when you were growing up?
• What are three things you think present day life is better than when you were growing up?
• If you were to give one important piece of  life advice to me, from all your life experience, what would it be?

We will be starting this project now and concluding it by the end of the term. If you could help the students organise the logistics of the interviews, it would be greatly appreciated. More information will follow, but the students can start the process right now.

Aussie Day Antics!
Today, our school celebrated Aussie Day. Nearly every student in the school dressed up in something related to this great land of ours and we had special assembly to show off all our Aussie spirit.
Mr Honey led the school in a wonderful rendition of 'We are Australian' and we also announced our Term One Student Representatives. Congratulations to Chelsea, Samuel and Cameron, who are our Rm 22 Reps. I know you will all do a fantastic job.

Check out some of our Aussie Day photos below!

Prime Maths Books

Dear Parents,

Our Prime mathematics books have been distributed to the classes over the past few days. Our records show that there are still some books which have yet to be paid for. Unfortunately, we cannot give a student their books unless we have received full payment. If you still need to purchase the books, It would be appreciated if you do so in the next few days, as we are all set to get stuck into our work, and it makes it difficult if not all students have the necessary resources!

Thanking you,

Carl Sanderson

One Week In...

ONE WEEK IN...

So Week One has come and gone, and everything is going very well in Rm 22!

The new students have settled in beautifully and I can tell it is going to be a very productive and fun year.

Just a reminder: parent information evenings are coming up next week. Here are the details!

·   Parent Information Evening - Our Parent Information Evening will be held in Week 3, Tuesday 13 February for all classes. The proposed schedule is as follows:

      

                        4.45 – 5.30pm         Rooms 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 9

                  5.30 – 6.15pm         Rooms 7, 10, 14, 15, 16, 20, 21, and 30  

                  6.15 – 7.00pm         Rooms 13, 17, 19, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28  

                  7.00 – 7.45pm         Rooms 8, 11, 12, 18, 22, 27, 29

We will send home a personal invitation to all MAC parents by the end of this week. I look forward to seeing you all.

Carl Sanderson