Year 7 pupils were supplied with a Windows movie maker project file, containing a set of stills that matched up to the Wikid Science module we were following. Rather than write or draw arrows, pupils were given a microphone and asked to narrate the slide show. Some were better than others (remember we are a special school!) but all pupils were able to record something that was scientifically accurate on their clip. It is also worth pointing out that this work was completed independently.
I can recommend Windows movie maker for pupils who struggle with writing!
Year 9 pupils tested leaves from around the school grounds. They killed them by dipping in boiling water, removed (most of) the chlorophyll with alcohol and then tested them for starch with iodine. We were pleased by the results – the best pictures are below.
The worksheet for this activity can be found here.
Year 11 pupils used the National Schools’ observatory to take pictures using their telescope. Here are the pictures they took:
Venus
Saturn
We didn’t make a note of what this is – some stars in a galaxy.
Year 11 pupils followed the Naked Scientists’ method as featured in their book “Crisp Packet Fireworks” by Chris Smith and Dave Ansell. We used their technique to work out the speed of light using a microwave oven.
Year 11 pupils videoed the experiment as well, although most of the footage is of buttering the bread, the important bit at the end didn’t video very well but we hope you get the idea. Click on the link to the Naked Scientist site for the science of how this works (using Speed of light = frequency x wavelength).
Pupils enjoyed using the digital microscope and were able to capture their best images off the screen. One pupil decided he wanted to capture the images from the optical microscope. We don’t have a camera attachment (we don’t use it enough to justify the cost). The pupil in question decided to use an ordinary 10megapixel digital camera with the macro setting and these are the images he captured.
Making Ice-cream as part of the Cook module in Wikid Science. Pupils are also making ice-cream again in food technology to compare production techniques, effect of freezing time on ice crystal size etc.
We used an Ice cream ball – which you fill half up with ice/salt and the other half with cream and milk.
This is our finished ice cream.
