Our Welsh Project week 5

Our final week!! Oh no! It has actually gone really quickly!

This week we decided to explore electricity.

We took quite a few different lights, gadgets and gizmos from our show Inside the Rainbow so the classroom was darkened as the children came in with all the lights on....that got a reaction!

We then explored different light sources that used eletrciity.

Some used mains, others battery and some needed winding up or shaking to work because they had no batteries at all.

We also had some that didn't seem to have any way to turn them on....it needed a himan to become part of the circyut before the light would work.

Just for fun we had also taken out light sabres and disco balls - well it was the last week.

Then for some serious science.....

We explained how the energy sticks worked and gave every group a stick to see what they made of it.

Then we showed the class how you can use the energy stick to test different materials to see if they wold conduct electricity or not.
Every group had a tray full of fascinating materials and began to investigate.

Finally we made a huge circle to see if the stick worked with the whole class.....and it did!

So we say goodbye for now to all our friends at Ysgol Bryn Gwalia.

thanks to Ms Griffiths for this photo montage

This first project has been very successful - there are a few tweaks we will make for the next one but I do hope more schools in NE Wales will sign up for such a great time!

Our Welsh Project Day 4

Off to Wales again!
This time we were looking at acids and alkalis and indicators.

I spent a few days making home made indicator paper - totally the wrong time of year for red cabbage so I used blackberries instead and extracted the colour using alcohol.

I also decided to try out turmeric which gives a vivid blood red colour in alkali

this worked really well but was quite smelly so everything was done outside!

We started the session by looking at our giant test tubes and using universal indicator liquid. 

We used this as a visual aid throughout the session to remind everyone 

We then used homemade berry paper to test and sort a range of liquids. 

We tested cola, lemonade, washing soda, bicarbonate of soda, milk and citric acid.

We added about 3 ml to each well in our dimple dish and dipped in the paper. The berry paper needed about 5  seconds to soak up the liquid and change colour. Sometimes the colour change was only faint but other liquids gave a strong change

Once we had got some idea of which were acid and which were alkali the children had to choose their best alkali to test with the turmeric paper.

Some wondered what would happen if they then dipped it into an acid - it changed back to yellow!

Finally we used universal indicator papers to give a much more sensitive and very colourful result.

what a great montage by the class teacher!

Our Welsh Project Day 3

Off we went to Wales for the third day of our project.
This week we explored colour.
We thought about what it would be like if we lived in a black, white and grey world and how strange that would be.

With year 3 we first learnt a new skill - how to use a pipette to carefully get just one drop at a time where we wanted it to go - not an easy skill.

Then we experimented mixing primary colours to see what other colours we could make. We made a recording sheet to help with remembering what we had done and then began to explore lots of other colour combinations.
After mixing colours we looked at splitting colours up using chromatography.

First we used washable pens on filter paper with water which showed us that lots of colours are mixtures and will split into different and surprising colours as they spread along the paper.
Then we thought about the topic for the term which is China and how China has 5 primary colours - red, yellow, green, white and black. Each colour means something different, represents a different part of China and has good luck, happiness or other fortune connected with it.

Finally we used Sharpie pens to create a design on a small square of material tightly stretched over a beaker. We couldn't use water to spread these colours because Sharpies are permanent  so we carefully used a few drops of alcohol which made incredible rainbows. Everyone used their new pipette skills to drop the alcohol onto the material. It evaporated very quickly so the material was dry almost straight away. Well done year 3 on some great pipette skills!

Year 4 started by exploring chromatography using washable felt pens and water before brushing up on how to use a pipette. They then drew some super designs onto white material stretched over a beaker and dropped alcohol onto the centre to make stunning patterns as the colour spread.

We then looked at how nature uses colour to attract a mate, as camouflage so it doesn't get eaten or as a predator to hide so it can catch lunch or to warn because it is poisonous.

We looked in a bit more detail at the 3 primary colours we use compared to the Chinese 5 and how colours have special significance to Chinese people.
We also were bamboozled by some amazing optical illusions.

Finally we gathered round to watch a demonstration of a homemade lava lamp which we lit up using a small torch. I think there will be quite a few lava lamps happening at home this week!

Next week we will be looking at how scientists use  colour to tell whether a liquid is acid or alkali.

Our Welsh Project Day 1

We have a new and very exciting project!We are working with Communities 1st and Reaching Wider Partnerships North and Mid Wales to deliver a more sustained science intervention to primary schools in NE Wales.



Usually we arrive at a school, do a couple of shows and a couple of class sized workshops and leave. Apart from sending out our newsletter that is probably all the contact we have with most schools. A few book us again  and occasionally we have run science clubs but our actual impact on the school is limited.
We know schools enjoy what we do and we also know how inspiring a visit can be especially for the staff.
So when we were approached by Reaching Wider Partnerships  to really get involved with  a school we were thrilled.
After much discussion it was decided that a half  day of shows for the whole school followed by 4 half days with two classes would be affordable on the funding budget.

Our first school Ysgol Bryn Gwalia is in Mold. It is a medium sized school with a demographic that fits the funding criteria and a very enthusiastic staff who jumped at the chance to have us in.

Our first visit was for two shows - one for each key stage. We decided our show "I Wasn't Expecting That!" was probably the most exciting and as an introduction to Science2U very appropriate!

Everyone at the school was so welcoming and accommodating. We needed to arrive at the start of lunchtime to set up in the hall and to be honest we expected a bit of resistance from the dinner staff because usually the military precision needed to get a whole school through lunches in the set time is a well oiled machine that really doesn't need us interfering.
But they had set us aside a space and some tables and were brilliant - well done ladies!

We started with KS1 who were a little nervous of what we were going to do and arrived with huge eyes taking in all the equipment. They soon got the idea that this was going to be fun and we had lots of hands shooting up to volunteer.

They really joined in especially when we tried to blow up the headteacher - he was such a good sport.

The fireworks went down a treat especially the iron filings sparklers and Helen's fireball got a huge cheer.

Sadly it was over all too soon but the staff had taken lots of photos and before the next show had even started Twitter was alive with pictures!

KS2 arrived very excited - they had picked up the atmosphere from the younger ones and were ready to go.
We had a few extra treats for them including the whoosh bottle and popping lids off cans with dry ice.
Again lots of volunteers and some really super images plus some videos!!

A dry ice finale left everyone very happy and years 3 & 4 extremely thrilled that they were going to be the classes we work with over the next few weeks.