Table of Contents

SCIENCE

Science Interactive Quiz

Click here to go an interactive quiz based on our Science page.

SCIENCE

Science Week throughout the school

Junior Infants have spent the last few weeks investigating food during Science Week, Aistear and Food Dudes. We looked at healthy and unhealthy foods. We investigated our taste buds by tasting sour, sweet, bitter and salty foods. We tried some healthy fruit and vegetables. We did some experiments with food-we made a Skittles rainbow, an explosion using Coke and Mentos, we danced along with some raisins and made a giant jelly baby by soaking it in water! In Aistear the boys have had fun making some prints using food and setting up a restaurant.

Announcing our Maths, Science and Engineering Award 2021

Good news! We heard this morning that we have been awarded the SFI Discover Science and Maths Award for the school year 2020/2021. In June we submitted our log of evidence which displayed all the science, maths and engineering work we completed last year. Although it was a challenging year we managed to do so much thanks to all the hard work of staff and pupils. Our plaque of excellence will arrive in October and it will be displayed for all to see.

Here is some feedback from the judges who awarded the SFI Plaque of Excellence to the school.

Congratulations to all in Scoil na mBuachailli , Cloch na gCoillte on receiving your SFI Plaque of STEM Award 2020/21
It has been a challenging year for all of us and has impacted on our work goals. You used remote learning time eg. Scratch and of course you enjoyed PHOTON, the robot. Walking on air was successful since no balloons burst, the space books were well received. You took part in The Tree Council’s excellent webinar for Tree Week. We missed not getting photos of your garden to show off your good work. We look forward to your Log in 2022. Well done, thank you and keep up the good work.

Many thanks to all the staff who worked so hard during lockdown and in school to complete science, maths and engineering tasks with the boys. Many thanks to Ms. Regina Fitzmaurice for all her hard work in compiling the log of evidence.

Many thanks to Ethan Mc Auliffe Aherne, Paulos White and Paddy Kavanagh who spoke so well on the school intercom to tell all the pupils about our award.

Well done to everybody! We all look forward to another year of science, maths and engineering this year.

LIVING THINGS

The Outdoor Classroom

by Andrew Hickey

On Monday the 14^th of February Jessica Mason came to Scoil na mBuachaillí to help us with are outdoor classroom. We made are outdoor classroom next to the willow tunnel. First we did sound mapping then we brainstormed all the things we heard including birds, trees and cars. We also learned about how we shouldn’t dig during gardening as it takes away the nutrients from the soil. Then we took away all the weeds from the garden and found a suitable place to make the outdoor classroom. Then we dug a trench and planted blueberries and other flowers. We put the weeds in the compost bin.

SnB visits Darrara Agricultural College

ENERGY AND FORCES

Rang 4 studying & making Space Telescopes

The James Webb and Hubble telescope

This week 4^th class did a project on the James Webb and Hubble telescope

The Hubble: The Hubble was sent into space in1990 to take pictures of planets .The Hubble is the size and weight of a school bus .The Hubble will stop working in 2030 and will slowly start to disintegrate for the next ten years The Hubble gets energy from solar panels on the top of it.
The James Webb : The James Webb telescope was sent into space on Christmas day 25/12/21. It is being sent to space to take pictures of the sun and of new galaxies. The James Webb is as big as two full sized tennis courts. The James Webb’s base is as thin as hair and protects the telescope from burning up when it gets too close to the sun. It was sent into space in a rocket. Slowly pieces started to fall off as it got further until all that was left was a thruster. Before it was sent they would have to practise folding it out so when in space it would not fall apart. It runs on solar panels.
The Hubble and the James Webb run on solar panels. The Hubble’s engine is inside it and the solar panels give it energy. There’s a box on the back of the James Webb and solar panels give it energy.
In class we made models of the Hubble and James Webb telescope. This is how we made them.
The Hubble. You will need: tin foil, paper, cardboard, a black colour, Tooth picks, toilet rolls, and glue or tape

Method: You stick two toilet rolls together with glue or tape. Then you cover it with tin foil then you use the tooth picks to make the solar panel plates [make with cardboard or paper] then try and make a cool back round[with paper or cardboard]and then you’re done.

The James Webb. You will need: Five sheets of paper, ten tooth picks, cardboard, one sheet of yellow paper, and glue or tape.
Method: use six tooth picks to hold up the five sheets of paper then use the yellow sheet of paper then use the tooth picks [colour the stick’s black] to make four sticks and make a black circle then use the cardboard to make a black box on the back then you’re done.

We enjoyed learning about space telescopes and making models of them.

By John McCarthy.

MATERIALS

Floating and Sinking Experiments in Rang 1

These are the first class boys enjoying floating and sinking experiments. They are testing objects from the classroom to see if they will float or sink.