Discover Primary Science and Maths 2018-2019
Step 1. Science
1. Living Things
Students from 4th and 5th class observed, identified and investigated animals that live in the locality including bats, birds (blue tits, ravens, black birds, jackdaws) as well as insect life within the school Bug Hotels.
2. Energy and Forces
1st and 2nd class investigated floating and sinking on a wide range of objects and investigated how to make certain items float by hollowing them out.
1st and 2nd class investigated floating and sinking on a wide range of objects and investigated how to make certain items float by hollowing them out.
2. Designing and creating a light maze using mirrors to bend light and 3. Designing and creating a series of quiz question cards that are only revealed by placing a glass of water in front of the card. |
3. Materials:
1st/2nd Class investigated how mixing materials can cause a change. Here students made volcanoes by mixing vinegar with baking soda to cause a chemical reaction which made a gas causing the eruption.
1st/2nd Class investigated how mixing materials can cause a change. Here students made volcanoes by mixing vinegar with baking soda to cause a chemical reaction which made a gas causing the eruption.
Students in 3rd class investigated how materials can change when they are mixed together. Here they made slime from a mixture of flour, oil, water, food colouring and salt.
4. Environmental Awareness and Care:
In April 2019, students planted lettuce, beetroot and table top peas in the school troughs as well as wildflowers for pollinators. They are monitoring the growth of the vegetables over time and will harvest them when fully grown.
Science Speaker:
Barbara Sullivan from Heritage in Schools visited our school in May to discuss biodiversity in the school grounds, especially pollinators, through games and other activities.
Projects on environment/sustainability:
The whole school monitored the use of plastic and collected plastic bottles that were thrown in school bins over the course of a week. On the last day of the week everybody made an effort to bring in a reusable bottle. The results were plotted on a bar chart and hung in the school foyer.
The whole school monitored the use of plastic and collected plastic bottles that were thrown in school bins over the course of a week. On the last day of the week everybody made an effort to bring in a reusable bottle. The results were plotted on a bar chart and hung in the school foyer.
Step 2: Technology
- 2nd and 3rd class students engaged in bird watching and completed projects on the birds they spotted in the locality including blackbirds, magpies, blue tits, thrushes, and robins. Students used the school computers to gather information online for their projects.
- Students from 4th and 5th class created Adobe Spark presentations about various flowers and trees in the locality and presented them to other classes around the school.
Step 3. Engineering
- Students from 5th class built different bridges from the locality to investigate how forces act on objects and how materials may be used in construction. Pupils worked in small groups. They experimented with different supports and girders for their bridges.
- Students from 2nd and 3rd class worked in groups to make “Leprechaun Traps” using recyclable materials. They needed to create supports and a trap door for their experiment.
- All students engaged in constructing "Fairy Houses" in Glendine Forest using only materials in the vicinity such as twigs, leaves, moss, fallen branches.
Step 4. Maths
- Senior Infants took part in a math's trail around the school grounds. They had to calculate distance in steps, find different shapes, collect data based on the colour of cars and count and compare items.
- Students collected plastic bottles each day over the course of a week to monitor plastic consumption in the school. The last day of the week, all students were told to bring in a reusable bottle. The total amount from all classrooms was calculated by 4th class every day and plotted on a bar chart to show the difference between how many bottles were thrown out from Monday to Thursday compared to that on Friday. There were only 8 plastic bottles thrown out on the Friday from the entire school.
Step 5. STEM Showcase
- Students from 4th and 5th class investigated bridges in the locality and worked in small groups, using recyclable materials to make bridges that could support a weight. They then showcased their constructions to the entire school in October 2018.
- Students from 3rd class presented work to different classes about their projects on “The Lungs”
Discover Primary Science and Maths
Please find below a link to the work undertaken by the whole school for the
Discovery Primary Science and Maths awards in the 2017/2018 school year.
Discovery Primary Science and Maths awards in the 2017/2018 school year.
Please find below a presentation of the work undertaken by the whole school for the
Discovery Primary Science and Maths awards in the 2016/2017 school year.
Discovery Primary Science and Maths awards in the 2016/2017 school year.
Step 1. Science
1. Living Things
Students from Junior Infants to 6th class planted runner beans, cress and baby carrots and monitored their growth over time.
Students from Junior Infants to 6th class planted runner beans, cress and baby carrots and monitored their growth over time.
1st and 2nd class engaged in bird watching and completed projects on the birds they spotted in the locality including blackbirds, magpies, blue tits, jackdaws, herons and robins.
2. Energy and Forces
1st and 2nd class learned about the effects of gravity by making helicopters from different materials, of different sizes and with various rotor lengths.
1st and 2nd class learned about the effects of gravity by making helicopters from different materials, of different sizes and with various rotor lengths.
3. Materials
At Halloween, students in 1st and 2nd class investigated mixing immiscible liquids (Oil and water) by making lava lamps.
At Halloween, students in 1st and 2nd class investigated mixing immiscible liquids (Oil and water) by making lava lamps.
Junior Infants investigated floating and sinking using eggs with fresh water and salt water. Students also tested other objects such as lollipop sticks, pegs, tinfoil and items from their pencil cases to see if they would sink or float.
3rd and 4th Class investigated how mixing materials can cause a change. Here students mixed vinegar with baking soda to cause a chemical reaction which made a gas.
5th and 6th class students designed a contraption using various materials to protect a raw egg dropped from a height.
3. Environmental Awareness and Care
All students in the school helped improve the biodiversity of the school grounds by planting wildflowers, a vegetable patch and troughs for herbs. Students also constructed and erected bird feeders.
Vegetables grown will be harvested soon and distributed among all at school to taste at home.
All students in the school helped improve the biodiversity of the school grounds by planting wildflowers, a vegetable patch and troughs for herbs. Students also constructed and erected bird feeders.
Vegetables grown will be harvested soon and distributed among all at school to taste at home.
Science Speaker
Eileen Canning from Biodiversity Ireland visited the school on Friday the 5th of May 2017. She spoke to each class and had samples of nests, antlers, bees, and a bat to show the pupils and use as a tool to describe the life of each species. She also did a mini-beast hunt on the school grounds and talked to the children about invertebrates and their importance regarding decomposition.
The children found a variety of minibeasts including worms, beetles, bees, spiders, moth larvae and ants using spoons to dig, dishes, and pooters. They examined them closely using magnifying glasses.
Eileen Canning from Biodiversity Ireland visited the school on Friday the 5th of May 2017. She spoke to each class and had samples of nests, antlers, bees, and a bat to show the pupils and use as a tool to describe the life of each species. She also did a mini-beast hunt on the school grounds and talked to the children about invertebrates and their importance regarding decomposition.
The children found a variety of minibeasts including worms, beetles, bees, spiders, moth larvae and ants using spoons to dig, dishes, and pooters. They examined them closely using magnifying glasses.
Step 2. Technology
3rd and 4th class students used the school computers to gather information online for a Geography project on the counties of Ireland.
Students from 5th and 6th class created Adobe Spark presentations about various minibeasts.
Step 3. Engineering
Students from 5th and 6th class build different bridges to investigate how forces act on objects and how materials may be used in construction. Pupils worked in small groups. They experimented with different supports and girders for their bridges.
Junior infants worked hard to build the tallest tower and rocket using recyclable materials. They measured these against their own heights.
Step 4. Maths
1st class go on a Maths trail around the school.
Students in 1st and 2nd class measured the height of their potted plants over time and compared the height to themselves also.
Step 5. STEM Showcase
Students from 5th and 6th class made presentations after the school minibeast hunt with Eileen Canning (Biodiversity Ireland). These groups chose one particular minibeast they found on their hunt to study and created Adobe Spark presentations to present to the whole school.
1st class and senior infant students made wormeries and showcased their work to different classes.
Below the students are showing 2nd class students their wormery and answering any questions.
Below the students are showing 2nd class students their wormery and answering any questions.