Exploring the rock cycle...using chocolate

Last week we looked at how different rock types are created. We used chocolate, hand pressure and warm or hot water to recreate the conditions that sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous rock types are created.

Sedimentary rock types - 

• Sedimentary rocks are formed by sediment that is deposited over time, usually as layers at the bottom of lakes and oceans.
• This sediment can include minerals, small pieces of plants and other organic matter.
• The sediment is compressed over a long period of time before consolidating into solid layers of rock.

Metamorphic rock types - 

• Metamorphic rocks have been changed over time by extreme pressure and heat.
• Metamorphic rocks can be formed by pressure deep under the Earth's surface, from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.

Igneous rock types - 

• Igneous rock is formed when magma cools and solidifies, it may do this above or below the Earth's surface.

A sea of pink

This week was Anti-Bully week. We did a whole lot of learning around what is bullying and how bullying can affect people. We also participated in Pink Shirt Day dressing up in pink to take action against bullying. 

Kids Games

Kids Games is well underway this term. Kids Games is an organised programme where instructors come into our school and teach the skills of 3 different sports. The students have finished their three sessions of T-Ball and are currently exploring the skills of Volleyball. Lastly they will be looking at Turbo Touch. All of this will culminate (hopefully) with the Year 5/6 students travelling on bus over to Queenstown and competing in these sports against a number of teams from other schools.

 

Science week

For Science Week we adopted a local scientist. We were lucky to have Dan and Julie Asher who came in and shared their experiences growing grapes and creating wine. The students got stuck in creating grape juice. They took the grapes off the stem, crushed them using the traditional method (after cleaning their feet) and then used all their scientific observation skills to describe the created juice. 

The next time round was exploring the science of how yeast acts as a catalyst in the process of fermentation and therefore the creation of wine. The students first used their scientific observation skills to describe the changes in the juice after it had been left to settle (with the skins on) for a few days. Then it was back to hands on learning and activating the yeast (by adding it to warm water) before adding it to the grape mixture and keeping it at the required temperature of 40 degrees. We now need to wait for 2 weeks to allow the yeast to convert the sugar into alcohol. Watch this space.
 

A challenging day

Today's group challenge was a mixture of 3 challenges that table groups had to complete in a given time-frame. Each group had to decide how they approached and solved the challenges. Did they work as individuals on their strengths or as a team all working together? Did they complete one challenge possibly sacrificing finishing all of them or focus on all of them and possibly finishing none?

The challenges were to:

• Solve 2 written mathematical problems
• Make the tallest tower using only straws and blutack
• Complete a 100 piece puzzle. 

The groups solved the challenges in their own unique way and the levels of team work shown was awesome to see.