<![CDATA[handsupnow.com - Messages]]>Thu, 12 Sep 2024 09:32:27 +1000Weebly<![CDATA[Play.]]>Sun, 06 Oct 2019 07:15:32 GMThttps://www.handsupnow.com/messages/playPlay is an essential part of how children learn and should not be marginalized in schools. This is the thesis of Sahlberg and Doyle’s new book, “Let the Children Play”.

In science, we make time for playful investigations and playful designs. In our last session together, out came the Lego to express and describe plenty of imaginative ideas. Thus, we prepared ourselves for next term's syllabus focus: Design and Production.
​A mobile jumping castle – it can be towed by a car.
A machine which dispenses treats for pets.
A pedal-powered oven.
A new school backpack which has more space and compartments inside.
A dream bedroom made from recycled plastic. It has its own swimming pool. It has solar-powered lights and TV.
A shoe with spikes for playing any sport on soft ground.
A Windows computer – made from Lego windows.
An eco-igloo with a recycling system and which never melts.
Recycling bins with sensors. They help you decide which bin the waste should go in.
A room with table and chairs which can be raised to hang from the ceiling to make space.
A solar-powered car built for Greta Thunberg.
​​A robot which picks up rubbish. It has cameras all over. It can see where any rubbish is. It can go into water. It’s waterproof.
​​A smoother Rubik’s Cube – one that doesn’t need lubrication.
A small machine which fits inside a golf ball. As the ball sails through the air, it takes air samples for analysis.
A living tree which can make electricity.
A volcano cake which, like the science experiment, erupts but can then also be eaten.
A 100% recyclable plant pot which is made from food waste.
A garden buggy – it follows the sunlight so that the plants growing in it can thrive.
]]><![CDATA[Skolstrejk för klimatet.]]>Sat, 21 Sep 2019 07:39:57 GMThttps://www.handsupnow.com/messages/skolstrejk-for-klimatet
​Is there a more pressing problem than climate change? Read what the Australian Curriculum has to say about sustainability.
​​Sustainability addresses the ongoing capacity of Earth to maintain all life.

Sustainable patterns of living meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

Actions to improve sustainability are individual and collective endeavours shared across local and global communities.

​They necessitate a renewed and balanced approach to the way humans interact with each other and the environment.
​Stockholm? No. It's Sydney last Friday,
20 September, 2019.
(click to enlarge image)
]]><![CDATA[Apollo 11 Launch.]]>Sun, 15 Sep 2019 08:43:02 GMThttps://www.handsupnow.com/messages/apollo-11-launchPicture

​It's the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 carrying the two astronauts who were the first to land on the moon.

Thank you to the students who with skill and patience helped to complete the Lego model.

Soon, this rocket will be carefully launched from the demountable to a new Science Lab and Maker Space within the school.
]]><![CDATA[You wouldn't read about it.]]>Fri, 30 Aug 2019 07:53:25 GMThttps://www.handsupnow.com/messages/you-wouldnt-read-about-itWhy is solid carbon dioxide called dry ice? Why does a pellet of dry ice on a warm spoon vibrate? What is that vapour we can see? If dry ice pellets are arranged around a burning candle at the bottom of a bowl, why does the flame go out? Demonstrations with dry ice always create drama and arouse curiosity. They are particularly relevant as we consider the properties of materials and how these change on exposure to heat.
]]><![CDATA[The Habitat Classroom.]]>Sat, 29 Jun 2019 04:22:58 GMThttps://www.handsupnow.com/messages/the-habitat-classroomOne of the highlights of our excursion to Taronga Zoo was the Enclosure Workshop in the "Desert" habitat classroom.
Lauren, the education officer, introduced us to some of the birds and animals which live in this cleverly designed space.

We first noticed the budgies and finches flying right over our heads. A little later, two bilbies were coaxed out of their burrow by the sound of Lauren shaking a container with food. We learned that their long ears aren't just there to gather sound but are also involved in temperature control. The long snout and backwards facing pouch were other interesting adaptations. Go to the Australian Museum's page to read more about them.

During the workshop, Lauren allowed us to touch a shingle-back lizard and a diamond python called "Tiffany". 

​Many thanks to the parents who accompanied us on the trip.
]]><![CDATA[Fantastic fibres -- Part II.]]>Mon, 17 Jun 2019 07:01:13 GMThttps://www.handsupnow.com/messages/fantastic-fibres-part-iiThank you to Dace and Jo from the Hand Weavers and Spinners Guild for skilfully teaching Year 5 students about wool and how its fibres can be spun into yarn. We use the drop spindles and learn about other stages in the processing of wool, a wonderful and precious resource. If we have a sense of how much is involved in producing just one item of clothing -- labour, energy, water, costs to the environment -- then, perhaps, we'll make more sustainable choices as consumers and in the way we live our lives.
]]><![CDATA[Freshly Squeezed.]]>Sat, 08 Jun 2019 07:51:23 GMThttps://www.handsupnow.com/messages/freshly-squeezed

​"There's science in them thar oranges!"

Just a few hundred years ago, scurvy was a serious problem for sailors on long voyages. The wonderful story of vitamin C cannot be told without mentioning lemons, limes and oranges. In the 18th century, Dr Lind was able, through experiment, to realise that scurvy could be prevented by eating citrus fruits.

​In class, we work out what proportion of an orange can be squeezed out as juice and how many oranges we might need to make a litre. We learn how the volume of a piece of fruit can be measured by seeing how much water it displaces.

​This week, the Marist kitchen is at our disposal instead of the laboratory. It's a point of hygiene. That juice mustn't go to waste. Drink up!

Thank you to Yu-Kai for looking after us in the lab and to Maxine for making us welcome in the kitchen.
]]><![CDATA[Fantastic fibres -- Part I.]]>Fri, 24 May 2019 07:08:38 GMThttps://www.handsupnow.com/messages/fantastic-fibresPicture
It can be difficult to tell which kinds of fibres have been spun into a yarn or woven into a fabric. Is that yarn wool, cotton or a synthetic? Is that fabric linen or polyester? 
​
At the Marist laboratory, the children in Year 6 are keen to see how a burn test and microscopic observation can help distinguish one kind of fibre from another. They talk about their observations and record them. 
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How did the swatch react to the flame? Which continued to burn after the flame was removed and which tended to self-extinguish? What was left after burning? And how did the fibres of two different textiles compare at 40x magnification? 
​Many thanks to Prue who kindly supplied fibre samples for the children to examine.
Click on a photo to enlarge, use side arrow to scroll.
]]><![CDATA[The little things in life.]]>Sat, 04 May 2019 08:29:11 GMThttps://www.handsupnow.com/messages/the-little-things-in-life
In the 17th century, Robert Hooke marvelled at a flea through his flea-glass.

​This week, Year 6 students were fascinated by what they could see and draw using microscopes in the high school laboratory. Of course, these instruments were considerably more sophisticated than the magnifying glass used by Hooke. They had multiple lenses, in-built light sources and precise controls to adjust movement and focus.

When the specimen was finally brought into sharp view, how beautiful, grotesque or puzzling it often seemed! Look here: the tip of a corn root; a blood smear; the mouth parts of a butterfly; the cells of a fern. -mjp
]]><![CDATA[Leading up to Easter.]]>Fri, 12 Apr 2019 06:57:28 GMThttps://www.handsupnow.com/messages/leading-up-to-easterPicture
 At the end of a busy term, we have: finished our seedling experiment; learned about the features of some Australian native birds; modelled how beaks are adapted to the food they eat. The poster of Australian native animals remains to be completed and the Apollo V Rocket is still being constructed. Around the school, the recently captured photo of a black hole is the subject of speculation. We look forward to Easter!
]]><![CDATA[Science Lab.]]>Sat, 02 Mar 2019 05:39:22 GMThttps://www.handsupnow.com/messages/science-labWith a couple of sessions in the Science Lab behind them, the children have begun this semester to learn about the Living World. In the very first lesson, I asked the question, "Are you a good noticer?" It's a question Polynesia, the parrot, asked Stubbins, the apprentice naturalist, in The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle. If we are to learn about nature -- about plants and animals -- we must observe them carefully. Many of our big ideas about nature have come from this very important skill. Nature conducts her own experiments and we can learn from the results.-mjp

​Read more about the program here.
]]><![CDATA[Celebration.]]>Fri, 16 Mar 2018 06:39:07 GMThttps://www.handsupnow.com/messages/celebrationLet's celebrate the new learning spaces and the children's exuberance building with cardboard.
]]><![CDATA[STEM Fair 2017]]>Sat, 02 Dec 2017 10:43:29 GMThttps://www.handsupnow.com/messages/stem-fair-2017Take a peek at Friday's STEM Fair.
]]><![CDATA[Engineers and Cardboard Boxes.]]>Fri, 03 Nov 2017 23:36:56 GMThttps://www.handsupnow.com/messages/engineers-and-cardboard-boxesMany thanks to two dads who recently shared their fascinating STEM careers with the children.

Via video link, David told us about how he started out as an IT engineer connecting computer hardware, then programming firing systems on tanks, before more recently managing an educational software company. 

Lester, who qualified as a mechanical engineer, spoke about designing energy efficient air conditioning systems in large buildings.
The children enjoyed his science demonstrations: a piece of paper lifted in the air; a balloon suspended over a fan; a dvd floating on a cushion of air.

Interlocking cardboard boxes made their fun debut in the STEM area. Once the towers were knocked down, a few giraffes were built. After the giraffes lost a few pieces, a cardboard house appeared. After one of its walls was accidentally demolished, an impressive STEM castle took its place. -mjp

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]]><![CDATA[Building with Years 3 and 4.]]>Thu, 12 Oct 2017 09:15:23 GMThttps://www.handsupnow.com/messages/building-with-years-3-and-4See what happened when we built our pop stick truss bridges ...
]]><![CDATA[STEM for Kindergarten.]]>Fri, 08 Sep 2017 06:52:48 GMThttps://www.handsupnow.com/messages/stem-for-kindergartenCheck out our latest film.
]]><![CDATA[Our science reporters and researchers of the future.]]>Sat, 19 Aug 2017 02:26:48 GMThttps://www.handsupnow.com/messages/hear-our-science-reporters-and-researchers-of-the-futureHere are the children at the Science Festival with Fiona Brell of the Australian Museum. They are reporting on four native animals which are each responding differently to climate change. For more detail and the sound files, click here. Picture
]]><![CDATA[Science Festival 2017.]]>Tue, 08 Aug 2017 07:42:20 GMThttps://www.handsupnow.com/messages/science-festival-2017
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Today, as part of the school's STEM program, Years 3 and 4 attended the Australian Museum's Science Festival. Many thanks to the parents who helped out!

In the first session, depending on their group, the children had the opportunity to: try some hands-on chemistry; understand the impact of climate change on four Aussie animals; learn about Aboriginal bush foods and medicine; code with Scratch.

We then all met in an auditorium to hear Dr Joseph Bevitt talk about how recent research on dinosaur fossils has changed our image of what these amazing creatures were like (hint: ones we might have thought looked like reptiles, in fact looked more like birds!).

In the afternoon, we all explored the Science Expo. Among the many stalls, displays and activities, we could look through microscopes, watch a 3D printer at work, build models, make artificial snow, extract plant DNA, appreciate Aboriginal tools, and watch static electricity being generated.-mjp

For more photos, click here. 
]]><![CDATA[Kindergarten.]]>Fri, 04 Aug 2017 09:27:12 GMThttps://www.handsupnow.com/messages/kindergartenA late welcome in this BLOG to the children from Kindergarten who come to STEM for 30 minutes each week. 

Early this year, they loved getting to know the snow owl which has become our mascot. They have enjoyed the stories with a science angle. ​The world of pretend and play captivates the kindies immediately. If there's a hands-on activity -- building or modelling -- all are happily engaged.

Here the children were asked to roll out some plasticine and make a worm. The clay was cold at first and hard to mold. After it had warmed up, some of us tried to make a snail. -mjp

Click photos to enlarge.
]]><![CDATA[Sprickle and Sprackle.]]>Thu, 29 Jun 2017 07:19:39 GMThttps://www.handsupnow.com/messages/sprickle-and-sprackleLast year in May, 10 chicks hatched at the school. Some families then took pairs of chicks home to be reared. Today, two of the chicks, now fully grown hens, returned to their place of birth.

With some flapping, scratching and pecking, Sprickle and Sprackle, quickly drew a crowd. Between them, they reportedly lay between 2-4 eggs per day. We are glad they took time off their busy schedule to come and entertain us.

Thanks to Marnie and her family for allowing us to borrow these two fine specimens for the day and to Else for the enclosure. 
]]><![CDATA[A visiting engineer.]]>Fri, 23 Jun 2017 08:10:36 GMThttps://www.handsupnow.com/messages/a-visiting-engineerMany thanks to Marnie's dad for coming in to talk about engineering with the Year 6 STEM classes. He compared the load-bearing structures in a building to the bones in the human skeleton.

Last week, our building challenge was to make a human figure from a set list of materials -- pop sticks, elastic and bricks. Not easy!

​This week, we set out with Year 5 to understand some features of modern factories like the assembly line and worker specialisation. We ran "factories" to produce copies of a pop stick figure. Congratulations to the managers and the workers! 
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]]><![CDATA[STEM in May.]]>Fri, 02 Jun 2017 08:09:14 GMThttps://www.handsupnow.com/messages/stem-in-may
On a crisp Wednesday evening, around 60 parents and children gathered at Sydney Observatory for a family tour. Led by several expert guides, we were able to look through a modern $60,000 computerised telescope and a priceless 145-year-old telescope housed in a beautiful copper dome. 

Although there were some clouds and showers around, there were still opportunities to see Jupiter and our own cratered moon. In the planetarium, the guides pointed out some of the wonders of the solar system and of deep space.

Earlier in the month, just under 50 parents attended our latest STEM evening. We tried writing with quills, tying knots in rope and firing a simple air cannon. I know the talk, which included photos taken in Munich, Florence and Los Angeles, made you think of your own travel plans or remember with nostalgia places you had once lived in or visited. -mjp
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]]><![CDATA[The telescope we borrowed (thanks Mitch!)]]>Tue, 09 May 2017 10:57:13 GMThttps://www.handsupnow.com/messages/the-telescope-we-borrowed-thanks-mitch
In the evening, after looking at the moon through this reflecting telescope, we found Jupiter a little higher and to the west. On one side of the planet, we could see two Galilean moons and a third moon on the other. The orbital periods of Jupiter's moons are very short so every evening we would be able to record a difference in their positions -- just like Galileo did!
]]><![CDATA[The Return of the Native.]]>Fri, 14 Apr 2017 07:59:21 GMThttps://www.handsupnow.com/messages/the-return-of-the-nativeThe brush turkey takes no notice of the echidna which has decided to return to our garden. We identify him by a broken spine or quill. Here he is mining the garden bed for ants. 
]]><![CDATA[Thinking about Leonardo.]]>Tue, 28 Mar 2017 20:14:49 GMThttps://www.handsupnow.com/messages/thinking-about-leonardo
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This photo was taken earlier in March from a plane making its approach into Florence Airport. Close to 400 years ago, Leonardo da Vinci lived in this town. He would recognise the majestic Duomo and the contours of the land. If he could watch the plane descend towards the runway, he would know that his plans for flying machines had not just been realised but well and truly surpassed in the modern jet plane. 

Why do we need to think about Leonardo?

​He was arguably the greatest polymath of his age, working at the cutting-edge of science and art. He is a wonderful ambassador for the kind of learning promoted through STEM and STEAM (if we include the arts). We should celebrate his achievements when STEM returns from its sabbatical. -mjp
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