Tree Sap

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Sticky and golden, sap moves through trees to circulate water and nutrients, much like blood in our veins.

Pine trees, being evergreen, produce sap all year round but it flows strongest in spring and summer.

Special vascular tissues called the xylem and phloem transport it around the tree.

Sap brings nutrients absorbed from the soil by the roots up and food produced by the leaves down.

Eggstra Special

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“What do our chickens’ eggs taste like?”

“Well, let’s find out!”

Year 5 Creatives - Mud huts and woodland wedges

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Exploring different building materials.

Next week the children may choose to follow this up with research about wattle and daub and cob houses and explore other forest fashion.

Year 2, Week 1

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So much has changed since their last Earthclass, so the children spent time exploring.

We are also beginning to thing about the Farmer’s Market in the summer and today the children worked in small groups to learn about seeds and how, in their dormant state, they carry the food for the new plant to grow.

They used magnifiers to measure length and observe shape, size, colour and texture of harvested seeds.

The children looked at seeds packets, read the information and instructions then sowed tomatoes, chili plants and peas.

Some children chose to go for their palm drill and bow saw badges, using them to make a necklace.

Year 6 Renewables focusing on solar energy

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Photon bombardment game:

Large solar panel:

Small solar projects:

For our STEM project we are learning about renewables, with a focus on solar energy and wind energy.

We explored solar energy, advantages and disadvantages, photovoltaic cells and the construction of a pv cell.

In order for the children to visualise how photons (light) causes electrons to flow and create electricity in a solar panel, we played the photon bombardment game.

We then explored simple solar circuits.

Fortunately, it was a sunny day!

Some of the children then chose to employ solar powered movement to create spinning art works.

Grace explained, “I’ve learned you need sun for the solar panel to work. When I stood in the shadows then fan stopped spinning. Today, clear skies and sunny, it’s a good day”

Harriet enthused, “This is so cool! It works and I feel like a scientist!”

Nancy shared, “I really like using the buzzer as well as it tells you when the fan is spinning as it buzzes at the same time. When I lift the panel up, closer to the sun the buzzer gets louder and the fan spins faster”.

Harrison and Zachery, Jenna and Lena designed their own solar powered art models using the circuits