Discover Primary Science and Maths

Now it's time once more for us all here in Fatima N.S. to prepare to take part in the Awards of Science & Maths Excellence during 2015.

We have Five Steps to complete to meet the criteria ...

• Step 1 – Greenwave and Maths: We are currently watching for the signs of spring in our area by observing  six common species as listed on the www.greenwave.ie website and making at least one weather observation in our area. So far we have spotted primroses in bloom and some frogspawn but the chestnut,ash and hawthorn are slow to show growth and the swallows still haven't dare return to Cloone
• Step 2 – Prescribed activities and Maths: This year schools applying for an award must provide evidence that more than one class in the school have been involved in 1 hands-on investigation relating to the Energy and Forces strand of the Science curriculum and give at least one example of how we integrated maths into each activity. In Ms Moran's room the children all designed play dough boats ...which they named themselves....and then had a competition to see how many "passengers"(we used pegs from our pegboards!) each boat could carry. Depending on the boat design we managed from 67 to 268 passengers! Great fun and we discovered why lily pads float as well!
  We also had to do 1 hands-on investigation relating to the Materials strand of the Science curriculum.....we discovered what heat does to chocolate and ended up scoffing rice krispie buns we made ourselves in class !!!
• Step 3 – Visit a DPSM Discover Centre or invite a science speaker or engineer to our school....this year we are inviting the National Parks and Wildlife service to come and assist us explore our school environment 
• Step 4 – Attend or hold a science event. We had our Science display event running during the parent teacher meetings March 4th and 5th
• Step 5 – Engineers Week: Complete an activity related to the theme for Engineers Week 2013....Ms Murphy's class really enjoyed this one and had wonderful fun exploring triangles! did you know that the triangle is an extremely popular building shape, because its not easily deformed????

We have to keep a Discovery Log :with written work by children, photos and teachers accounts . We will publish it on our blog later in the year