Excalibur Primary SchoolWhat it's like to be a scientist at Excalibur
"I liked it when we used our senses to try and work out what different objects were." Year 1
"It's really important to eat a healthy balanced diet. That means little bits from each group- not just loads of one group." Year 2
"It was cool when we went outside to hunt for worms. We had to stamp on the ground. The worms thought it was the rain so they tried to come to the surface so that they didn't drown. That's what birds do so that they can hunt and eat them." Year 3
"I really enjoyed investigating whether circuits were complete or incomplete by testing to see if the bulb lit up. Most of my predictions were right because I knew that the electricity had to flow from the battery cell to the bulb and back to the battery cell." Year 4
"I found gestation periods much more interesting than I thought I would. The frog has such a short gestation period but can live for up to 20 years!" Year 5
"The heart is so interesting. I find it really amazing that our blood has plasma in it to make the blood sticky and then it forms a scab." Year 6
Preschool FS1
Our pre-school have enjoyed exploring gloop. Gloop offers young children a range of sensory experiences, and the opportunity to learn about different textures and materials. It is also great for developing fine motor skills. The children explored and used new vocabulary such as slippery, smooth, shiny, sticky, stretchy etc.
Pre-school had a fantastic finish to their topic about wild animals when they visited Peak Wildlife Park. They had a great time learning about all the different animals and the habitats they live in. They especially enjoyed watching the penguins swim in their giant pool and then stop to eat fish at feeding time.
Reception FS2
Our Reception class have been looking at the natural world around them and recognising the changing seasons. They have enjoyed making observations and drawing pictures of animals and plants. Watching the magical journey as caterpillars transform into butterflies and then releasing them into the wild helped the children to understand more about life cycles and the natural world. Through reading The Seed by Eric Carle children were able to understand what plants need and how their life cycle develops. The children planted seeds and are looking forward to transfering their plants into the garden.
Year 1
As part of our investigations into the different seasons, we have been looking at lots of different changes including: our clothing, the leaves on the trees, the plants that grow, the hours of daylight. We took a walk around our outdoor area to spot various signs of spring!
We have been exploring different everyday materials. We recognised what materials different objects were made from and then began to think about why those materials had been chosen. We investigated the different properties of materials and then investigated which material would be suited best to being used to make an umbrella. We decided the material needed to be waterproof and also flexible so that it could be folded down.
We have been learning about plants. After investigation, we noticed that not all plants have the same parts and that all seeds and bulbs are diffferent too! We can now identify many common plants and trees and our beanstalks are growing big and strong.
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Year 2
Within our minibeasts topic, we have looked at the important role of bees in our ecosystem. We took on the role of the bee pollinating flowers, collecting nectar and even doing the bee dance to let other bees know it was a fruitful flower! We also created our own natural seed bombs that we have planted around the school outdoor environment. We can't wait to see what grows next year!
As part of our science work on living things and their habitats, Year 2 have been investigating micro-habitats on our residential field trip. We had a brilliant time pond dipping and exploring a stream. We found and identified a wide variety of creatures and discussed why they thrive there.
Year 3
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Year 3 have been exploring magnets. They began by testing which materials were magnetic before then moving on to look at the north and south pole of the magnets. Finally, they investigated the strengths of different types and sizes of magnets. They discovered that there was not always a relationship between the size of the magnet and the force of the magnetic field!
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Year 4
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Year 4 have had an electrifying time in Science! After identifying common appliances that run on electricity they constructed a simple series electrical circuit, identifying all its basic parts, including cells, wires, bulbs, switches and buzzers. After recognising that some materials are conductors and insulators, they built switches into simple circuits. |
Year 5
Year 6
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Year 6 have been investigating the evolution and inheritance of humans, recognising that living things produce offspring of the same kind, but normally offspring vary and are not identical to their parents. By looking at how animals are adapted to suit their environment in different ways we have learnt lots of new vocabulary to describe this adaptation. |
As part of Science Week, Year 6 were treated with a virtual visit from research scientist Sophie Tomkinson, who works at Queen's University Belfast looking at cancer treatments. The children found out about her job and had the opportunity to ask questions.
