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Tuesday 21 August 2018

Learning About Simple Machines

Today we started learning about simple machines and how they help us to do jubs more easily.

Today we focused on  LEVERS. We identified different household levers and learnt about the words fulcrum, load and force.  We identified these parts on different levers.

It was fun making a simple catapult with a spoon, blocks and a ping pong ball. (Ooops - one flew off into who-knows-where).

We experimented using a lever, and changed the position of the fulcrum. We worked out that the closer the load is to the fulcrum, the stronger the force was which meant it was easier to lift.

Check out these pics...



Friday 17 August 2018

Thursday 16 August 2018

Exploring air resistance

On Tuesday, we had fun learning about how air resistance affects the movement of falling objects.
In groups of three, we each had a piece of paper that we had to modify to make it fall as SLOW as possible. We carefully drew our designs and labelled the changes. (eg; ripped the edges, folds, holes, cellotape, etc)

Then we dropped all 3 at the SAME time from the SAME height (to make sure it was a FAIR TEST).
We did this several times, because good scientists need to check that their testing is accurate. When we were happy that we had worked out the SLOWEST piece of paper to fall, we formed conclusions as to WHY this design worked better than the others.

After listening to all of the groups share their results and show us their best design - we came to the conclusion that the better designs were the ones that had a LARGER SURFACE AREA because this created MORE AIR RESISTANCE which slowed the falling paper.

(We also discovered, to our surprise, that it's good to put a hole in the centre of the paper - as this steadies the paper so it doesn't cut across the air and dive to the floor on an angle).

Did you know .... all parachutes have a hole in the top so it prevents the poor parachutist from swaying too much!?






Friday 3 August 2018

Tough Kids Challenge

Today heaps of Room 3 kids took part in the Tough Kid Challenge at Linton Army Camp.
We had lots of fun wading through the stinky bog, crawling through the dark, creepy tunnels, scrambling over loads of logs and jumping through high 'windows' in the obstacle course.

We got thoroughly soaking wet and muddy! But it was heaps of fun! Here are some photos ...