Physics Week!


This week is Science Week and our focus is Physics!  Physics is all about the forces in the world from gravity to buoyancy!  In Year 6, our Physics foci will be light and electricity!
 
This week there will be experiments for you to do at home using household materials.  I have split them into Working Scientifically and the 5 Types of Enquiry - I tried to concentrate mostly on areas of Physics but there are some Chemistry and Biology-based experiments to try and give you a good range of things you can do at home.  If you don't have some of the items to complete an experiment, do not worry!  If you want to watch experiments in action, there are also videos available online (this is especially useful if the materials are not common household items!).

This week is all about:

fun
learning
recording
experimenting
repeating experiments (to check results)
showing our findings 
asking questions

and, above all else,

BEING SAFE!

Please consider all safety precautions and complete experiments with the supervision of an adult!  

As always, Miss Shields would LOVE to see your amazing experiments (and already has seen several experiments and observations from our keen Scientists in Violet Class!) so please add photos to Dojo, send through your observations and Scientific musings. 
 
Remember: no observation is too small or insignificant and when you observe, ask yourself 'WHY?'.  This simple question should spark more answers and questions and fuel more ideas and experiments.  If your ideas lead you into more Scientific discovery, let Miss Shields know.  A curious mind finds more questions as well as answers and discovers new things all the time.

Have fun, be safe and tell Miss Shields all about your learning this week, Scientists!
 
Here are two documents to refer back to again and again this week!
 
The Working Scientifically can be followed when experimenting to ensure you record accurately and consider each step carefully. 
 
The Types of Enquiry document will help you to work out what kind of experiment you are completing!
 
There are LOTS of ToDos on Purple Mash this week to test your knowledge and stretch your understanding!  Have fun!
 
 
This is an especially important idea this week.  Experiments don't always go the way you expect BUT that is not necessarily a bad thing (for example when Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin).  I am NOT expecting you to discover a new antibiotic this week but I DO want you to observe, make notes, consider WHY and, as long as you keep yourselves and others safe, accept that mistakes are proof you are a great Scientist!  
 
 
Thinking of a career in Science?  There are SO many to choose from!  Read this interview with an Electrical Engineer and see if you can answer the questions!  I know Chemistry is about reactions and explosions but Physics is pretty fun too...
 
 
Scientists have been in the news a lot recently in the development of vaccines and their hard work has been discussed in the news and throughout the world!  If you want to take a break from all the hard work you have been completing this week, you can print out this celebratory colouring page based on Scientific heroes.
 
 
Time to Write 
 
Although there will be lots of writing this week due to making observations and conducting research as well as experimenting, Science can also provide us with LOTS of opportunity to write a range of exciting poems, stories and non-fiction.  Here are just a few pictures to inspire you!