Sixth Class kicked off science week by investigating how clean our hands really are. We timed ourselves, rubbing a slice of bread with our hands before we washed them and after we washed them with soap. We are still waiting to see any changes in the bread but are observing them every day!
We investigated which liquids would affect the shell of an egg. We chose liquids that we thought would impact the shell; vinegar, ketchup, hot water and salt, deodorant and coca cola. We left each egg to soak in the liquid overnight and took them out after 24 hours. We discovered that the vinegar had peeled a layer off of the shell of the egg and also made it harder to break. Bubbles appeared in the vinegar which showed us that a chemical reaction was happening! The ketchup had the same affect as this. We discovered that one of the main ingredients in ketchup is actually vinegar. We had lots of fun doing this experiment!
We discussed how vinegar and ketchup caused a chemical reaction which led us to think about how when we cook and bake; chemical reactions take place. We decided to bake brown bread to see science in action. We used our math skills to add and measure the ingredients needed. We discussed what would happen if certain ingredients, particularly bicarbonate soda was missing from our mixture before we put it into the oven. We put the mixture into the oven for an hour – and checked on it, watching how the bread rose over time! Then came the best part, we got to eat it all!
At the end of Science week, Ruth from the SCP came to our class to do some STEAM activities with us! We talked about how STEAM included science, engineering, technology, arts and maths and what kind of jobs use incorporate STEAM everyday – our list went on forever! We loved cracking the code and following/giving directions to one another.
We then used our engineering skills to build our own straw rockets. We followed instructions and then raced them in the corridor. Well done to Sam who’s rocket travelled the furthest distance!
