Science Foundation Ireland
Curious Minds Awards
Log Book 2023
Renmore, Galway 2022/2023
To log into SESAME, Science Foundation Ireland’s system for Awards Management
please click the link below.
Click on the link here find the planning guide with lots of links to activities from
Curious Minds Discover Primary Science and Maths
Classes Involved:
Featured on our log book:
Ms. Halliday (2nd), Ms. Bohan (2nd), Ms.Needham/Ms. Ryan (2nd), Ms. Glynn (2nd), Ms. F.Kavanagh (2nd)
Ms. McLoughlin (1st), Ms. Gaffney (1st), Ms. Flannery (1st), Ms. Kyne (1st), Ms. McCaul/Ms. C.Fitzgerald (1st)
Ms. Cunningham (SI), Ms. Dunne (SI), Ms. Tierney (SI), Ms. Ferguson (SI), Ms. Morris (SI)
Ms. Hynes (JI), Ms. Herbert/Ms. Lavery (JI), Ms. Keenan (JI)
Ms. B.Fitzgerald’s class, Ms. S.Kavanagh’s class, Ms. Coade’s class
Also involved:
All 1st classes made foam rockets during Space Week 2022
Every class took part in Space Week 2022 and in the launching of outdoor rockets on 7/10/22
Most classes visited R9’s Space Display day or R15’s Space Box Display day on 7/10/22
All 1st and 2nd classes engaged with beebots and/or The Hour of Code for EU code week
All classes took part in Maths Week 2022 activities in and around the classrooms
Most classes visited R9’s and/or R15’s Autumn Box Display day on 28/11/22
All classes enjoyed the Mad Scientist and ATU’s Rainbow Lab during Science Week 2022
All classes saw Native Irish Animals with Carole from Connemara National Park 2023
All classes had a visit from the Gardaí
All classes are involved in the Green Schools Flag programme
All classes had a marine workshop with Benny Joyce
All 1st and 2nd classes had a visit from students of ATU on Marine Birds
STEP 1: Science
(4 hands-on science investigations, with at least one from each of the four strands)
Living Things:
- Looking at our fingerprints 1st class (Sept 2022)
- Lungs:- breathing and sneezing 1st class (Sept 2022)
- Our senses challenges 1st class (Sept 2022)
- Touch and body organs 1st class (Sept 2022)
- The Hungry Caterpillar:- Healthy food Junior Infants (Sept 2022)
- Our sense of touch 1st class (Sept 2022)
- Exploring all 5 senses Ms. B.Fitzgerald’s class (Sept 2022)
- Autumn has arrived 2nd class (Sept 2022)
- Signs of autumn 2nd class (Sept 2022)
- Bugs and living things 2nd class (Sept 2022)
- Conkers and autumn seeds 1st class (Sept 2022)
- Leaf identification 2nd class (Oct 2022)
- Nature walk 2nd class (Oct 2022)
- Wasp in our classroom 1st class (Oct 2022)
- Hedgehogs Junior infants (Oct 2022)
- Does fat keep you warm? 1st class (Dec 2022)
- How animals stay warm in winter 1st class (Jan 2023)
- Investigating native Irish animals all classes Junior infants (Jan 2023)
- Aistear in Antarctica Senior Infants (Jan 2023)
- Thirsty daffodils 1st class (Feb 2023)
- To water or not? 1st class (March 2023)
- Blue Tit nest and eggs all classes (March 2023)
- Growing an avacado plant 1st class (May 2023)
- A bat in school (May 2023)
Energy and Forces:
- UV bracelets 1st class (Sept 2022)
- Floating paper clips 1st class (Sept 2022)
- Investigating transparency and the colours of light 1st classes (Sept 2022)
- Baking in the special class (Oct 2022)
- Spooky science: Static ghosts 1st class (Oct 2022)
- Dancing raisins 1st class (Nov 2022)
- Making soup with the special classes (Jan 2023)
- Mixing colours Junior Infants (Feb 2023)
- Magnet discovery time 1st class (March 2023)
- Forces: push and pull pop up flowers 1st class (May 2023)
Materials:
- Magic milk 2nd class (Oct 2022)
- Making greenhouses 1st class (Oct 2022)
- Gummy bear experiment Senior infants (Nov 2022)
- Walking water capillary experiment Senior infants (Nov 2022)
- Making crystals 1st class (Dec 2022)
- Looking for acids with cabbage water 1st class (Dec 2022)
- Sparky needs a drink Junior infants (Dec 2022)
- Making slime 2nd class (Jan 2023)
- Which ball bounces the highest? 1st class (Jan 2023)
- Aistear in Antarctica Senior infants (Feb 2023)
- Thirsty daffodils 1st class (Feb 2023)
Environmental Awareness and Care:
- Apple trees in autumn 1st class (Sept 2022)
- Visiting the school garden 1st class (Sept 2022)
- Anti litter awareness 1st class (Sept 2020)
- Tree day 2022 Senior Infants (Oct 2022)
- Investigating the signs of autumn 1st & 2nd class (Oct 2022)
- Autumn scavenger hunt 1st class (Oct 2022)
- Autumn walk 2nd class (Oct 2022)
- Harvesting our potatoes Special Class (Oct 2022)
- Nature walk Junior infants (Oct 2022)
- Autumn reflected in art Junior infants (Oct 2022)
- Wild flowers 1st class (Oct 2022)
- Watching a partial solar eclipse 1st & 2nd classes (Oct 2022)
- Litter pickers and personal timelines 1st class (Oct 2022)
- A winter jar 1st class (Jan 2023)
- Keeping our trees healthy Senior school (Jan 2023)
- Green Schools Recycling All classes (Feb 2023)
- Incredible Edibles Planting Seeds 1st classes (March 2023)
- Planting strawberries and potatoes 1st class (March 2023)
- The garden centre Junior Infants (March 2023)
- Investigating rainfall 1st class (March 2023)
- Investigating air pollution 1st class (May 2023)
(and also 2 or more examples below)
Science Speakers:
- Starship rocket engineer answers our space questions 1st class (Sept 2022)
- Zoom space call with Eóin Tuomy ESA engineer all classes (Oct 2022)
- Mad Scientist Ray Whyte with Galway Science and Technology Festival (Nov 2022)
- Blackrock Castle Observatory and ESERO talk on telescopes and space (Dec 2022)
- Carol from Connemara National Parks and Native Irish animals all classes (Jan 2023)
- Visit from the Gardaí all classes (Jan 2023)
- Marine workshops with Benny Joyce all classes, Junior Infants, 1st classes, Junior Infants (Feb 2023)
Science Week Events:
- Dr. Lucky Duck at Galway Science and Technology festival (Nov 2022)
- Visit from the Mad Scient(ist Ray Whyte All Classes Junior Infants Senior infants 1st class 2nd classes (Nov 2022)
- Science Week Trip to the Aquarium Special class (Nov 2022) and Aquarium 1st class (Nov 2022)
- ATU Colourful Science box: Rainbow Lab – Rainbows with milk Junior Infants (Nov 2022)
- ATU Rainbow lab 1st Class (Nov 2022)
- ATU Colour mixing and flipping a rainbow 1st class (Nov 2022)
- ATU Growing Gummy Bears 1st class (Nov 2022)
- Dancing raisins and Fruity sweets colour mixing Junior Infants (Nov 2022)
- Super Scientist Mark virtual show 1st class (N0v 2022)
- Science week fun in first class (Nov 2022)
- Mark the Science Guy 1st class (Nov 2022)
External Science Events/Programmes:
- Beach Clean Up with Atlantic Technological University 1st class (Oct 2022)
- Working with ATU on the Magical World of Algae 2nd classes (Nov 2022)
- Visit from Marine Scientists to teach us about the Effects of Pollution on Marine birds (Feb 2023)
- Looking After Our Ocean Project
Space Week Events:
See all our Space Week 2022 events here and here.
STEP 2: Technology
(2 or more examples of the children using ICT)
- Our own stop motion animated movie 2nd class (Oct 2022)
- EU Code Week: Monday – Beebots, Code Monkey and Kodable 1st class (Oct 2022)
- EU Code Week: Tuesday – Beaver Achiever and Angry Birds 2nd class (Oct 2022)
- Coding Fun: Tuesday – 2nd class (Oct 2022)
- Coding Week Wednesday in Room 15 1st class (Oct 2022)
- EU Code Week Wednesday in Prefab 3A 1st class (Oct 2022)
- Coding with Minecraft Wednesday 1st class (Oct 2022)
- Thursday: Coding with Moana 1st class (Oct 2022)
- Thursday Beebots in 1st and 2nd class (Oct 2022)
- Friday’s 2nd class coding (Oct 2022)
- Friday’s Star Wars coding 1st class (Oct 2022)
- Coding in Room 11 2nd class (Oct 2022)
- Making a data chart on our whiteboard 2nd class (Oct 2022)
- Looking at money under a microscope 1st class (Oct 2022)
- Using Bright Sparks 4 Kids electronic kits to make circuits 1st class (Dec 2022)
- Examining the salt crystals we grew under a microscope 1st class (Dec 2022)
- Using our skills in technology to build circuits and to build and programme bots 1st class (Dec 2022)
- Stop Motion animation with Lara 1st class Session 2 (Jan 2023)
STEP 3: Engineering
(2 or more examples of the children investigating engineering in class or in the local area)
- Designing, Problem Solving and Constructing 1st class (Sept 2022)
- Planning, designing and constructing Junior Infants (Oct 2022)
- 3D construction during Maths Week 1st class (Oct 2022)
- Designing and making Autumn/Halloween boxes 1st class (Oct 2022)
- A Home-Made Boat 1st class (Jan 2023)
- Engineers Week: Traffic Lights 1st class (March 2023)
- Engineers Week: Engineering Walk and Water Cycle 1st classes (March 2023)
- Engineers Week: Building Bridges 1st class (March 2023)
- Engineers Week: Making rafts 1st class (March 2023)
- Engineers Week: Visit from a Mechanical Engineer 1st and 2nd classes (March 2023)
- Engineers Week: How a video phone works 1st class (March 2023)
- Engineers Week: Making circuits 1st class (March 2023)
- Engineers Week: How does a bicycle work? 1st class (March 2023)
- Engineering with fruit 1st class (March 2023)
- My engineered cushion 1st class (March 2023)
- Writing about Engineers Week 1st class (March 2023)
- Constructing flood defences 1st classes (March 2023)
- Our new prefabs Whole school (April 2023)
- Growing plants on display Hearing unit & 1st class (April 2023)
- More 3D construction 1st class (April 2023)
STEP 4 : Maths
(2 or more examples of the children using their maths skills as part of their science work)
- Making 2D shapes into other 2D shapes, into rockets 1st class (Sept 2022)
- Making 2D shapes into 3D shapes, into rockets 1st class (Sept 2022)
- Space data chart 1st class (Sept 2022)
- Baking cookies 2nd class (Sept 2022)
- Pet shop visit and data chart 2nd class (Oct 2022)
- Maths week in Prefab 1B 1st class (Oct 2022)
- Using thermometers to measure heat 1st class (Oct 2022)
- Cars on ramps 1st class (April 2023)
- Fruit and veg exploration day 1st class (April 2023)
Event registered with Maths Week Ireland 2022
See all our activities for Maths Week 2022 here
STEP 5 : STEM Show and Tell
(at least one example)
- Explaining about our designs at assembly 1st class (Sept 2022)
- Space assembly 1st classes (Oct 2022)
- Space Display Day 1st class (Oct 2022)
- Space box display 1st class (Oct 2022)
- Displaying our autumn boxes at assembly 1st class (Oct 2022)
- Displaying our Halloween boxes 1st classes (Oct 2022)
- Displaying our Christms boxes 1st class (Dec 2022)
- Our seaweed art on display in the Atlantaquaria (Dec 2022)
- Ocean gallery display for other classes and parents (Jan 2023)
- Amazing Towers in Senior Infants (Feb 2023)
- Talk from the Greeen Schools Committee 1st and 2nd class assemblies (March 2023)
Summary for our Platinum Award