Science Foundation Ireland
Discover Science and Maths Awards
Log Book 2019/DSM/56
Scoil Chaitríona Junior
Renmore, Galway
2018/2019
Congratulations to all
on achieving our
Plaque of Excellence
and the new
Badge of Excellence 2019!
Predictions and what we learn from STEM
Classes Involved:
Featured on our log book:
Ms. McLoughlin (2nd), Ms. Forde (2nd), Ms. Coade/Ms. Lally (2nd), Ms. Cunningham (2nd), Ms. Lavery/Ms. O’Connor (2nd), Ms Warde’s class, Ms. Needham’s class, Mr. Elwood (1st), Ms. McCaul (1st), Ms. Moran (1st), Mr. Moran (1st), Ms. McGuire (1st), Ms. Gillen (Sen Inf), Ms. Connolly (Jun Inf), Ms. B. Fitzgerald (Jun Inf), Ms. Mullins (Jun Inf)
Also involved:
All five second classes and one first class took part in rocket launching during Space Week (Oct 2018)
All five second classes attended a Scratch workshop run by SAP volunteers during EU Code Week (Oct 2018)
All five second classes took part in Space Week (Oct 2018) and EU Code Week (Oct 2018)
13 classes joined second class in their rocket launching display and all classes in the school took part in the large air and water rocket launches. (Oct 2018)
All 23 classes visited the science show Xperimental in our hall for Science Week (Nov 2018)
All 5 second classes used cabbage water to test our drinks for acid (Science Week 2018)
All 5 second classes used their STEM skills to design and make rafts, catapults and/or flood defences (Engineers Week, March 2019)
Dental workshop for all second classes (March 2019)
All classes attended a workshop on Irish animals from Connemara National Park (June 2019)
STEM learning is a priority in our school:
STEP 1: Science
(4 hands-on science investigations, with at least one from each of the four strands)
Living Things:
- Mini-beast hunt 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (Sept 2018)
- What do seeds need to grow? 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (Sept 2018)
- Gardening with Kay 1st class, Ms. McCaul (Oct 2018)
- I taste with my tongue Junior Infants, Ms. Connolly (Oct 2018)
- Video of our art mirroring nature Senior Infants, Ms. Mullins (Oct 2018)
- Nature reflected in our art work 1st class, Mr. Elwood (Oct 2018)
- Lamb at school all classes (Feb 2019)
- Bug Hunting 19 2nd class (Feb 2019)
- Fruit and Vegetable tasting day 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (March 2019)
- Hen’s Eggs 2nd classs, Ms. McLoughlin (March 2019)
- Our chicks are hatching 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (April 2019)
- Big chicks 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (April 2019)
- Our strawberries are growing 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (May 2019)
- Baby Blue Tits 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (May 2019)
- Workshop on Irish animals with Connemara National Park, all classes (June 2019)
- Mini beast hunt with Kay 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (June 2019)
Energy and Forces:
- Dancing raisins Junior Infants, Ms. Connolly (Sept 2018)
- Launching rocket mice Ms. Needham’s class (Sept 2018)
- All sorts of rockets for Space Week 2nd classes (Oct 2018)
- Dancing ghosts 1st class, Ms. Moran (Oct 2018)
- Dancing raisins 1st class, Mr. Faherty & Ms. Moran (Oct 2018)
- Learning about gravity 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (Oct 2018)
- Mirror reflections 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (Nov 2018)
- Using a light box and curved mirrors 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (Nov 2018)
- Pop up Santa toy 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (Dec 2018)
- Discovering electricity 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (Dec 2018)
- Circuits: Making and Breaking circuits 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (Dec 2018)
- Magnet moning 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (Dec 2018)
- Floating fruit 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (Jan 2019)
- Water experiments and the water cycle 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (Jan 2019)
- Balancing clowns 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (Feb 2019)
- Learning about sound 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (March 2019)
- Underwater Volcano 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (April 2019)
- Does a candle need air to burn? 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (April 2019)
- Investigating bubbles 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (April 2019)
- Making rainbows 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (May 2019)
- Mixing colours 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (May 2019)
- Mixing colours, spinners and optical illusions 2nd class, Ms. McLojughlin (May 2019)
- Foam Projectile Challenge 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (June 2019)
Materials:
- Materials Pass the Parcel 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (Sept 2018)
- Materials Scavenger Hunt 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (Sept 2018)
- Humpty Dumpty Ms. Warde’s class (Sept 2018)
- The Three Little Pigs Ms. Warde’s class (Sept 2018)
- Checking for absorbency of materials 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (Sept 2018)
- Demonstrating how lava flows in a volcano 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (Oct 2018)
- Mirrors and condensation 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (Nov 2018)
- Condensation and mirrors 2nd class, Ms. O’Connor (Jan 2019)
- Egg Experiment 1st class, Mr. Elwood (March 2019)
- Fizzy Bomb 2nd class, Mr. Carleton (March 2019)
Environmental Awareness and Care:
- Harvesting with Kay 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (Sept 2018)
- Cleaning Dirty Water 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (Sept 2018)
- Investigating soil 2nd class, Ms. Forde (Sept 2018)
- Collecting and Printing Leaves Senior Infants, Ms. Gillen (Sept 2018)
- Signs of autumn Senior Infants, Ms. Gillen (Sept 2018)
- Autumn Trees Junior Infants, Ms. B.Fitzgerald (Oct 2018)
- Autumn science and art 1st class, Mr. Elwood (Oct 2108)
- Harvesting in autumn 2nd class, Ms. Coade (Oct 2018)
- Appreciating autumn 1st class, Ms. McCaul (Oct 2018)
- Collecting autumn leaves, seeds and nuts Junior Infants, Ms. Connolly (Oct 2018)
- Autumn walk 1st class, Ms. Moran (Oct 2018)
- Planting strawberries, potatoes and seeds Ms. McLoughin (March 2019)
- Planting vegetable seeds Ms. McLoughlin (March 2019)
(and also 2 or more examples below)
Science Speakers:
- Engineers Week: Visit from an electrician 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (March 2019)
- Visit from Cloud Solution Engineers 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (March 2019)
- Visit from a STEM scientist Junior Infants, Ms. Connolly (March 2019)
Science Week Event:
- Making a spray 2nd class, Ms. Groarke (Nov 2018)
- Xperimental shows JI, SI, 1st, 2nd classes (Nov 2018)
- Red cabbage pH indicator tests our drinks for acid all 2nd classes (Nov 2018)
- Our own class scientist 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (Nov 2018)
- Science week experiments 2nd class, Ms. Coade/Ms. Lally (Nov 2018)
- Science week show 2nd class, Ms. Lally/Ms. Coade (Nov 2018)
Space Week Event:
- Taking part in World Space Week 2018 Second Classes (Oct 2018)
- Making foam rockets 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (Sept 2018)
- Making rocket mice 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (Sept 2018)
- Making straw rockets 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (Sept 2018)
- Making toilet roll rockets 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (Sept 2018)
- Launching rocket mice 2nd class, Ms. Cunningham & Ms. McLoughlin (Oct 2018)
- Launching water rockets 2nd class, Ms. Cunningham & Ms. McLoughlin (Oct 2018)
- Planets data 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (Oct 2018)
- Launching toilet roll rockets 2nd class, Ms. Coade & Ms. McLoughlin (Oct 2018)
- Launching fizzy rockets 2nd class, Ms. Coade & Ms. McLoughlin (Oct 2018)
- Launching balloon rockets 2nd class, Ms. Lavery & Ms. McLoughlin (Oct 2018)
- Launching straw rockets 2nd class, Ms. Lavery & Ms. McLoughlin (Oct 2108)
- Launching our own mouse rockets 2nd class, Ms. Cuningham (Oct 2018)
- Launching volcanic rockets 2nd class, Ms. Groarke & Ms. McLoughlin (Oct 2018)
- Launching foam rockets 2nd class, Ms. Groarke & Ms. McLoughlin (oct 2018)
- Snowman and stomp rockets 1st & 2nd classes, Ms. Maguire & Ms. McLoughlin (Oct 2018)
- Launching air rockets 1st & 2nd classes, Ms. Maguire & Ms. McLoughlin (Oct 2018)
Other External Event/ Programme:
- Dental Workshop for all five second classes March 2019
- All 5 second classes are going on a beach safari in May or June with the Explorers Education Programme
- Beach safari preparation work, Explorers Education all second classes (May 2019)
- Explorers Education Beach safari 2nd classes, Ms. Cunningham & Ms. McLoughlin (May 2019)
STEP 2: Technology
(2 or more examples of the children using ICT)
- Junior First LEGO League 2019 (All year 2018/2019)
- Tech Week 2019 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (May 2019)
- On our computers 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (Sept 2018)
- EU Code Week 2018 All five 2nd classes (Oct 2018)
- Code Week, Getting Involved (Oct 2018)
- Coding with Kodable and Angry Birds 2nd class, Ms. O’Connor and Ms. McLoughlin (Oct 2018)
- Coding with Bee Bots 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (Oct 2018)
- Learning to Code with SAP All five 2nd classes (Oct 2018)
- Learning to Code with LEGO WeD0 2.0 and Wonder Dots 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (Oct 2018)
- Robotic programming 2nd class, Ms. Lally (Oct 2018)
- Coding with Moana 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (Oct 2018)
- More coding with LEGO and Wonder Dots 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (Oct 2018)
- Using our digital microscope 2nd classes, Ms. Groarke Ms. Cunningham & Ms. McLoughlin (Nov 2018)
- Old technology 2nd classes, Ms. Cunningham & Ms. McLoughlin (Jan 2019)
- LEGO tutorials and coding 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (Feb 2019)
- Shells and stones under the digital microscope 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (March 2019)
- Practical use of the digital microscope 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (April 2019)
- Coding with Wonder Dots 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (April 2019)
- Bee Bot work stations 2ns class, Ms. McLoughlin (May 2019)
- Wonder Dots during Tech Week 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (May 2019)
STEP 3: Engineering
(2 or more examples of the children investigating engineering in class or in the local area)
- Visit from an Electronic Engineer 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (March 2019)
- Engineer visit in Junior Infants Ms. Connolly (April 2019)
- Constructing with Magnets 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (Sept 2018)
- Rockets made at home 2nd classs, Ms. McLoughlin (Oct 2018)
- Engineers Week: How does a bicycle work? Ms. McLoughlin (Feb 2019)
- Engineers Week: Engineering in our locality 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (Feb 2019)
- Engineers Week: STEM Challenge: Building catapults 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (March 2019)
- Engineers Week: STEM Challenge: Flood defences 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (March 2019)
- Engineers Week: STEM Challenge: Catapults and Rafts 2nd class, Ms. Cunningham (March 2019)
- Engineers Week: STEM Challenge: Build a raft 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (March 2019)
- Engineers Week: STEM Challenge: Toothpick Tower 2nd class, Ms. McLoughlin (March 2019)
