p7 go to Lyness!

We caught the Houton ferry to Lyness on 30th May to round up our World War II topic from last term. The Scapa Flow visitor centre is a great place to visit and has so much to see that we didn't get round all the exhibits.
We were lucky with the weather and it made the trip even more enjoyable. 
We started with a nice walk to the cemetery where we investigated some headstones and got an idea of scale of loss. The cemetery has a special atmosphere and it made us realise how young so many of the lost servicemen were. It was interesting to see graves of men from other countries too.

On the boat

Gathering information from the headstones

Big guns!

Alanah trying to picture bomb!

We went into the empty oils tank to watch some videos of Lyness during the wars and learn a bit about the site.

Inside the oil tank.

We didn't have long left in the Interpretation Centre but there are many interesting exhibits.

Planning manoeuvres! 

Trying the uniforms ...

...and the tea!

What is this strange contraption?

The fun we had!

I have attempted to make slideshows out of the photos that were taken last week. With 5 different cameras snapping away there is a considerable amount to sort through! Apologies if some of the photos seem duplicated.No fancy editing either I'm afraid - just pictures and music!
I have split the slideshows into activities to make it easier to upload as they would be too big otherwise.

Mardi Gras

Last week Elaine Geddes, music teacher, came into our class to talk about her Carnival experience in Rio de Jeneiro. She took part in the procession with a Samba School and wore a very elaborate and colourful costume. Here you can see it being modelled!

She also brought along samba drums so that we could have a go at learning the rhythms of samba music.

We made carnival masks in art using a variety of materials and colours. You can see them in the slideshow below. There will be a prize for the wackiest and the most beautiful one as judged by Ms Dennison.

Steel drums!

This term we are looking at Carnivals and Mardi Gras celebrations around the world. We've been researching the types of music, costumes, feasting and dancing involved.
Last week we visited Papdale School to listen to their steel band and to have a go ourselves. Ms Geddes gave us some music to try on the steel drums and it was amazing how quickly we learned the different parts and put it all together as a recognisable tune.
Have a look at the slide show of us below and watch the video clip to see how we sounded after less than an hour of playing time!

Slide show

Playing our tune - can you tell what it is?

We are making colourful carnival masks in art and will post photos of them when they're finished. 

We learned that certain colours have meaning during the Carnival celebrations so we are making some designs using those colours for a display.

Purple Represents Justice. Green Represents Faith. And Gold Represents Power.

The Shape of things!

In our maths work this term we are looking at shape, angles and bearings.
We have been making 3D shapes out of different materials and studying their nets. We've counted edges, faces and vertices and constructed skeletons. The hardest part is remembering the names!
Here we are constructing, counting and recording!

We've also been learning to identify and measure different types of angles. Using protractors accurately is a challenge but we were able to use them to work out bearings on maps and for other practical activities which let us see how they are used in real life situations.
We used protractors to make compasses and then tried them out for practical activities in the hall.

Island hopping

Using our bodies to make angles! This is 180 degrees!

How many degrees in this one?

Using bearings to place markers and then name the shapes we made.

Much concentration in evidence for this measuring task!

Speedfacting

Yesterday we tried a new way to learn facts. In pairs we read some information about global warming and climate change and chose the main idea from our reading. Next we used the main idea to write our own sentences which we memorised.
We set the tables out so that we were facing each other. we told the person sitting opposite our information and listened to theirs. The inside group moved round in a circle until we had told everyone our facts and listened to everyone else's. A bit like speed dating!
It got a bit noisy! It was however a fun way to learn and we would like to try it again with another topic.

Ice magic

Last week we were experimenting with ice and salt to see if there is any difference between fresh and salty water. 

In our first experiment we discovered that salty water took longer to freeze than freshwater and even after 48 hours in the freezer it still felt a bit slushy compared to the solid block of fresh water.

For the second experiment we needed water and ice cubes with various amounts of salt. We tested the buoyancy of the different 'ice bergs' in different salt solutions and discovered that the saltier the water the higher the cube floated. Some of our science boffins explained that it is because salt water is denser than fresh water. (Thank you James and Ronan)

 After research we discovered that icebergs are made of fresh water as they come from broken glaciers on land. (Thank you Kaitlyn.)

In our third experiment we looked at the effect salt has on ice. We added salt to blocks of ice made from fresh water and saw how it started to pit and melt the ice. After adding drops of food colouring we watched the patterns made in the ice as the salt made cracks and fissures and the colour trickled through. Some of the patterns reminded us of glass paperweights and it was fascinating to watch the changes.

You can see some of the patterns in the slideshow below.

During the winter, the top layer of the ocean near the North Pole freezes solid. Every summer some of this ice melts. But not all of it melts. Some of the ice is so thick it stays frozen all the time, even throughout the summer. However, since 1979, when Earth-observing satellites began watching, the ice remaining at the end of summer has been getting smaller and smaller. At the end of summer 2009, the ice was only two-thirds as large as at the end of the summer of 1979. In August 2012, is was the smallest on record.

To find out more try some of the Arctic links on our science tab on the right.

Book week Scotland

 This week the school is celebrating Book week Scotland with activities in all classes. Today we took part in a live author event with Jeff Kinney who wrote Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Most of us have read his books and it was very interesting to hear where he gets his inspiration and how he started his career. He showed us how he draws his cartoons too. His main message was about persevering if you really want to do something. It took him years to have his books published but he believed he could succeed and didn't give up.

Watching Jeff Kinney

Jeff Kinney

Cartoons

His books have been translated into many languages.
On Friday we are going to buddy up with p1 and will read them some of our favourite stories. some of us have already brought in books we enjoyed when we were younger and we have been busy making bookmarks for our buddies.

Click the link below to find out more about Book week Scotland.

 


http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/book-week-scotland-2012 

Orkney library and archive are giving away free bags and books as part of book week. Why not have a look and pick up your freebies while stocks last!

http://www.orkneylibrary.org.uk/index.htm

Shelter building and canoeing

We had some preparation to do before we were ready to embark on our outdoor adventure. First we needed to be sure that we could build ourselves a shelter should we need it! We practised in school using modelling materials. We were allowed 15 spills, 1 metre of string, some matchsticks and a bin bag sized piece of plastic. Working as a team, sharing ideas and cooperating was very necessary for success in this task.

We tried different shapes of shelters and used the techniques we learned from Kim Foden's visit earlier in the term.
The next challenge was using real sized sticks and building shelters we could fit into.

See more shelter building photos in the slideshow below.


Now we were ready to try the real thing in the wilds of Harray! The weather was reasonably kind to us although the wind rose a peedie bit and meant we had to keep our canoeing close to the shore.
We managed to build two shelters of different types.

After the shelter building, it was time to get the canoes in the water. When we arrived at Harray loch we had to unload the canoes and learn how to carry them properly down to the water's edge. The Voyageurs in Northern Canada had to carry their canoes and supplies over many miles of rough country and snow. This is known as portage. Luckily we didn't have to carry our equipment very far. We were well dressed for the task with our waterproofs and buoyancy aids.

At last we were ready to launch!

We practised trading goods with our teams at the trading posts.

And all this before lunch!

There are some more images from our day out in the slideshow below:

We had a great day even though we didn't quite manage the campfire building due to time and weather. Many thanks to Ron and Ms Mackay for the experience and also to the parent helpers.