Only had part of one lesson with my other Year 10 class – we discussed how to determine whether people could tell the difference between expensive and cheap chocolate in a scientific manner. This was part of my introducing the scientific method and used same power point as yesterday’s lesson with first Year 10 class. I think they got the idea of how the parts link together to make a whole investigation, but I’ll check out my assumptions next week.

With the first Year 10 Science class we looked at the need for repeating tests and averaging outcomes through the Tomato Sauce drop test (I got from the ASTA book “Watch This!”) modified so we had 6 timers, and did both stirred and non-stirred drops 5 times. They were surprised at the range and I put my efforts into showing them that when we averaged their results they came together more closely. Most of the class took part in this enthusiastically but a few couldn’t be moved from their chairs.

Support lesson with the Physics students (we do 12 Physics through SMAF. I was one of the Chemistry teachers there over the previous two years but I’m going on long service leave this year :)). We looked at using excel to do their speed of sound task and worked through some of the concepts, formula and problem solving methodology to carry out their projectile motion assignment. It’s all go from the first week out!

Projectile%20Motion%20Assignment[1]Speed%20of%20Sound%202013[1]

I forgot to take photos! I have to get better at remembering to do this.

Anyway lots of energy for my Year 8 class – mostly a demo about colour change indicators which I used as a problem solving task for them to state how they would determine which of a range of substances they had by using indicators. There were some very good answers showing they were thinking well about the task. The also prepared an hypothesis about magnets and then tested it … didn’t get to finish everything I wanted to do as we ran out of time (our lessons are shorter this year than previously)

Stage 1 Physics class only had a single lesson today and so we went briefly through the assessment outline, briefly mentioned the Space Science theme, got everyone logged on to edmodo (so they could access the homework about describing projectile motion) and had them start to prepare a small poster in pairs about weightlessness – each pair had a different resource, some printed and some video. They’ll present their little posters next time and discuss how good the source was for the task – important skills for later issues investigations. Explanation of weightlessness in orbit – YouTube Why Are Astronauts Weightless – YouTube

Year 10 Science (I have two of these classes only about half of today’s class were present). Again course outline, class expectations and then examined the scientific method through how do scientists know what they know and how can you check something you’re told. A bit of a discussion about the science of flatulence and the increasing rate of scientific progress with a bit of history about the development of the internet and WiFi. Discussed how we were working towards designing and carrying out a class practical investigation and publishing our results online (mostly here). I don’t think they quite knew how to take that idea.

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