Using A SOLO Map

The Describe Map

Once we completed our devices the next step was to look more closely at what we had designed, why we designed it that way and evaluate the effectiveness of our device. To do this we used a SOLO describe map.

Step 1: DESCRIBE
What attributes does our design have? What will each attribute do?

Step 2: EXPLAIN
Why have you designed the attributes like this?

Step 3: EVALUATE
How successful was the attribute to the overall design? What needs to be changed?



Our Technology Challenge

Collaboration At Work

Hanging By A Thread
The Problem...

After having lost your food pack you journey back to your spacecraft feeling tired and hungry. Suddenly, you see a peculiar 'fruit' dangling from the branch of what looks like a tree. Unfortunately, the 'fruit' hangs over a deep chasm. You must pick, catch and retrieve the 'fruit' to survive!

What did we have to do...
The 'fruit' will be suspended by by a paper clip hook. You will have 15-20mins to complete the task of making a device to pick, catch and retrieve the 'fruit'. You will be given a starting point from which your team will try to retrieve the 'fruit' with your device. You will complete the task when the 'fruit' is placed in the given container. (ice cream container)

You will be given...
4 large sheets of newspaper
2 popsicle sticks
two straws
some blue tac
a magnet
50cm of sellotape
2m of string

The students worked in small groups collaborating together to design and make a device to retrieve the fruit on the other side of the chasm. This is what we cam up with...






Chooknology In Action

Technology In Action

We have used our existing knowledge of chickens and taken this a step further....

Operation Chooknology
Step 1: Identify the problem
Step 2: Brainstorm our ideas and possible solutions
Step 3: What did we come up with... Where to from here?

Check out our collaboration!

May The Force Be With You...

This term we have been looking at what a 'Force' is. We explored push and pull forces as well as what effect friction had on these. We did a variety of experiments related to forces, with our favourite being 'Balloon Rockets'. This experiment challenged our thinking and our patience as we tried to make our balloons race along against each other.

We used string, straws, sellotape and different sizes and shaped balloons. We threaded the string through the straw and then sellotaped it to the blown up balloon. The string stretched right across the classroom. We did two together and had a competition to see who's balloon could get the the end fastest. We had many hiccup along the way but persevered and had fun in the process.

We discovered that the size and shape of the balloon did have an effect on how fast or far the balloon travelled along the string. It also depended on how much air we had in the balloon.










Kelly Sport

Last week Room 8 participated in their first Kelly Sport session. In this session we had a coach teach us about fitness and warming our bodies up. We got to try out lots of new activities, including one called traffic lights.


Kelly Sport Up And Active Sessions on PhotoPeach

Kids Can Cook

On Wednesday 13 May we were lucky to have the team from Kids Can Cook visit us at school. This meant that we could go along to a cooking show and watch a chef prepare a healthy meal for us while teaching us about different types of foods. The chef prepared crepes with silver beet and apple inside them. Although it was different, they actually tasted rather delicious!


Kauri Cross Country 2015

This term Kauri Team had there cross country. This year we all went down to the Halswell Domain. Mr Forman and Mr Hillary worked very hard to make our 2015 Cross Country an interesting one! We had to run over the mini train tracks (of course the train wasn't running!), under and around trees and across rather large playing fields. Everyone raced in their Year levels, so all the Year 4's raced against each other. Miss B was proud of all of us, especially the effort we put in considering this was our first cross country. Our big successes of the day were Jessica S coming in, in first place, Luke in 4th place, Jacob B in 5th place, Amelia in 6th place and Teri in 10th place. What a day!

Feeding Our School Chooks

This year the Year 4 students are responsible for the Food Forest and for the feeding and care of our school chooks. When it is our class turn to feed the chooks we work together with a partner to clean and fill their water bowl, give them food for the day and collect any eggs they have laid. We also take care of them on that weekend. The students love this opportunity. Check out these photos...




Starfish Swimming

For the first two weeks of this term the students got the opportunity to improve their swimming technique. Watching the students over the past two weeks enabled me to see just how much they had improved. I even noticed how much more confident they had become in the water.