Today we used Minecraft to explore how Ireland’s earliest settlers were able to use the basic resources they had to farm the land before creating their own settler village.

7B concluded our learning on Natural Disasters today by using our own makeshift volcano to create a chemical  reaction. 7B were exploring the effects of mixing an alkali with an acid. We did this by mixing the acid (vinegar) and the alkali (bicarbonate of soda), bubbles of carbon dioxide (CO2) were released like in a pyroclastic flow similar to that which would be released from an erupting volcano. 

7B were challenged this week with carrying out research on our Natural Disasters topic in further detail. 7B then used apps such as FlipaClip to demonstrate how some of these disaster occur and the impact they have through the use of animation.

7B have been using the 5 ‘E’s within ICT today to create Microsoft PowerPoints on the very serious issue of global warming. In pairs we explored credible websites to research the topic. We then used our PowerPoints to express our learning, focusing carefully on our presentation. As always, we evaluated our work through self-assessment before exchanging our work so that we could exhibit and showcase our work.

7B have been exploring the causes of earthquakes and the damages they can cause. Today, we looked at examples of buildings within cities which are vulnerable to earthquakes such as The Tokyo Skytree and The Utah State Capitol Building and explored how engineers and architects have limited the damage earthquakes have caused them. 7B then had a go at making their own earthquake proof structures using spaghetti and marshmallows, before we tested them to explore how much damage they could withstand. 

Continuing on with our topic of Natural Disasters, today we thought carefully about what we would do in the scenario of a wildfire. We discussed what wildfires are and how they are caused. P7B were then divided into groups and tasked with thinking carefully about the items they would take with them in the case of an emergency evacuation.

P7B have started to explore what happens when weather gets extreme as well examples of natural phenomena as part of our World Around Us work. We had a discussion based on what we know about Natural Disasters and carried out some research using a variety of printed and digital resources. We highlighted examples of weather and nature damaging local areas such as the wildfire in the Mourne Mountains and the floods which effected Downpatrick recently. We used that as the basis of what we know.
After our discussion, we explored how to use Microsoft Word to create a table to make a K (know) W
(want to know) H (How we will find our answers) and L (Learned) grid.

P7B have been working hard over the past few weeks, exploring the importance of money, particularly as we get ready to begin our own business. Scan the QR code to let 7B share some of the new vocabulary we have learned relating to money.

Today Primary 7 began their new World Around Us topic, Money Wise, which focuses on how we can make, budget and spend money. We began by taking part in an online webinar with Young Enterprise Northern Ireland where we explored what was meant by enterprise, what it meant to be an entrepreneur as well as the importance of good communication and teamwork when it comes to starting up a business. As we deepen our understanding of money, Primary 7 will hope to start and develop their own business in the upcoming months.  

Primary 7 had a wonderful day at Titanic Belfast on Tuesday, where they explored the exhibition through a guided tour of the Titanic Belfast exhibition centre, to consolidate their World Around Us learning in the theme of ‘Titanic’.

The pupils highly enjoyed the experience, which included the opportunity to explore the famous Titanic slipways and the SS Nomadic. The tour first focused on the industrial/ shipbuilding era of Belfast, before exploring the construction, launch and aftermath of the Titanic. It was a great day out for the class and an excellent experience to conclude their Titanic learning.

Today P7B used our water tray in The Rainbow Garden to explore and experiment on a variety of materials. P7B wanted to explore the properties of these materials and predict what impact water would have on them, focusing in particular on if they would float or not before recording our results. 

P7B have tested their artistic skills by creating a large Titanic poster for our class display by creating a collage using coloured card and tissue. We have also studied old photos of Titanic and created our own 3D versions on Minecraft.

P7B have been exploring the key events in the history of the Titanic in more detail, from the moment construction started in Belfast in March 1909, until the moment the ship collided with an iceberg on the night of April 14th 1912, ultimately leading to the tragic sinking in the early hours of April 15th. The boys and girls have put these events onto a timeline to display in our classroom.

In order to begin creating a K.W.L grid (Know, Want to know and Learned,) today we had a discussion about what we know about our World Around Us topic, The Titanic. After a brief discussion, we used digital and printed resources to learn more interesting facts about Titanic. This helped us think about what we would like to learn over the next few weeks as we study our topic in more detail.