Y6 experiment with maggots

Year 6 used limewater to see if maggots respire.

They put limewater in a jam jar

And covered the top with a cloth.
and emptied some maggots into a dip in the cloth.

There were 20 maggots in each jar.

Carefully make sure the maggots are all in.

And screw the lid on tight.

Now we have to leave it for 24hrs so the maggots can get to work.

If the maggots respire they will turn food and oxygen into carbon dioxide and the carbon dioxide will turn the limewater from colourless to cloudy.

Y5 scientists compete at Bradfield

A team of four scientists went to Bradfield on Tuesday to compete in their Science Challenge.

First up a Chemistry challenge to identify some unknown liquids.

Lots of experiments to do and discussions to have.

Noting all observations.

And next a Biological activity

Checking out leaves under the microscope

To find out where they might have come from.

All in focus

Next an experiment with maggots

Finally Physics

And we get to help with the demonstration.

We have to make a loud speaker


And very importantly should work.

Testing the speaker. Brambletye's was so good they ended up with the third highest mark in the Physics section. Not bad out of 20 schools!

7A test for starch

In Monday's double 7A tested leaves to see if they contained starch

Select a nice leaf

Boil the leaf in water for 30s to remove the waxy cuticle and stop the chemical reactions in the leaf.

Place the leaf in a boiling tube and fill it with ethanol
Put the boiling tube in the warm water with the Bunsen burner off.
The ethanol is flammable and we don't want any accidents!

The ethanol might even start bubbling as it has a low boiling point.

The ethanol will have dissolved all of the chlorophyll so it goes green and the leaf becomes colourless

The leaf has lost its water so it is stiff and brittle so it is washed in water to make it flexible
The leaf is then spread out on a petri dish.

Then iodine is added to the leaf. If it turns black it contains starch.

These leaves certainly did turn black.

But some did have orange brown patches on them.

This is probably where part of the leaf was in the shade.

Huge Charity Support for Flames of Hope

A selection of pupils presenting the cheque to Flames of Hope

In assembly on Friday we presented a cheque for £27,000 to Flames of Hope, our chosen charity for last year. Our pupils raised the money through a wide variety of activities ranging from boxing to painting. 

A huge thank you to all of our parents for their support and help in raising this fantastic amount which will help with the building of a school in Kenya for pupils who have difficulty speaking. It is part of the Vanessa Grant Trust who we have supported in the past.

This year's charity is the Demelza Hospice who care for terminally ill children in the Southeast.

Year 6 visit the British Wildlife Centre

 

On Thursday Y6 went to see the animals at the British Wildlife Centre 

They saw rats in the barn area

And a Tawny owl

There were bees

Y6 were looking at the adaptations these creatures have to help them in their environment.

Such as defence mechanisms

Or ways to get a mate!

We saw the foxes

Scottish Wildcats

Weasels

Polecats

and one of this year's fawns

With its mum

The otters were a favourite

and the owls had different colour eyes depending on when they hunted

The Mink were sunbathing

And the red squirrels feeding.

We had a great day at this lovely resource, so close to school.