This term we have been using materials and their properties as our focus. We have explored different materials using The Little Pigs as a stimulus. the children enjoyed acting out the story using puppets in the tuff spot, props in the drama cabin and even singing the story with Mrs. Lauder!
We then enjoyed a number of challenges with a focus of discovering more about the properties and purpose of different materials. We were challenged to make boats that would be sturdy and purposeful. We explored the properties of various materials to select the right one for our boats. We discovered paper would not be strong enough and even cardboard would get soggy!. We tested our boats on the water to see if they would float or sink. Another challenge we enjoyed was to use a variety of materials to make waterproof shelters for our teddies. Other explorations included using the magnets to find out which materials were magnetic, whether some magnets were stronger than others and what everyday objects have magnets to make them work.
Whilst looking at what everyday objects are made of, we considered how this has changed over time. We talked about how milk used to be stored in glass milk bottles and then with the advancement of plastic more readily available plastic. We considered the impact on the environment of the increase of single use plastic and explored ways of reducing, reusing and recycling our materials. We discussed how it is becoming increasingly popular to return to the glass milk bottle ! We designed posters to encourage others to save our planet!