In Science, We have been learning all about the classification of living things.

Robins had the Animal Man (Chris) in to show us some different classifications of animals.

Chris told us how we could remember the different classifications of animals by thinking of FARMBI.

F- fish

A – amphibian (which means two lives, one on land and one in the water – think of a frog!)

R – reptile

M – mammal

B- birds

I – insects

The first animal we had to look at was a packman frog called Tank. Chris told us he ate mice, rats, small lizards, bugs, insects, worms and flies.

Then we saw Bernie the African Royal Python, Bernie eats rats, mice, birds and lizards. Bernie is a constrictor, so strangles his prey. Chris told us about how he breathes, he uses his nostrils to breathe, and the two holes above his nostrils to sense heat. And uses his tongue to smell, he is smelling to see if he wants to eat you. Luckily for us, he didn’t and is not venomous, so we could touch, hold and even have Bernie around our necks!

Bruce is a Blue Tongued Skink, Bruce is an omnivore, and eats insects, crickets, mealworms, chicks, mice and also loves cat food! Bruce uses his tongue to smell, and this time to check if you want to eat him! If he perceives you as a threat, he will open his mouth and hiss, he can also turn around and wag his tail… then he would start to urinate, this is another defence mechanism in order to deter predators. Luckily for him, Robins had already had their lunch and were not a threat and luckily for us Bruce decided we were safe too! Blue Tongued Skinks are not venomous, so again, we were able to touch and hold him.

Next up was a tenrec, he is a Madagascan hedgehog, although he doesn’t have any spikes just dry fur. The last litter this tenrec had was 24 babies! So coming to see Robins was a breeze! Tenrecs, a little bit like moles can use their front paws and noses to dig, so their noses can get quite dirty, the dirt builds up and so the tenrecs tend to blow snot bubbles to clear their noses. This tenrec was very well behaved and did not blow any bubbles at us.

We also saw Bert, the skunk. Chris assured us that a skunk will only spray if they feel threatened and they will give warning signs before spraying. The first being a growl or a bark and then the second, putting their front paws in the air and then stomping, then they would turn around, put their tail up and spray! Bert was very calm and docile and we were all able to stroke him. Chris told us that he was sprayed by Bert’s dad once and ended up smelling for 10 days and that was with three showers a day! Yuck!

Chris also brought Alan, a white face scops owl. They like to eat mice, rats and berries. Chris said that the only difference between a bird and any other animal are feathers! Owls have large eyes that do not move, they can only see directly forwards, so it can move its head in order to see all around them. Owls have amazing hearing, they can hear up to 14m away. They have strong, powerful wings that are silent when they fly so they can sneak up on their prey.

The final animal was Miss Fluffy, the tarantula. This particular spider was from South America and was a Chilean Rose hair tarantula. They would usually live underground in the rainforest, they are cold blooded, have an exoskeleton and this one only eats one cricket a week! Chris told us that she was venomous… but only after we held/touched her!! We were all VERY brave and had a fantastic afternoon.

Thank you Chris!

Robins have been investigating the living things.

We spotted various kinds of birds and a cat.

Extension: Can you remember which are cold blooded and warm blooded?

Robins have been learning that over 300 years ago, a Swedish scientist created a system for grouping living things, called classification or taxonomy.

Watch the video to recap.

Some then went outside with Mr Crooks to look for living things in the woodland walk.  What have they found?

It’s been a while since Robins have scientifically categorised habitats for living things.  Today Robins reviewed their knowledge of what a habitat is and went around the classroom classifying the habitats for a variety of living things.

Extension: Click here to recap knowledge on habitats. 

Since April 1st,  Robins have been learning about condensation and evaporation. 

As scientists they developed Setting up simple practical enquiries, comparative and fair tests.

The question (practical enquiry) was , “Which liquid would evaporate the quickest?”

To do this they would compare (comparitive) different liquids. Robins chose, plain water, salt water, oily water, orange squash and chocolate mix!

To ensure it was a fair test the ensured each liquid was the same amount and placed in the same area of the classroom.

Today, they observed,

Which liquid has evaporated fastest?
– Has anything else happened to any of the liquids?
– Is there any separation?
– Have any gone mouldy?
– Or smell funny?

Look what happened over the weekend!

Extension: Read more about condensation and evaporation below.

Condensation and evaporation are two separate changes of state. Evaporation is when a liquid is changed into a gas. The particles in a liquid are moving and only few have the right amount of energy to escape and become a gas. This process is important because we require it for our earth’s water cycle. It can happen on all surfaces at any time.

Condensation is the process in which water vapour (in the air) is turned into liquid water. You can kind of think of it as the opposite of evaporation.

Click here to read more on BBC Teach 

P.S Look at cheeky Mr Lo giving Robins an impossible word search to do for the morning activity on April 1st!

In science this week the children have been learning about diluting and dissolving.

Dissolving is a process in which a substance known as the ‘solute’ (e.g sugar) dissolves in another substance known as the ‘solvent’ (e.g water). The solute is completely broken down from larger molecules into smaller molecules after contact with the solvent.

We tested out whether a solid was soluble or insoluble by mixing it with water. Soluble solids included sugar and coffee granules. Insoluble solids included a ruler and scissors!

For diluting, we carried out an experiment to investigate how adding water affects the taste of squash.

Here are some safety tips for children at home: don’t plug many things into one outlet or extension cord, make sure all electrical cords are hidden away, neat and tidy, don’t yank an electrical cord from the wall, put electrical devices out of reach.

Electricity is a form of energy that can build up in one specific place or flow from one place to another.

Whilst electricity provides energy and energy is important because there is no life without energy, there are many dangers associated with it. Humans are really good conductors of electricity. Our bodies are made up of 70% water and electricity moves very quickly through water. This means that electricity can flow very easily through our bodies. This isn’t too good. When we receive an electric shock, our muscles tighten up, our lungs constrict, our heartbeat is interrupted, our blood vessels tighten, and we feel an overwhelming sense of burning. Have you ever had an electric shock? They aren’t the best. Electricity tries to find the quickest way to the ground which makes accidents a lot more probable.

Today in science we discussed facts we now know about Electric circuits.

For example:

• They use batteries with wires connected to both the positive and negative terminals.
• A battery is needed because it gives the force that makes the electrons move. When these electrons reach the light bulb, they give it the necessary power to work.
• A basic circuit will have a battery (a cell), a lamp and a switch. For the electric current to pass, these components must be connected to the metal connecting wires.
• When the switch is closed (on), the current can pass through and the lightbulb is switched on. When the switch is open (off), the current can no longer pass through the components successfully and thus the light remains switched off. This is because, there is no continuous path for the current to follow. There is a gap which means that the electricity cannot flow though.

We also learnt how electricity can be made from renewable and non-renewable sources.

Finally, we created our own doorbell circuit using a buzzer, switch, cables and battery.

Don’t forget you can login to Developing Experts to review the lesson!

We have started our Science topic. Electricity

Have a read below! ( add that you read this into your reading diary)

Circuits need power sources such as batteries. Wires are connected to both the positive and negative ends of the battery (or cell). Circuits contain other electrical components such as bulbs and motors, which allow the electricity to pass through them. Electricity will only flow and travel around a circuit that is complete. They cannot have any gaps or else the electricity cannot pass through and there must be no short circuits. 

The basic parts of a circuit include: the battery, the wire(s), the bulb(s), buzzer(s), motor(s) and switches (on and off). When the switch is open, there is a gap in the circuit. This means that the switch is off, and that electricity cannot pass around the circuit. When the switch is closed, the electricity can travel around the circuit and the light bulb is switched on.  

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(Robins creating their own series circuit and testing whether it is an open or closed circuit)

Click here to log onto Developing Experts to review Rocket Words and the lesson.   (If you have forgotten your login, ask Mr Lo for it!) 

Today, Robins investigated how sound travels through solids, liquids and gasses.

Carrying out our comparative test.

Did you know that sound is a vibration that travels through different materials? Sound is made when an object vibrates.

When an object vibrates, the air around it begins to vibrate, and these vibrations enter your ear as sound. These vibrations create sound waves that then travel through solids, liquids and gases.

Sound travels four times faster in water than it does in air. It travels as a longitudinal wave and requires a medium to travel through. The denser the medium is, the faster sound can travel through it. It travels at around 1,230 kilometres per hour.

Don’t forget to log onto developing experts to watch the lesson again

or click here to watch an oak academy lesson on sound.