Year 5

Simple Machines

What comes to your mind when you hear the words “Simple Machines”? What if simple machines are not machines? Simple machines have been used by humans for a thousand years. Simple machines are devices that can be used to multiply force. The word “machine” comes from Greek word that means to help make things easier. The basic purpose of simple machines is designed to reduce the effort, or force, in a simple task. Complex machines are made up of a bunch of simple machines.

Under the transdisciplinary theme “How the World Works”, Year 5 had a rotation activity about simple machines. Each teacher was in a different Google Meet and had their own topic on a simple machine. Ibu Endang explained about the lever, Pak Rully explained about inclined planes, Ibu Natalia explained about the wedge, Ibu Elia explained about pulley, Pak Nick explained about wheels and axles and Ibu Windy explained about the screw. We were asked to do an activity based on their simple machine to see our understanding of the simple machine.

After having the activity we got deeper knowledge and more information about simple machines, how they work and where they are in our daily lives. Using simple machines makes our lives easier!

Research Skills

What are research skills? This question crossed my mind when I started studying in Unit 2 under the transdisciplinary theme “How the World Works”. Research skills are a set of skills that are used to find more facts or data on something in order to know or understand them better. Research skills are very useful because whether you realize it or not, we use it in our daily life. For example, when you want to buy a smartphone, you will first research the product to know the specifications. I believe you researched Covid-19, too!

Why are research skills important? Without having research skills, we will easily believe in any news that emerges around us. Research skills help us to be more critical in filtering information that we receive.

Ibu Helena and Pak Rully told us more details about research skills. They also showed us a video about how Google works! We also learned more on how websites are connected and shown in Google when we search for any information from the video. In researching, there are primary and secondary resources. A primary resource is when you take notes in your diary or journal, so it is a description based on the person who was there to experience it. Meanwhile for secondary resources, we form the information into newspaper articles, text books, biographies, and informational books. A description of an event based on research or told by someone who was not there to experience it is a secondary resource. We were also introduced to 5 steps to credible research. These are the 5 steps as our guide to reach the credible research:

● Clarify: Clarifying is when we make sure that the information is related to the questions that we asked while researching.

● Search: When you research, you have to search your question in order to gain deeper information.

● Delve : When you search for any information, the first website that appears is the delve website which means that the website is the one with the information that is most related to your question.

● Evaluate: After we gained more information from the research, we need to review the information that is already collected.

● Cites: During the process of researching, it is necessary that we read the information from the website and it is where we get our references from.

After that, we were asked to explore this website called “Dog Island”. We read the articles along with it and we shared our thoughts about the website on a sticky note online. “Dog Island” turned out to be fake and a scam website. It was a good example for us to know the difference between scam and trusted websites.

The session went pretty well because everyone gained more knowledge on researching. We all learned new things on how Google works, and how to differentiate the fake websites to the trusted ones, primary and secondary resources, and 5 steps to credible research. This information will be very useful for doing research almost everyday. Thank you Ibu Helena and Pak Rully for sharing the knowledge!