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Digital Technologies at St Paul the Apostle School, Doreen

Science Senior

TERM 2

Circuit Breaker

Monday 7th Jun - Friday 11th June

Guess what?! I have extended the application due date for the STEM Team, to Friday! After that, if you do not apply, you will not have the chance to get involved in the STEM activities, including bush walks, eco tours, planting, planning and creating a solution to protect local species from extinction!

Email me to get the application form (lvissaritis@spadoreen.catholic.edu.au), or find it on Seesaw.

This week in science...

it is important that you submit your application to join the STEM Environmental Team. Then, complete the challenge in this video...

I have videoed my home and the the wetlands that I made for the wildlife. Here, I talk about how it manages to provide a home for thousands of animals, and that it functions just like an organ in your body. Whaaaa?

That's right, a billabong ecosystem is very similar to an organ in your body. Which one is it, and why?

senior.mp4

Monday 30th May - Friday 4th June

Apply to join the STEM Team now!

Simply email me a request for the application form. Or, check out Seesaw for the word document.

lvissaritis@spadoreen.catholic.edu.au

Email your application by Monday 7th June.

SPA STEM Team Application form.pdf

Hey Seniors,

please continue on with the provocation;

Can we sustain our health in an unhealthy environment?

Have a look at this image below and use a See Think Wonder Routine.

On Thursday at 11.15am tune in to my Zoom Session to discuss the image and chat about all things science.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/95710698109?pwd=RXFELyttYWtiaWp4ZVdTK0dMTzdodz09

Meeting ID: 957 1069 8109

Passcode: up3MQ4

TERM 1

WEEK 4

This week, our focus is to continue our investigation into building a new environment for our Spiny Leaf Insects.

Please continue to explore the following roles:

Designer - measuring, drawing and creating a new enclosure

Researcher - investigating as much information on the species as possible

Veterinarian/Carer - understanding the health of the species and how to care for them

Builder - building what the designers show you.

You may have decided which role you are most passionate about, so on the padlet below, add your name under the role you prefer, and start to collaborate with other members. Next week, we will continue our investigations and before you know it, we will be building an incredible new enclosure for our spiny friends!

Don't forget to add your favourite name ideas on the padlet that is on the Prep and Juniors Science Page.

Next week, we will be meeting in person, but for now, I want you just to focus on yourself, your family, friends and the community's wellbeing.

So, this week, spend an hour in nature. It doesn't matter what it is, but make sure you are experiencing joy and kindness.

In addition to some self care, le'ts get to know each other again. You may not think this activity is related to science, but it is a psychology task. Your job is to explore the idea of deception.

TWo TRuths and a lie

In the Padlet, add your own Two Truths and a Lie, and see if anyone commenting gets it right. How good are you at deceiving? How good are you at understanding deception of others? I have added mine. I wonder if anyone will know the lie straight away...

last week of term!

Hey there my beautiful Seniors!

This week, I am going to drive your parents a little mad, and get them to allow you to eat lollies... ALL IN THE NAME OF SCIENCE!

But don't worry it is all part of our topic this term; perception.

This week, you may choose from lollies such as jelly beans, skittles or other types of sugary foods, that have different flavours.

If you prefer not to trial with sugary foods, you may choose a range of different regular foods and see if you can guess what they are, whilst blindfolded.

Science Challenge:

Hypothesise whether you will be able to tell what the flavours are if you are not able to see the colour first.

eg. It was hypothesised that people would be accurate less than half the time, if they could not see the colour of the lolly.

Create a tally with people you are testing on ( or, you might just do it with yourself).

i.e Name: John (Dad) | Trials: 10 | Results: 6/10 correct

Write down their names and every time you give them a lolly (blindfolded) have them tell you the flavour
Write down if they were correct or not.
Tally your results. Was your hypothesis correct?

WEEK 7 - 8 | 31ST AUGUST - 11TH SEPTEMBER

Welcome to Week 7! We are at the tail end of the term, and this week I have a real-life science research opportunity for you!

Watch the video below and do exactly what is asked. I cannot wait to see your results!

If you are having any trouble, email me at lvissaritis@spadoreen.catholic.edu.au

20200830_195508.mp4

week 6 | 24 august - 30 august

Assessment Week

Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at an Ensglih Uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

Well done if you read all of that! Did you know that research shows the first and last letter are the only important letters in a word, in order for us to be able to read them? This is called Global Perception, where we see the whole word, rather than the individual letters.

This week you are going to write up an experiment testing your family members with this. Your experiment is to show each member of your family the jumbled sentence above and time it for each member. If this sentence is too tricky, you might like to create your own for your family.

In a document, you will write these headings: Title, Hypothesis, Materials, Method, Results.

Title: How long does it take to read jumbled words?

Hypothesis: That it will take longer to read the sentence for males than females.

This is just an example. You can choose any hypothesis you like. For example, you may not have any males living in your family home, or you may only be a family of males, making it impossible to use this hypothesis. You might like to test the age of the people, the colour of their hair, eyes, how tall they are, if they have glasses or not, their age.

Example: That people with glasses take longer to read the jumbled sentence than people with no glasses.

Materials: Write down everything you are using for the experiment

Method: Write down every step to do the experiment. The idea for a method is to be able to have so much detail, that someone else could look at it, and be able to the experiment exactly the same way as you. The more detail the better.

Results: Write down what happened, and why you think it happened that way. How could you improve your experiment next time?

You have two weeks to complete this experiment ( Due Monday 6th September). If you are having any trouble, let me know at lvissaritis@spadoreen.catholic.edu.au. When you are ready to send your experiment in, send it to this email address, or share it via google drive.

You deserve to do something fun now. Check this clip out and test your brain!

WEEK 4 & 5

Welcome to Week 5! This is the second of two weeks to complete the following.

Once you have tested every family member with the Mullyer Lyer Illusion, report your results section in the padlet below:

1.) STEP 1: Watch the video below.

20200809_190308.mp4

2. Complete the challenges in the video.

3. Based on last week's Muller Lyer experiment, it is now time to challenge your family.

Your challenge (should you accept it) is to create your own diagram of the Muller Lyer lines (template in last week's lesson), and ask your family members which line is longer.

Firstly, you will need a hypothesis.

If you want to use mine; it is:

That younger people will perceive one of the lines to be longer than the other, compared to adults.

Once you have your hypothesis, you are ready to test it.

Take your lines to each family member, and see what they say. Try not to lead them in either direction. Let them think for themselves and think quickly.

Record your results on a graph like the one below.

Send your findings to me: lvissaritis@spadoreen.catholic.edu.au

WEEK 3 & 4 | 3 AUGUST - 16TH AUGUST

WEEK 3 of 4

Over the next fortnight, we are going to look at how our eyes work, depending on how they have been trained.

Have a look at the image of the two different lines below and use the thinking routine:

SEE | THINK | WONDER.

Then answer the question, which of the lines is longer?

When I studied Psychology at University, we conducted a research project on something called the MULLER LYER ILLUSION. In the research, we looked at how we see things depending on the mood we are in.

With the MULLER LYER ILLUSION, we found that people who were more pessimistic saw an image differently to those who were optimistic. But, nobody really knows why we see the two lines differently. There are many theories out there as to why these lines look so different. But, this is the Muller Lyer illusion.

Research the Muller Lyer illusion and take some notes ready for next week's experiment.

Extension: Why do you think people with an optimistic mood may see these lines differently to those who have a pessimistic mood?

Want to see something cool? Optical Illusions with an Einstein Mask - QI Series 9 Ep 1 - BBC Two

WEEK 2 | 27 JULY - 1ST AUGUST

In week two, we are going to investigate PERCEPTION further.

How do we view the world? What is life like without colour vision, or vision itself?

In this experiment, I want you to investigate the value of colour. Ask yourself - why do we see in colour? What could be a survival advantage?

Your job for this week:

20 minutes: Find a piece of blank paper and design a Colour - Symbol - Image when you think of the word VISION. Add your thoughts to the Padlet below.
20 minutes: Watch the video below
20 minutes: Experiment on your family members. Film it if you can, and share to me via email or the padlet below.

lvissaritis@spadoreen.catholic.edu.au

PS Check out last week's Padlet to see who guessed the number of cards correctly!

20200724_210410.mp4

Percpetion and Colour Post your ideas on colour and perception here. Add photos/images and your thinking routine work too, if you can.

week 1 | 20th july - 24th july

This week, we are going to look at something that we all go through when we grow up.

We are going to learn about CONFORMITY.

Conformity basically means;

being like everyone else, to fit in.

As we get grow up, we often want to fit in. Wearing cool clothes, having the latest video games and being good at a team sport are some things people like to do to conform.

Question 1: What might you do to conform?

Answer this first question in a document.

But who cares ?

Who cares if you don't conform?

Some of the most successful and happiest people in the world are non conformists.

Question 2: What do you think non-conformist means?

Answer this question in the same document as question 1 and send to lvissaritis@spadoreen.catholic.edu.au

EXPERIMENT

1. Watch the video

2. Enter your estimate in the Padlet below, and see what others are guessing!

3. FInd out who the winner is next week!

20200719_190153.mp4

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