With great excitment and motivation "Venturers" are showing during the first break just to record their observations on our "precious" grains.
Sarah and Chris today sacrificed their morning break and...their breakfast just to watch over our red beans and lentils.
Gladly enough they are germinating some of which as we expected many others not really. Left to us to verify by next tuesday and discuss our findings.
I would like to add that we agreed today to have in our club a Blogger Update Manager Mr. Christopher Raffoul who is so eager to learn and apply his scientific knowledge with great keenness.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Science Ventures December 10, 2009
Tuesday December 8 we met to talk about Germination.
I picked up Germination as a subject for our experiments because it can reflect on our environment and it enhances the ability of the "Venturers" to relate the Carbon Cycle to the environment and draw conclusions on how it is impacted.
Two experiments were on the list:
1. To record effect of heat energy on germination: we heated 25 grains of red beans. When water temperature reached 10 degrees we took 5 grains and put them under light and room temperature on a wet mount in a petri dish. We repeated this step four more times taking each time 5 grains at 30, 50, 70 and 90 degrees.
Members learned that the experimental variable was temperature while keeping constant the number of grains and factors affecting their growth.
That day, the bell ring stopped us from doing the second experiment.
But motivated as they are, "Venturers" suggested to come second day during first break. Chris said 'I am so excited and would like to see today what is going to affect these lentil grains'.
Our objective is to compare using control and experimental v
ariables the effect of temperature, water quantity, oxygen and light on the germination of 80 lentil grains.
Quickly and with such a lovely team spirit we gathered our hands to label, spread the cotton beds on petri dishes, count the grains and distribute them to see how these are going to germinate under the various conditions of study.
Venturers agreed to fill in a table of observation where they will be recording and docummenting on a daily basis for one week any change occuring to our "precious" grains.
I picked up Germination as a subject for our experiments because it can reflect on our environment and it enhances the ability of the "Venturers" to relate the Carbon Cycle to the environment and draw conclusions on how it is impacted.
Two experiments were on the list:
1. To record effect of heat energy on germination: we heated 25 grains of red beans. When water temperature reached 10 degrees we took 5 grains and put them under light and room temperature on a wet mount in a petri dish. We repeated this step four more times taking each time 5 grains at 30, 50, 70 and 90 degrees.
Members learned that the experimental variable was temperature while keeping constant the number of grains and factors affecting their growth.That day, the bell ring stopped us from doing the second experiment.
But motivated as they are, "Venturers" suggested to come second day during first break. Chris said 'I am so excited and would like to see today what is going to affect these lentil grains'.
Our objective is to compare using control and experimental v
ariables the effect of temperature, water quantity, oxygen and light on the germination of 80 lentil grains.Quickly and with such a lovely team spirit we gathered our hands to label, spread the cotton beds on petri dishes, count the grains and distribute them to see how these are going to germinate under the various conditions of study.
Venturers agreed to fill in a table of observation where they will be recording and docummenting on a daily basis for one week any change occuring to our "precious" grains.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Science Ventures December 3 & 4, 2009
Those two days were quite different. Students came but not to follow steps of an experiment or to discuss findings and draw conclusions but to agree on a LOGO for the club.
Mr. Tony Asfour was the "Venturer" who plotted for us the design and all members agreed.
As for our young "Lady-Venturer" Ms. Sarah Wehbeh she volunteered to plot the LOGO on behalf of her French-Section friends.
Thank you Venturers for the involvement and motivation you are showing!!
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Science Ventures December 2, 2009
Today we met for half an hour to explain further the Carbon Cycle - Le Cycle du Carbone while at the same time answering virtual questions and scrolling over the cycle.One "Venturer" was so curious and did not let the "mouse" go easily.
It was like a fun game!
The web sites to scroll the Carbon Cycle - Le Cycle du Carbone are:
in French: http://www.cea.fr/var/cea/storage/static/fr/jeunes/animation/aLaLoupe/cycle-carbone/index.html
Science Ventures December 1, 2009
After a long weekend break "Venturers" came thrilled with excitment and wondering what is going to be our experiment of the day. Even one new subscriber came over from the French Section: Mr. Ghady Abu Musa.
During that reunion we agreed to meet twice during first week of December to plot a LOGO for our club and to hang on the walls of our beloved Sage Hall.
We relayed our discussion to the PYP themes and since we are talking about CO2 what is the Carbon Cycle? How can it be realsed in the atmosphere? in the oceans? and how are fussel fuels emissions hurting the environment?
During the discussion some relayed this cycle to "sharing the planet" others to "sharing the planet and how the world works". One "Venturer" insisted on linking our debate to "who we are".
I liked the discussion; it shows how clear these small brains are growing and how healthy and curious we are bringing them up. This is the fruit of Learning.
During that reunion we agreed to meet twice during first week of December to plot a LOGO for our club and to hang on the walls of our beloved Sage Hall.
We relayed our discussion to the PYP themes and since we are talking about CO2 what is the Carbon Cycle? How can it be realsed in the atmosphere? in the oceans? and how are fussel fuels emissions hurting the environment?
During the discussion some relayed this cycle to "sharing the planet" others to "sharing the planet and how the world works". One "Venturer" insisted on linking our debate to "who we are".
I liked the discussion; it shows how clear these small brains are growing and how healthy and curious we are bringing them up. This is the fruit of Learning.
Science Ventures November 24, 2009
That day was really stimulating to our "Science Venturers". Members came and put on the white coats some even the rubber gloves and started producing Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and then trapping it.
The process was simple but followed a scientific framework:
- members visited objectives and tasks of the experiment
- formulated a hypothesis
- identified materials and procedure
- performed experiment while exploring various manipulative skills: measuring temperature, weighing components, recording time and measuring volume
- analysed and interpreted results: why our balloon got inflated?
- stated a conclusion
At the bell ring quickly members run out catching the following class sessions but promising to come the second day to continue the interpretation of the findings.
The process was simple but followed a scientific framework:
- members visited objectives and tasks of the experiment
- formulated a hypothesis
- identified materials and procedure
- performed experiment while exploring various manipulative skills: measuring temperature, weighing components, recording time and measuring volume
- analysed and interpreted results: why our balloon got inflated?
- stated a conclusion
At the bell ring quickly members run out catching the following class sessions but promising to come the second day to continue the interpretation of the findings.
November 25 2009, we met to explain what is a chemical reaction and how did we record its happening. We talked about trapping CO2 and why the balloon got inflated. How come we recorded a drop in the temperature and what is an endothermic reaction.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Science Ventures November 17, 2009
Today we have had our first club reunion.
The meeting was successful and fruitful, most of all motivating as club members showed a high level of involvement and shared their interests and topics for investigation.
Eight students from 1st/6eme formed this club and are (in alphabetical order):
The meeting was successful and fruitful, most of all motivating as club members showed a high level of involvement and shared their interests and topics for investigation.
Eight students from 1st/6eme formed this club and are (in alphabetical order):
- Tony Asfour (1st)
- Hussein Bdeir (1st)
- Youssef El Hadi (6eme)
- Hadi El Kassar (1st)
- Mohammad Fleyfel (1st)
- Christopher Rafoul (1st)
- Nicholas Salloum (1st)
- Sarah Wehbe (6eme)
In addition to myself, as the club mentor.
We agreed on the club motto "science skills are made to exist not just to educate".
We went over the objectives and goals of the club which are a focus on investigation and discovery through learning in a fun academic atmosphere and a link of the PYP themes with the Areas of Interaction (AOI) of the MYP. The five AOI were discussed and theoretically linked to the PYP themes. Left for us the practical link. Let us go "Venturers"!
At the end we elected our Science Ventures' Administrative Body:
- President: Mr. Nicholas Salloum, will be the link and coordinator between the mentor and members.
- Secretary: Ms. Sarah Wehbe, will be the administrative assistant and the trilingual link in our projects.
- Treasurer: Mr. Tony Asfour, will be the materials' manager.
Meeting adjourned at the first bell ring announcing our first session closure.
I am seeking forward for our next reunion when we will be really practicing, handling and tackling scientific experiments and venturing in the world of discovery!
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