Science – DNA

3rd February 201713th July 2018

In January we had a special science lesson with a DNA expert. She explained all about DNA, how many there are, where it is, what it looks like and how big it is (it’s tiny).

We then did a DNA extraction experiment. We were extracting DNA from a banana. Firstly we had to peel, chop and crush the banana.

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We then added some warm water and mushed the banana some more.

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We then filtered it into a beaker so we just had the liquid.

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When we had just the liquid, the lady added some pure alcohol to it. This caused the DNA strands to separate from the liquid.

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The DNA strands floated on the top of the liquid.

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They separated instantly from the liquid once the alcohol was added.

This lesson was lots of fun.

Making Big Bubbles

29th September 201613th July 2018

While we were in Wales, we bought some big bubbles but we decided to see if we could make own mixture for when we ran out.

We found a recipe on a website called Steph’s two girls and decided to see if it would work for us.

This is the recipe we used.

6 cups of water
1/2 a cup of cornflour
1/2 a cup of washing up liquid
1 tbsp. of glycerine
1 tbsp. of baking powder

First we put 6 cups of water in a big bowl.

Then we added cornflour and stirred it well.

Next we added baking powder, glycerine and washing up liquid.

Then we stirred it gently and our spoons got caught together which made us giggle . 🙂

While we left it for a hour to settle we used straws and string to make another big bubble blower. We slid the string through the straws.

Then we pulled funny faces through the big bubble blower.

We had fun, we managed to blow bubbles in all shapes and sizes.

We made BIG BUBBLES which was fun.

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Some of our bubbles just floated about.

WE LOVED IT!

KidZania London visit

24th March 201613th July 2018

On Tuesday we went to London to go to kidZania. KidZania is a City for 4 – 14 year olds with more than 60 real life role play adventures. It is in the Westfield Shopping Centre.

When you go in you get given 50 kidzos, which is money you can spend around kidZania’s City and you also get a bracelet that links to your parent so you can’t get lost, as they can’t go into the activities with you.

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First I made some chocolate, the lady told us where the coco beans grow and we even got to feel them. My favourite part was when I put my chocolate on the vibrating table.

I went to the art place next and painted a picture of our garden.

So far I had spent Kidzos, so I went to earn some at the hairdressers, that was fun.

Next I made an Eat Natural bar, which was yummy. I made it with apricots, raisons, rice, honey and chocolate.

I made a stop start animation film which was fun and I got paid to do it.

Next I was an estate agent which I got paid to do. I had to measure a house and put in details. I also got business cards and a wallet.

business card

After that, I was a post girl where I had to deliver some parcels which I got paid to do.

The last thing I did was H and M fashion where I got to dress-up in different outfits, I put on a hat, skirt and t shirt.

I got a passport which means next time we go I get more money when I go in, because they stamp it when I go in to a room.

I liked it so much that we are going back again in September 2016.

Burgh Castle Field Trip

26th February 201613th July 2018

Our recent topic is Romans and we have done a variety of subjects on it including Boudicca, mosaics, Hadrian’s Wall and Gods.

To find out about Roman buildings we went to Burgh Castle. Mummy made a field trip sheet to fill in, but Anna didn’t do it so Nanny did it for her.

The sheet asked us to see what it was made of and I thought it was made of stone, clay, brick and flint.

I took some pictures of the layers in the wall.

Layers of the wall Flint in the wall

Next we had to look for the bastions. A bastion is there to help defend the castle. We saw 6 bastions but there would have been more.

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These are my pictures of the different bastions we could see.

A collapsed bastion Bastion 2 Bastion 1 Castle wall Bastion join

These are holes in the walls where the bricks have fallen out and they are not supposed to be there. You could see a bastion through one of the holes. Can you see which one?

I think this hole might be something to hold a roof up with a wood pillar. There were 7 and they were square so looked like they should be there.

These walls have either fallen down or are wonky.

Collapsed wall view of the wall

We learnt a lot and had fun exploring!

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A Message to Tim

9th December 201513th July 2018

Tim,

I know that you will be feeling a bit nervous and excited. It is an adventure that not many people get to do.

You have done lots of training to get ready for Mission Prinicpia so you are ready for it.

In space you will see a sunset and sunrise 16 times every day. That’s one every 45 minutes. Your jobs that you do are very important so make sure you are relaxed in space. You need to try and get a good nights sleep which mean going to bed quite late and waking up at 6 o’clock in the morning. You shouldn’t use the sunrises and sunsets to set your routine even if they are very pretty.

You will probably miss your family, especially as you will be on the International Space Station over Christmas and your birthday but remember you can talk to them by using Skype, tablets and computers during your free time.

Make sure you exercise as you can’t walk at all while you are in space so you need to keep fit while you are there.

Hopefully the chef has made some of your favourite food and drink to take with you to keep you a bit happier while you are there.

We are looking forward to following your mission on the ISS, we know you will be great.

From Elsa

Geography Post by Elsa – China

2nd November 201513th July 2018

We have been home schooling since September 2015. We are semi structured so we do a number of lessons.

Mummy wrote about the curriculum before.

We have been following a curriculum by Erica at Confessions of a Home Schooler.

We have learnt about China and South Korea.

For China we learnt where it is, the capital city, language (I learnt to say hello in Chinese, which is Ni hao (Knee how)) and we also learnt some fun facts.

We made paper, then we wrote Chinese numbers up to ten on it.