Good Stuffs - skoool.co.uk homepage

1) http://lgfl.skoool.co.uk/
skoool.co.uk is a vast educational resource for teachers to use inventively and creatively in the classroom to add extra value to their classroom teaching of Maths and Science.

Search for the topics that you want to know more about it. Take note, some topics are not available or simply you have to refine your keywords.

Enjoy!




2) http://www.legoeducation.com/content/section.aspx?CategoryID=100
This is one of my favourite sites.

Click on the menu on the left to revise the topics of simple machines.








3) http://en.wikipedia.org
This is another one of my favourite sites. Why do you need to buy those expensive encyclopedia when you can have it free from Wikipedia. Anyone can edit it.

But you still must be caution of the information available on the internet. Please do your own research on the topics.

Extra Stuffs - Science

Hello gentlemen,

1) http://science.howstuffworks.com/light-bulb2.htm
It has a picture of a light bulb which explains the different structures in it.

2) http://www.eggsedu.org.uk/secondary/ks3/ks3_theinsidestory.htm
Birds' eggs have five important parts.
The most important is the germinal disc.
This is found inside the yolk and is the cell nucleus
from which the young bird would have developed
if the egg had been fertilised.
Commercially produced eggs for eating
are never fertilised.

Science Topics - Electricity

Here we go again!
Enjoy!

1) Understanding Electricity -- http://www.jets.org/electronicsworkbench/START.html
The Understanding Electricity site contains information that are beyond what you need to know about the topic as a primary student. But then, why stop you??

2) Lightning -- http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/06/0623_040623_lightningfacts.html
Remember how electricity was discovered?

3) Using Electricity -- http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/6_7/electricity.shtml
Experiment with different circuits without even getting electrocuted!!

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) - Movie Review

"Charlie Bucket, a boy from an impoverished family under the shadow of a giant chocolate factory, wins a candy bar contest and is given a tour, along with four other children, of the amazing factory run by the eccentric Willy Wonka and his staff of Oompa-Loompas."

Well, I just came home from the movie with my wife. I always like watching (Willy Wonka) Johnny Depp's movie. Edward's scissorhands... Pirates from the Carribean... just simply wonderful.

But in this movie, he seemed to remind me of Jim Carrey. If you do not know who is Jim Carrey, he acted as 'Count Olaf' in Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events! Or maybe you will best remember him as the 'Joker' in 'Batman Returns'.

Johnny takes Willy Wonka's odd behavior one step further though, creating a truly eccentric character that definitely steals the show. Anyone tends to disagree? Why?

The part that my wife and I dislike the most are those 'Oompa-Loompas' singing and dancing away in the show. Boring...There are not many high or low in the movie. Still prefer just to read the book.

I like the child actor (FREDDIE HIGHMORE) though who acts as Charlie Bucket, I think he is a natural actor.

Investing in the Stock Market

"If you had $1000 to invest in a stock, what company's stock would you buy?
Why?"

Name some of your favourite products.
From there, you could already figure out the company.
Nike Inc., for example, makes sneakers.

June Holidays

Hello gentlemen,

Please don't forget to do your homework during the holidays.
Revise your work if you have not done well.

Please don't hesitate to email me when you have problems with your math homework.
I will be trying out a new method to help you to have a better understanding of the following topics:
1) Fractions
2) Ratios
3) Decimals
4)Percentage

Be good and remember...
WORK HARD PLAY HARD

P5 - Reproduction: Twins

Hmm... Ever wonder how twins are formed?

1) http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetails.aspx?p=114&np=99&id=2151

2) http://www.conjoined-twins.i-p.com/how.html

Faraday Lecture 2005

The Faraday Lecture 2005 comes to Singapore!!!

“Control Freaks?”

Hello there!

Are you keen to find out ………

· Why robots will be your living partners? (Scary!?)

· What makes robots perform delicate surgery, clear minefields and explore the planets?

Faraday Lecture @ Singapore 2005 will reveal some of these surprising secrets by taking you into a lab of the future where robots move and think in a series of live, interactive demonstrations and multimedia displays.

· What’s more, after the show, there will be a hands-on splash of Science & Technology at the “Science on the Plaza” exhibition.

· Best of all, it’s free, it’s schoolwork made fun and it’s at the

Singapore Polytechnic Convention Centre!

And for parents…

This is a GREAT chance to catch up with what your kids are learning at school!!!

To find out more about the Faraday Lecture 2005 and easy on-line registration, please log on to:

http://www.iee.org/Events/Lectrs/Faraday/2005/asia-venues.cfm

See you there… let’s FILL the house!!!

Sony Creative Science Awards

Purpose:

• Promote creativity and innovation amongst primary level students
• Promote interesting ways of learning science for primary level students
  

Toys must demonstrate at least one scientific principle.

Toys are selected based on:

• Originality
• Creativity
• Design
• Sturdiness

The following are some very common toys that we see every year, and it is very difficult to select any unique ones to award a prize:

• Cars, Boats and Aeroplanes

• Magnetic toys

• Ball bearing toys

• Rolling can toys

• Merry-go-rounds

• Quiz toys

• Tracking toys

• Workshop toys

Common Problems:

• Too fragile due to inappropriate use of materials.

• Cannot withstand repeated play

• Difficult to figure out how the toy works

Finaling Judging:

• How much does he/she understand about the toy,including
  
• The scientific principle behind the toy
  

• The toy making process

• How much did the student contribute to the toy, including

• Design and conceptualisation

• Making and testing

• Determine whether the student has participated actively;gained from the experience

If you are looking for some toys examples...

Please go to the SCSA website and look under 'Join the competition' link.

Scroll down and look for 'For Teachers' header. Download and open the file ' TOYS ppt'.

Hope this helps you with your creation!
Have fun!

Sony Creative Science Award 2005

The Sony Creative Science Award or SCSA is a competition for primary school children in Singapore. The theme every year has been "Creative Toys".

The aim of the SCSA is to develop and promote interest as well as creativity in science among primary school children in the country.

Visit the SCSA website:
Note: Scroll down the page to see other students' creations


External Links

Dr Toy
http://www.drtoy.com

Information on the best toys and educational products as well as articles, resources and toy-related links.



Mathematical Games, Toys and Puzzles
http://compgeom.cs.uiuc.edu/~jeffe/mathgames.html

Web directory of mathematical games, toys and puzzles.



Science Toys
http://www.scitoys.com

Instructions in making toys for kids with common household materials to demonstrate scientific principles.



Sony Digital Dream Land
http://www.sony.net/Fun/DigitalDream

Learn about digital technology with Professor Tech, Lindy and Digik!



Sony ExploraScience Plaza
http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/dream/sesplaza/en/

A place to meet science and to venture into the unknown.



Wild Planet Toys
http://www.wildplanet.com

Where all the things wild and wonderful, award winning toys that parents and kids both love.



A*Star
http://www.a-star.edu.sg/astar/index.jsp


Ministry of Education
http://www.moe.edu.sg


Sony
http://www.sony.com.sg

P5 Science - Reproduction

Here we go again...

1) Life cycles of Butterflies, frogs, chickens
http://www.shuntington.k12.ny.us/LifeCycles.htm --- click on pictures to see actual transformation

2) http://library.thinkquest.org/28599/heredity.htm --- Besides topic of heredity, check out the others

3) Biology, Animations, Movies & Interactive Tutorial Links
http://science.nhmccd.edu/biol/bio1int.htm

4) http://medtropolis.com/VBody.asp --- The Virtual Body, choose English

5) http://www.newsday.com/other/special/naturalworld/ny-botany3402240aug10,0,304889.story --- flash animation on Pollination

6) http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/BIOBK/BioBookREPROD.html --- Human Reproduction, just browse through if you think the materials presented are difficult to understand

7) http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/BIOBK/BioBookflowersII.html -- Flowering Plants Reproduction, just browse through if you think the materials presented are difficult to understand

8) http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/BIOBK/BioBookPLANTANAT.html --- Plants and their Structures

9) http://library.thinkquest.org/C004949/index2.htm --- Know our body

Please feel free to browse the webpages and click on other items/topics that seems interesting to you. Have a nice day.

Story Time 2

Someone read this to me, and so I am sharing it with you.

In ancient times, a king had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the big stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables.

On approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. As the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying on the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many others never understand.

Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve one's condition. There are many lessons to be learnt from this story. As usual, I leave it to you to think about what this story means to you. But for me personally, the story highlights one's attitude towards an obstacle that lies ahead. I hope that I can be like the peasant, who was proactive and did something about the stone. Perhaps the peasant never saw the stone as an obstacle in the first place, and moving it was merely something he had to do to help his community. Hmm...makes you wonder, doesn't it?

Alright then, remember to sleep early tonight.

P5 Science - Cells

1) Flash interactive tutorial -- http://wsgfl2.westsussex.gov.uk/aplaws/grid+/KeyStage3/Experiments/Cells.swf

2) What is a vaculoe? --
http://sun.menloschool.org/~cweaver/cells/c/vacuole/

3) http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/plants/cell/

4) Construct a cell --
http://el.edu.net.vn/data/cell_structure.swf

P5 Science

Today, I had shown clips of how to set up specimen e.g. cheek cells on a specimen slide and cover clip using a tweezer and also an introduction of how to use a microscope.

Please show the letters to your parents/guardians regarding the following:
1) Fee hike
2) Consent form to Science Centre (DNA Workshop)

Homework for today:
1) Problem Sum WS 1.4
2) Look through Chapter 2 - Cells
3) Look through spelling list of 'Cells'

Have a nice weekend with your family. : )

Story Time - 1

Let me tell you a story... ready?

Once upon a time, there was a little Princess who was very unhappy because she was not as pretty to look at as she thought a little Princess should be. She sat in the garden and was sorrowful and cried a great deal, because she felt sure that no one would ever make her a queen.


One day, she sat by the wall of the garden with her hands in her lap, and was looking very sad. An old woman, very bent and gray, and carrying a bundle, passed along the road outside and looked over the wall.

'Why do you cry, little Princess?" she asked.


'Because I am not beautiful,' the little Princess replied, 'and so I shall never be made a queen.'

"Why do you not go out into the world and find someone who can make you beautiful?" asked the old woman as she started again on her way. And this seemed like such a new adventure that the Princess went out through the garden gate and started down the road.


Before the Princess had gone very far, she overtook a boy. He was stumbling along the road as if it were hard for him to find his way. He put out his hand and touched the Princess' silken sleeve.

'Where are you going?' he asked.

'I am going to find someone who will help me be beautiful. I am not pretty enough to be a queen,' the Princess said.


'Wait a while and and help me,' said the little boy. 'I am blind, and I cannot find my way home.'


So the Princess took the blind boy's hand in hers and walked along with him, leading him very gently, until they came to the cottage by the side of the road where he lived.

Then the Princess went on, hurrying, for she felt that she had lost a lot of time. But before she had gone very far, she saw a little girl standing by the edge of the woods and crying. When the little girl saw the Princess, she looked up and asked, 'Where are you going?'


'I am going to find someone who will help me be beautiful. I am not pretty enough to be a queen,' the Princess said.


'Wait a while and help me,' said the little girl. 'My mother is ill, and I went to the dairy to fetch her some milk and eggs, but I have no money, and they say that I must pay.'


The Princess pulled from her silk bag a bright gold piece. She had but two of them to buy herself food on her journey, but she gave one to the child. 'This is to pay for the milk and eggs,' she said. Then the little girl laughed with happiness, her smile as bright as sunshine.


'Now I must make great haste.' thought the Princess. 'It is getting on in the day and I am no more beautiful than when I started.' But she had gone only a little way when she saw the old woman, who had spoken to her in the morning.

'Did you do as I said?' asked the old woman.

Sadly, the princess replied, 'Yes, but I am still ugly to look at.' And she dropped her head.

'Oh no, you are not,' the old woman said. 'Look!' And she held a mirror before the Princess' face.

A strange thing had happened. The Princess' eyes had grown bright as stars, her hair as shining as the gold piece she had given away. She had grown beautiful as a queen.

I wonder what you make of the story. It made me think of the times when I could have missed out on the joy in the journey and the learning in the process when I was too intent on trying to finish what I set out to do. What do you think?

Science Weblinks

Hello gentlemen,

Below are some of the weblinks that I have used for my Science lesson.

1) http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/sun/sun.html --- Chapter 1 Solar System

2) http://www.ehc.com/vbody.asp --- virtual human body

3) http://www1.moe.edu.sg/learn@/Quest/winners.html --- Learn Quest

4) http://www1.moe.edu.sg/learn@/Quest/winners/primary/chua_chu_kang_pri_nc/home.htm

5) http://gslc.genetics.utah.edu/teachers/tindex/index.cfm?switch=single&unitid=cloning

Please send in your comments about the websites.
Please also recommend others websites in this post.

PS: State your name and mind your language when sending in your comments.