Cyber Busters!

Last Friday, 25th October Stage 3 watched a drama performance on the topic of Cyber Bullying put on by Class Act Theatre.  The drama centered on the lives of CJ and Jess who bump into each other at the park after school. They eventually start talking to each other and soon discover that each have dark secrets of cyber bullying and it is revealed, to their mutual dismay, that they have become victims as well as perpetrators!

IMG_3080The play explored all facets of electronic bullying, including:

  • Internet
  • Emails
  • Web Sites
  • Social Networking
  • Chat Rooms
  • Mobile phones
  • Text messages

It also tackled the issues of:

  • How to prevent Cyber bullying
  • Friendship
  • Self-Esteem

This performance raised lots of questions about cyber bullying and students completed discussion questions to further their understanding of this problem.  It would be great if you can talk to your child about their online use and seek help if they have been on the receiving end of cyber bullying.

Check out the Cyber Smart website here

Bushfires

Bushfire

We currently have a lot of bushfires burning around our area at the moment and we are constantly hearing reports and updates on the news.

Even as I type this we are all having our recess inside due to the poor air quality outside from the smoke.

Since the students were experiencing lots of reports and images from the bushfires, and some even have friends and family directly affected, I decided that we would do a writing task using “Bushfires” as the stimulus.

Here are two great responses…

Eyes wide open
In a bed of flames
Leaping to action
and screaming their name.
Scorching skin
and sizzling hair
a pain that can truly never compare.
Fighting for air

in the thick, choking smoke.
Frantically escaping
For the fires encase me
In its arms of melting objects

Winds whip my hair into my eyes
Then I see it, I finally realise
Trees explode and the grass ignite
Kookaburras and birds attempt to take flight.

Only to find that their vision is impaired
As if we’re trapped in a box, none of us can go anywhere

Flashing lights and endless nights
Fatigued firefighters helplessly trying to revive their control.

Embers flying
Children crying

Mothers’ screams
can be heard from afar
Helicopters swarm
Creating a storm
Of mist, heat and wails.

Nothing was done for my fire trails
Which were meant to save my house.
My body just couldn’t take it
And my legs gave way to my body
I sank to the ground

Flames tickling my body
My brain urging me to flee
But all I could do
Is thrash around and wait
For my

Despicable
Death
By Jade

All the trees go up in flames
Helpless efforts by the sky cranes

Fire fighters try their best
All going without any rest

Smouldering leaves land suburbs away
Only to be found the very next day

All the pressure on the firetruck’s joints
Looking frantically for a hydrant point

Suddenly there’s a wind change
The fire burns out of range

Fire rages to the Hawkesbury River
Fire boats begin to shiver

While preparing for a back-burn
A lightning bolt hits a fern

While all firies are in doubt
That small fire out the big one out
By Josh

How does a submarine sink and float at will?

This was the question that the students had to answer today using only their learned knowledge from their previous research.

Here are some of their answers:

“Submarines use ballast tanks and compressed air.  They have a vent at the bottom.  To sink, valves at the top open and let water come in through the vent at the bottom and fill the ballast tanks.  To float, they open the valves to let compressed air in to force the water out of the ballast tanks.” By Chris.

“A submarine works by having some tanks full of compressed air.  If a submarine wants to go down it opens some air vents which allow the air to escape and then it fills up with water which sinks the submarine.  But if a submarine wants to return to the surface all it has to do is release the stored compressed air which will push all the water out leaving the tank to have air in it which will cause the submarine to float to the surface.” By Harry.

“A submarine contains ballast tanks in its hull that use compressed air to change the density of the sub.  By opening a valve, water fills the ballast tanks with water, thus increasing its density, thus making the submarine sink.  If a submarine wants to float, compressed air gets pushed into the tanks, thus pushing the water out making it float.” By Matt.

“A submarine uses ballast tanks filled with compressed air and when needed the air is released and takes on water which increases the density making it sink but when the water is pushed out the sub’s density is decreased making it float.” By Jordan.

FLOAT-SINK

Why do objects sink/float?

This was the research question posed to the students today.  They worked in Collaborative Clusters to discuss, research and come up with an answer.

Here is one of the best answers….

“The reason why objects float or sink is mainly due to the density of it.  If the object has a larger density to the fluid, it will sink.  Likewise, if the density is lower it will float.”
By Jade, Jayden, Bryce and Jack

As we continue with our investigations we will hopefully see how the students can deepen their understanding of why objects float or sink.  We will then use this knowledge to predict why a submarine is able to sink and float at will.