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New activity

Looking for something new? We are delighted to bring you the latest DPSM activity on investigating the atmosphere and exploring how air takes up space. Ar fáil as Gaeilge freisin.

This activity will enable children to use all of their sense to become aware of and explore environments and to recognise that a gas, such as air occupies space. It is aimed at children from 1st to 6th class.

Awards of Science & Maths Excellence

The Closing Date for registering your intention to apply for an Award of Maths Excellence has been extended to Friday 27th March so if your school is not already registered you can register here.

The AOSME application form will be e-mailed out to all those schools that have registered after the Easter break. The 13th of May is the deadline for submitting the Discover Logs accompanied with the application form.

More information about the Steps to receiving a Plaque of STEM Excellence or Certificate of STEM participation can be found here.

Summer Courses

We plan to run a number of summer courses again this year. Senior rocket scientists: Using space as a cross-curricular theme at CIT Blackrock Castle Observatory (Cork), Dunsink Observatory (Dublin, with a visit to Armagh Planetarium), Birr Castle (Offaly) and Lough Gur Heritage Centre (Limerick) from July 1st - 7th 2015. If you’re interested in attending one of our summer courses or need further information please e-mail stephanie.oneill@sfi.ie

We are also hoping to run a new course on Teaching Science through inquiry with Discover Primary Science & Maths and SEAI at Airfield in Dundrum, Dublin. Using DPSM resources, the SEAI Exploring Our Energy programme and the facilities at Airfield participants will have an opportunity to develop inquiry based approaches to teaching all strands of the primary Science curriculum. If you’re interested in attending please e-mail aoife.cannon@seai.ie.

ISTA Conference
Science Day for Primary Teachers 28th March 2015

Looking for some help, support and ideas for good ways to teach Science in your Primary School? The ISTA is running a full day of talks for Primary Teacher with lots of activities, ideas and the chance to share experience with other teachers interested in Primary Science. The day is being organised in cooperation with Lifetime Lab and supported by DPSM.

Taking place in University College Cork as part of the ISTA Annual Conference this is a great chance meet other teachers and gain inspiration for your Primary Science teaching and to build on your own science knowledge and confidence in teaching science

The programme of talks and details of speakers is available here.

Registration is online here with a fee of €30 for the day - talks, sandwich lunch and exhibit hall. For further information see http://www.lifetimelab.ie and http://www.ista.ie.

Article by Jane McLoughlin

Ever wonder what other teachers are up to with their classes? Jane McLoughlin, Scoil Chaitríona Junior, Renmore, Galway, tells us about her infant class investigating cars and ramps

I just thought I would share with you the really interesting discussion my class had about cars, ramps, forces and friction. The photos and account of the activity are on http://scoilchaitrionajnrmsmcloughlin.blogspot.ie/2015/02/cars-ramps-and-fiction.html.

Our discussion as we went along was spearheaded by a child who suggested how to set up the investigation and afterwards when I asked if the children thought this could be included as a science lesson he said that it definitely WAS proper science and that we were PROPER scientists.  He reckoned that this was a science activity because we were asking questions, setting up an investigation and finding answers, and most important of all, we were being FAIR! ...same child released the car each time; ramp was the same each time, same lollypop sticks were used to measure distances.

For a bit of devilment I suggested we might not be real scientists because we had no white coats! Well, the class were outraged! They set out to convince me that it was real science with or without the coats (and explosions).  Finally they settled on the argument that actually scientists only wear the coats when the investigations are messy, and as this wasn’t a messy activity really there was no needs for coats at all (so scientists don't necessarily have to rush out and buy a white coat!)

The oral discussion in this session involved all sorts of different kinds of push and pull forces, maglev trains, what objects are the best for measuring distance, which road surfaces cars travel best on, friction and personal experiences of speeding and slow cars.

Best of all the activity was lots of fun and all of the kids showed a huge level of engagement.

I am left dying to try different heights of ramps, different types of cars on the same ramp, different kinds of objects on the same ramp.  The children all agreed that this was a great activity that could be done at home with parents and siblings.

What a worthwhile activity!