Simple Machines

The world around us is made up of many things, both natural and manufactured. Among the man-made objects we can find many machines that make our lives easier. These machines are divided into two types, simple machines and complex machines. Simple machines have few or no moving parts. Complex machines are machines made up of many simple machines put together.

In class, the students worked together in small groups to build their own examples of simple machines or found examples of existing ones in their everyday lives. Below we have different types of simple machines and photos of the ones the students made.

Inclined Plane

An inclined plane helps us to move objects up or down different levels easier than with stairs or lifting. We use inclined planes for moving packages or to help people in wheelchairs enter buildings.

A Pulley

A pulley is used to lift and lower heavy objects. By using a rope or other object around a fixed point, we pull the rope tied to the load and it requires less energy or force to lift the heavy object.

A Screw

Screws are probably the most common simple machine we can find in everday life. Screws hold things together or help to lift objects. They come in many sizes and forms and can be found just about everywhere. They have a shaft and an inclined surface that secures onto the object they attach to.

A Wedge

A wedge can be used for cutting objects, like an axe is used to cut wood. However, they can also be used to simply keep things open like a doorstop does when you place it at the bottom of the door.

A Wheel and Axle

This simple machine has helped us very much in our modern lives. The wheel and axle together helps move objects from one place to another. It makes it much easier to move heavier loads because we can simply move it on wheels instead of lifting or pushing. Thanks to the wheel and axle it is now even easier for us to move because it led to the invention of modes of transport such as the car.

A Lever

A lever is used for lifting ojects more easily than if we had to lift it with our hands. A rigid bar is placed over a fulcrum and with the load on one end, we apply energy to the other to lift it. With the lever it requires less energy to lift than without.

Our latest unit in Science is all about Energy, the forces that make things work aroun the world. We´ve learned about renewable and nonrenewable energy and the different types of energy. Saving energy is very important because the nonrenewable sources we use will one day disappear if we don´t use them responsibly. To learn the best ways to save energy and why it is so important, we had a workshop at school called PlayEnergy with lots of hands-on activities and demonstrations.

Kids got to learn about the energy we use at home as well as renewable energy alternatives that help to protect the planet. We´re really glad that our students are learning about taking care of our planet and how to use energy responsibly to be responsible citizens.

Early Cinema: the Zoetrope

This year, the school´s theme and motto is "Lights, Camera, Action!" All year students are participating in different activities to celebrate this theme.This term, students are making their very own zoetropes in class to learn how early animation began before films were invented.

What is a zoetrope?

A zoetrope is a device that was invented before film animation existed. It creates the illusion of a motion in still photos by using pictures that show a motion in many small phases or steps.

Here you can see how the steps students followed to make their zoetrope in class and how it works.

How to Make a Zoetrope

Our Model City

Following the last unit on maps and globes, the two 3rd grade classes are now working together in English and Social Science to learn about cities and towns and how to give directions. The two classes are working to build a large model of a town that we will display in class to practice using maps and giving directions. We still have work to do, but the model is looking fantastic with streets, buildings, and even a park. Below you can see some photos of the construction and later we´ll add photos of the town when it´s finished!

 Building our city.

Our city is finished!

Invertebrate Animals Project

In Science, students have been learning about the classification of animals, dividing them into vertebrates (animals with a skeleton) and invertebrates (animals without skeletons). Now that we are learning about invertebrate animals, the sudents have completed projects about different animals and insects that are invertebrates. They made small posters in groups with drawings and some information about the animals. To finish the project, some of the kids have done audio recordings of their projects for you to see below.

Dinosaur Egg Experiment

 Our class dinosaurs, Mr. Rex and Larry, have just returned from an exciting weekend with one of our classmates. They had a great time going out, exploring and learning about the world. Elisa took some wonderful photos of our dinosaurs studying with her and exploring the world outside the classroom.

 

 

 
Congratulations! Our brand new baby dinosaurs have finally hatched from their eggs. Mr. Rex and Larry were born on Tuesday, March 3rd and we´re very excited to have them here.

 Last weekend Angela and Samantha took care of them. They´re growing and growing!!!

During the weekend two students, Mónica and Andrés ,took care of them . They are growing bigger and bigger and both hatched from the eggs!

We´ve started a new project in our Science class to see how animals hatch from eggs but we don´t just have a regular egg, we´ve got a dinosaur egg!

Students have been learning about different types of animals, including reptiles like the dinosaurs and how each type of animal is different. They´ve learned that oviparous animals are ones which lay eggs and that babies are hatched from the eggs. Our dinosaur egg is in water and each day it is growing bigger and bigger and hopefully we´ll soon see what hatches from our egg.