Bill Botanist has just received a collection of plant specimens in the mail. It is urgent that the specimens be planted as soon as possible because the world is counting on the oxygen that they will provide. Travel with Bill on an expedition to each of the world’s biomes to help him study his specimens. Your mission is to get each plant specimen planted in the best possible biome.

https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/experiments/biome/plantindex.php

The Year 5 Kitchen classes commenced Term 2 learning about the many different ways that mixtures can be separated in the kitchen and how these techniques can prevent food waste.

Separation techniques used in the Kitchen may involve physical separation (eg. Filtration using a strainer), or it can involve chemical separation using a catalyst, such as vinegar or lemon juice. Students learnt that catalysts are used to speed up a chemical reaction and the separation of a mixture.

For centuries, people have used such separation techniques to create cheese as a way of preserving and storing food for later. As you can see below, the Year 5 students thoroughly enjoyed making their own Homemade Ricotta cheese and were very surprised how quick and easy it was!

Digital Bialik Kitchen classes got off to a great start for Term 2 with the Year 4 classes exploring how heat can be produced in many ways and can move from one object to another.

They observed heat transfer while making Anzac biscuits in their own kitchens at home.

There are many different types of soil and poor soil quality means fruit and vegetables don’t grow well and must be thrown out as food waste.

Soils contain solids, liquids and gases. We physically separated solids into 4 groups  – living, non-living, minerals and man-made. The second method is called decanting to separate the soil.

Spring onions

Tomatoes  Apples

Link to website 

Today we were excited and surprised how huge this carrot was when we harvested it. We know this carrot will be a bit woody and tough to eat as it has reached the end of it’s life cycle and gone to seed. Next time we will harvest it sooner.We have learnt about seed saving and will place the seeds in a brown bag to dry them and plant later in the year. Carrots like sandy soil and this helps them grow straight.

Today in kitchen our group made Indian Yellow Rice. It was a really interesting  learning the different cooking techniques and spices used in Indian cooking. Everyone shared roles and got a chance to do what they liked to do. Other groups cooked Vegetable and Chickpea Curry, Coconut Dahl, Flatbread and Beetroot Raita.

It was a colourful kitchen.

In small groups students are using the STEM design process to design, plan and build their own mini greenhouses! Picking up some tools and building the greenhouse is a challenge the students are looking forward. This completely collaborative learning experience creates a simulation of the real world that can be hard to translate in a classroom.

The skills and strategies learned as part of this practical education will be highly benifical.