Weekly Investigation 1

Planning the Investigation

Handee Ultra paper towel		Coles Ultra paper towel
Soft Printed with colour Embossed pattern Fibrous Thicker than coles brand		Soft Plain colour Embossed pattern Slightly waxy coating
Question for Investigation.  Which paper towel is more absorbent? Which paper towel is stronger when wet?		What do you predict will happen? Explain why.  I predict the Handee paper towel will absorb more water because it is slightly thicker and I think it will be stronger because it has more fibres.
Variables you are going to:
Change The two different paper towels	Measure The drops of water the paper towel absorbs before dripping. The amount of washers the paper towel will hold before tearing.		Keep the same Even distribution of drops over the paper towel. The position of the paper clips holding the paper towel and the washers. (3cm in from the edge)
What equipment will you need? Paper towel squares 10cm x 10cm Paper Clips Metal washers Dropper Water		Diagram of how you will set up the equipment.

Recording results

Material tested	Water drops absorbed/washers held
	1st trial	2nd trial	3rd trial	Average
Handee Ultra Paper towel	61 Drops 11 Washers	60 Drops 11 Washers	57 Drops 10 Washers	59 Drops 11 Washers
Coles Ultra Paper Towel	50 Drops 4 Washers	53 Drops 4 Washers	48 Drops 4 Washers	50 Drops 4 Washers

Explaining results

Write a statement to summarise your findings. Both paper towels were similar in their ability to absorb water with the Handee ultra towel performing slightly better with the ability to hold 59 drops of water before dripping compared to the Coles Ultra towel with 50 drops of water. During the strength test the Handee Ultra towel had superior strength being able to hold a total of 11 washers before tearing. The Coles Ultra towel held 4 washers before tearing.

Why did this happen? The Coles brand wasn’t as strong when it was wet because the towel was thiner than the Handee brand also it didn’t have any printing on the paper which may have affected the strength.

Did the results match your prediction? Why or why not? The results did match my prediction because the Handee towel had more fibres which made it stronger. I thought the Handee towel would have been more absorbent than it was compared to the Coles brand.

Evaluating the investigation

What challenges did you have doing this investigation? It was difficult to distribute the drops evenly over the paper towel.

How could you improve this investigation? The investigation could be improved by suspending the paper towel horizontally when adding the water droplets to ensure even distribution.

                                

The Importance of Teaching Science

"So, yes, improving education in math and science is about producing engineers and researchers and scientists and innovators who are going to help transform our economy and our lives for the better. But it's also about something more. It's about expanding opportunity for all Americans in a world where education is the key to success. It's about an informed citizenry in an era where may of the problems we face as a nation are, at root, scientific problems."   Barack Obama, 2009

I believe we, as primary teachers, should be teaching our students about science. This quote is certainly appropriate globally and for Australia. ACARA, in developing the national curriculum for science states “the process of building science knowledge is as important as the knowledge itself” and “with the support of teachers, help (students) to develop their science understanding so that they can function effectively in a scientifically and technologically advanced society".(2009)

Many courses in this program have focussed on the ‘how’ of teaching, as important to the ‘content’. We should follow this principle, providing learners with the opportunities to investigate and problem solve and to reflect on their learning and understanding. Learners can then apply this knowledge to new situations.

Attitude to Science

I am enthusiastic about this course, and with science being a Key Learning Area, I hope to be able to confidently provide opportunities for students to engage with science in the classroom. 

During a previous course I used a Primary Connections unit as the basis for designing a unit of work. As part of the unit we were required to scaffold learning, engage the students in higher order thinking and embed technologies throughout the unit. The Primary Connections 5E’s teaching and learning model is designed for student centred learning and includes literacy focuses throughout each stage. 

Having explored Primary Connections, I could relate to Michelle Lloyd's insights on the introduction of this program to the classroom. (Teaching Science, 2007)

Reflecting on Science

It has been over 20 years since I was at high school and I can't recall participating in many areas of science. I do however, remember using a mnemonic to recite the first 20 elements of the periodic table. I did study home economics which has science processes but they weren't explicitly explained as 'science'.


As my children have attended primary school and onto high school, I have seen an increase in science brought into the classroom, from watching plants grow in various environments to distance travelled over different surfaces. I am excited at the prospect of learning more about science investigations to explore in the classroom.