11.2

Science Workshop

Yesterday there was a science workshop. It seems like they have workshops around once a month or two. These people were from Warwick engineering major and they talked about the significance of accessible and drinkable water. Do you know:

• 1/3 of our body is made of water.
• 97% of the water on earth is in the ocean.
• 2% of the water on earth is in the shape of ice.
• Most civilisations started close to water

So, only 1% of it is acessible and drinkable.

They let students to make their own water filter with gravels, sand, cut water bottle, rubberband, tissue paper and cotton. So what most groups did was:

1. Fix the tissue paper at the mouth of the bottle with the rubberband
2. Tear open cotton and lay them flat close to the mouth of the bottle
3. Put in sand and spread it out
4. Put in Gravels and spead them out

The groups that had the cleanest filered water are the ones who 

1. put cotton on top as well as at the bottom
2. spilled the sand and gravels and claimed there were double layers of sand and gravels

One thing worths noticing is that in one group, cute E came up with this rule that whoever wanted to speak had to hold the blue pencil to avoid shouting out. Even though it didnt carry out quite well, it is a good idea. I think next time to carry it out, one has to confirm everyone agrees and tries to stick with it.

An interesting teaching method during the process is that Sasa asked students a lot of guiding questions and led students to  ponder on the reasons why they needed to make filter and why dirty water ws not drinkable. This further brings up thoughts such as African people has to drink problematic water and fall ill and there are bacteria in the water. 

Before trying out the device, learners were requested to explain how they designed it and why. It is absolutely noteworthy as they needed to learn something from it. Afterwards, Sasa asked them to draw diagram and wrote what they have learnt from it.

Science poster

As they hadn't finish their Egyptian Poster, they continued doing it after lunch, which is very enjoyable for me as there wasn't much work and walking around. Hence, I stayed at the table of your Majesty and they were really chatty. I think one reason is that I was there, But I should not be a reason, should I? I am there to help and Sasa has noticed that your majesty talked with me a lot. So I told them to start this game, whoever spoke first lost, and lost ones needed to clean the table. If they wanna talk with partner, they had to ask for my permission and the communication had to be related to the work. It actually worked very well, they asked for my permission and kept an eye on each other. 

Your Majesty was performing exceptionally well, he didn't say a word and he wanted to win. After he finished his poster, I showed it to other students in the group and justified the significance of not chatting. As a matter of fact, all of them have accomplised their posters, while the mahority of students in other groups hadn't finish!!!! I certainly got a sense of achievement and so did they. At the end, I told them that I was very proud that they didnt speak produce so much.

through the conversation with Mr. C, I have learnt that the lack of ICT is another essential difference between Hk and the U.K.. In U.K., Ipad and interactive screen are vital for classroom teaching. On the other hand, HK Schools saved the money for the teaching resources like Japanese teachers.