Science Week

Science Week

Once again science week came and went, this time I think a few more than usual sat up and noticed.  At least in our little corner of D15.

Once again the main stay of the week in Hartstown Community School was the 1st year Science quiz.  By my estimation it was the 8th running of the quiz, although how memorable it is up for debate as on asking some 6th years did they remember it, they could not recall its existance.  

The questions have not moved on too much since the early days, and I suppose this is because the energy and desire to reset all the questions is none too great when there is so many other things to be done.  Most of the rounds are multiple choice questions, some rounds on course, some off course and some out there.

Last year we changed the format of question 1 and question 3, question 1 last year was based on N.A.S.A. trying to get students to name an asteroid, this year we changed it to a very basic question on what is animal / plant / living, the question I adapted from my hDip science module that wanted to see what the student believed before we taught them anything. 

Question 3 is a periodic table question.  Based on a child friendly periodic table from http://elements.wlonk.com/index.htm we ask them some questions that they can infer the answers from this periodic table.  This gives the student a very simple and successful 1st introduction to the periodic table.

Every year we mix up the tables so students from different classes get to meet and mix, and debate the great science questions of their day. Prizes for the day are provided in the main from science week, but we add a gift voucher for the winners in the winning teams. 

This year to attempt to get more students voluntarily get involved, we decided to have a paper airplane competition.  There were a few reservations that the Planes could be used in class, only one of the other teachers thought this might be a problem too.  The rest, the more experienced teachers all said plough on.

We organised some of the tuesday lunch time science 'geeks' to help make measurement, got a few from Transition year to register planes & 'pilots'.  In order to register a pilot had to measure the dimensions of their plane, and record them on the registration sheet. They then had a choice of 3 launchers, 1 made by Mr Barry, a technology teacher, 1 built by one of the strongest engineering candidates in TY, and a sling shot one, built by another student in TY.

A 2nd year boy called Chuka one, as his plane had a flight time of 4.3 seconds after it was launched from the balcony in the sports hall.  One other plane got stuck in the light fittings, and claims of infinite flight have been dismissed.  In total we had 33 entries into the Paper airplane competition, so in comparison to the poster competitions, story competitions, which we ran but received no attention unless it was done in class time, Hartstowns Science Week was a huge success.  Wonder if we will do it again next year, the paper airplane competition.

Shotgun Rugby

Another new season had come upon us yet again. Some players came back training early, others didn't.  The Development Cup always comes upon us with a bang and never a game played, that would be a must when we could actually challenge in the cup.

We submitted our name to the cup draw, but somehow the branch mislaid the entry and we missed the draw.  It was only after some delicate negotiations, we were entered.into the cup. And are grateful to those involved in our reinstatement  The Seniors were drawn against Moyne C.S., a team name recognised by Mark Daly, our 1st player to represent the school (and not a club) in the Leinster Metro team.  They had just won the Development Junior Cup.  It might be worth pointing out that the aforementioned Mark Daly would not be available to play in this match.

We had training that evening, just after finding out the draw.  Word had got round there was a match in the offing, there were almost 30 bodies there. Seenan, Phillip Hall, Ali Awais and Eisse had rejoined, and we had some new recruits, we started with touch, and quickly moved on to scrag.  Tempers began to warm and players were throwing themselves into charges, into tackles, into play.  

Unfortunately there was no traditional 1st reciever (the outhalf), come to that there was nobody in the squad that could release a pass at the right time.  A sad thing to admit, but just another hurdle to overcome.

The next training was called for the next Monday, ahead of our game on the Wednesday.  The weekend was long, full of thought, how can we even match this team that comes from Longford with their abilities.  How do we get a strategy to play that suits the team we have, a brave set of souls but none to generous especially when it comes to passing the ball out.

HHMMM ..... ARRGggghh ....... ehhhhhhhhhh.......... aaaaahhaahhhh  !!!! SHOTGUN RUGBY!!

This is not a play, this is a way of play! This must be bought into by all players.

What it is
A direct, simple yet structured gameplan in attack.
Requires honest rugby players that will run a plan of attack

Why it is
There are so many different physiques needed for the different attributes that make up a rugby team, there are different personalities, different intelligences that make up rugby players, balancing these attributes are very important in deciding the strategy for your team. The group of players I have are, with some exceceptions, lads that like rugby cos its simple and cos they don't mind the contact. Well thats most of my lads covered (the exceptions are there to get out of school come match day).

What it is

Barring set restarts, when the ball is in play we are all the same player!! 

Except for 9

The nine 

• will service every ruck, 
• will look up and out
• will not take and go
• will look back and in
• will only pass to players that are moving
• will pass flat

Everyone else is charged with one of 3 duties

1. Carry the ball hard into contact
2. Be 1st support
3. Clear out

Players should organise themselves into pods of 3, 1 ball carrier 1 driver/stepover man, 1 safeman, in attack

Ball carrier to drive into the most contact that they can involve themselves with, driver to hit a stood tackle driving our man through, or stepover a tackle claiming the ball.  Safeman should be available for offloads, but is more often employed being 3rd man into the collision and makes the ball safe by locking the ballcarrier by the shirt to the the stepover man

All players must be wary of taking the ball in to contact and being held up. Please fight to get to the ground. If you cannot get to the floor and a MAUL is established we then require all players to join the maul and Drive.

Only the 9 should pass.  

This seems like the most strange ideas, in fact it defines this tactic completely.  As a starting block we have some very brave lads, but not having enough rugby played to throw around a ball.  They never passed in games, okay they did, but it was occasional!

On the other side players are sure that they are not going to recieve a pass and can get on with their other duties.  They know that they will get the ball from the nine, as he is not allowed pick and go. This is something they could never be sure of befote .... getting a pass. Seems like an even stranger idea.

We should continue going the same direction until we get to the 5m line.  There are other options, pass short or pass longer. 

If after fielding a kick in play if any of the returners manage a few passes this is completly acceptable, time for fizzy rugby on the counter !!

In defence

Each player take a place in a line off the back foot of the ruck. When they advance with ball in hand, we push up, make the tackle, preferably just 1 tackler, (if so 2nd man should compete for the ball), 2 left and 2 right to protect from the pick and go, rest of the team line up covering the inside men 1st.

The 15 is the traditional full back, but he is assisted in the short court by 14.  This means the 15 covers back as far as they can kick the ball, able to run onto ball is better, the 14 covers the wing furthest from the oh and needs to fall out of the line to cover dinks over the top & be 1st sweeper.

If after fielding a kick if any of the returners manage a few passes this is completely acceptable, time for fizzy rugby on the counter !!

tactics

lineout
At line out time we will take 5 players to the lineout, incl 9.  1 hooker, 2 lifters, 1 jumper and  a 9.  The jump happens where the jumper and lifters want it, hooker throws.  We would want a few options

There is no need for a defensive line out tactic as we will not give them any lineouts

Hold for a bit, off set their defences

Up and down and let the lifting pod & hooker maul/attack up the middle

Flash it to 2 or 9 

The rest of the team organise 3 pods, the pods again are the 3 lads but each pod lines itself in 1 of 3 positions. 

1. blind on the 5
2. inside the 15
3. outside the 15

kickoffs
Always kick left on all kickoffs
It keeps the right footed kicker keeping the chasing line in check
Ball cushioned by their weaker hand, chance of knock-ons
If they do secure ball, passing off weaker hand, real opportunity to ramp up super pressure

scrums

A strong scrum, would do well in any style of rugby, we will want the scrum to secure our own ball, and take so opposition put ins.  Off the back 8 should take the ball up often especially if it has worked earlier.

10 run a line in hard tie up backrow forwards, 12 1st reciever at pace close to the last ruck, break the line break free

Penalty decisions

If we are in the center of the park, Run

Side of the park kick for touch.

If you can kick for the posts you can.

So this is shotgun rugby, 

My hero becomes me

I went to an IOPI & ISTA organised Physics post Marking Scheme conference in the inappropriately named Blackrock Education Centre.  It was the 1st time I saw such advertised and I enjoyed it as I felt I learned some and was enlghtened as to the independent thinking that is rewarded by the examiners on behalf of the examiner/ exam paper maker.
This I hope is enough to instil in my students a carefree attitude to answering the questions that will be rewarded by  bravery in answering questions following a good deal of study.
This is not though the subject of this blog. At this meeting I checked the roll call of the attenedees, Erwin and Albert might have been on this list but I could care less after I saw the 1st name on the list a Mr Pat Doyle, school C.U.S. my alma mater, my in life, actually brushed against hero of Physics, Mr Pat Doyle.
I spent the evening listening intently to the sometimes wise words of my colleagugues, but knowing the nature especially pricked my ears to hear once again the seldom heard words of my old physics teacher. He was, as I had remembered, always correct, this happens not by genetic selection but by careful preparation.
Things had not changed.
I, shy to aquaint myself, introduced myself as a former student, accepted the fact that he had seen off at least 600 students since I had passed through the red door on Leeson st, and no matter what I thought of his capacities was not going to recognise me.
It is here that this blog begins, because I find myself forgetting names of students that had passed through S8 in last 4 years. These students can recall stories that i sometimes remember and oft laugh as though I have never before heard.  It is my impact upon these young people that goes unnoticed on me.  Yet the things I do & say, the way I treat my students all have lasting effects. I will never regard myself as a herobto anybody, but I cant help what people think of me.  If in anyway I can encourage a love of science and the further purity of physics, the more that society has benefitted from my employment by the DES. 
Life is not defined by our knowledge but by the manner of our interactions with our fellow 'man', if my enduring legacy has been to treat all students with respect, and to inspire some then all the tax dollars paid to me will have been worth more than something.
I never wanted to be a hero to anybody, yet i feel that I already have been and my goal is only to become a better 

Rethinking the Molecule

So just finishing teaching the chemistry component of the 2nd year course, and we are doing bonding. I am sure that the class got the fact that Metals & Non Metals are attracted due to Ionic Charges.  These Electric charges come from different atoms 'trading' electrons for their own purpose (to have full outer electron orbits) and those that donate an electron become positive and those that get the electron become negative.

Covalent bonding is the sharing of electrons, and I have some nice diagrams of some common simple molecules, CH4 Methane, Water H2O and the Halogens F2 

 .... but I always struggled to accurately represent O2 in Bohr diagram form. I have seen anything that manages to actually get 8 electrons on each outer shell while only not exceeding the 16 electron total that both atoms must manage between them.  I used to explain it in terms of sub-orbits the s-shell and the 3 p-shells .... but I don't know why this is just junior (<16 yo) science. 

Then today as I set the class the various tasks to draw these bonding diagrams .... I got 2 separate answers that knock me back on my heels .... 2 answers, from 2 lads, that sit decently far apart that the coincidence was not explainable by eyesight.

Well anybody got any thoughts on this ? 

I was smacked ... these guys have the smarts for quite a lot of things.  Well done JD & LC 

True motivations in my society

Couldn't do it Sir, it's 2 hard

1 what did you find difficult
2 what did you do to attempt it
3 what extra help did you ask for
4 could you have done it if it was paid for work!!

Its a Photocopier it is meant to Print

Well ? No not really !

What can kill you more than a budget that removes more teachers from the staffroom? What is more disheartening than a bunch of 2nd years that dont care about making O2 or CO2, lighting a splint with a lighter, extinguishing it in CO2 & relighting it in a Jar of O2.

A photocopier that doesn't do what it says on the tin.  I do not know how many teaching hours & efforts have been lost because the photocopier/printer in the workroom does not just damn well print.  In fact you must go and click on an option on the print page.  You must do that on every machine that you want to ever damn well print from, arrrrrggggghhhhh!!!

Said it to the office, deep inhale, maybe ?

Like I said made O2 & CO2 with Hone, bit more gases to make with the other 2nd years .... must drain the hydrogen oxide from the flask ....

New Earth found .... http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16040655

And a new Brainmap page maker is here https://bubbl.us/  thanks DM!
ya showoff!!!!

Ciao

Adam & Gavin

Well it is a job in education, and thus an educational job.

Today a student in Physics class asked me as they began to draw the domestic circuit as to why there was a neutral wire, what was the point.  I began to explain that electricity needed a circuit to flow, and that an alternating current went one way and then the other. (electrons flow one way and then do flow the other way) but the reason that there was no need for a fuse on the Neutral wire was eluding me.

So I got home and jigged a bit, then googled some more.  Its not the fact that the neutral wire is at a grounded potential (not a grounding wire) that was the moment or even the thing I recalled, it was that the live wire goes from a +ive source to a -ive source, attracting and then repelling electrons,  but it does not really matter, because all these electrons want to do is get to ground the source & sink of all charge.  This source & sink of all charge is more commonly known as the neutral wire.

It was a big day, last night I found a Youtube vid on how to make quizes in google docs ... I have no sound hardware on the machine at home at the minute and so saved it until later when I was in school.  So at lunch In S8 I watched the vid .... no sound on it either .... and by period 8 had a skeleton 'quiz' online....

Hope it is as good tomorrow