Dying Sheep Wool

Recently we went on a farm visit where we saw a sheep being sheared and we took some of the wool home. We have spent a few days cleaning and dying it.

Firstly we picked out any bits of leaves etc from the wool. We put the wool together in a loose bundle and secured it with some netting to keep it together. Next the wool was soaked in laundry detergent to release the lanolin. We did this several times until the water was clean. We made sure not to agitate the wool so that it didn't felt together.

Wool from the sheep

Bundled together in a piece of net

Soaking out the lanolin

Today we coloured the wool. We used procion fabric dye powders mixed with a water and soda ash solution. The children mixed 8 colours and we let the wool to soak for the day before rinsing out the excess dye and letting the wool dry naturally.

Mixing dye

Wool soaking

Our dyed sheep wool

Check back soon to see what we make with it.

Human Body at its Grossest

Today we tried some more experiments from Mr.Q Science.  First we made body mucus (aka snot). Mix 1/4 cup of warm water with 3 tablespoons of gelatine. Next add 1/4 cup of glucose syrup (find in the cake making section at Woolworths). You can then add sprinkles of dirt and dust to your snot. The pictures really don't convey just how disgusting this stuff is!

We also did an experiment to show how the kidney works. Place some cornflour mixed with a little water in a sandwich bag and seal. This represents the kidney. Then place the bag into a glass of iodine and warm water (get the iodine at the chemist- brand name Riodine). This represents blood containing waste products. Leave for about 15 minutes. The iodine "waste products" will be filtered out of the "blood" into the "kidney" changing its colour. Water molecules (good blood) are too small to get through he kidney's filter (bag) and are left in the glass.

Gruffalo's Child & Botanic Gardens

Today we went along to Sydney Harbour to see the stage play of The Gruffalo's Child at the Opera House.  It was a pretty funny show. Here are the children crafting and reading in the deep, dark, wood in the foyer.

Afterwards we had our picnic in the nearby Botanic Gardens, before walking around to see the spring flowers.

People Collages

Today we were looking at artworks with pairs or groups of people in them. First we acted out the pictures and imagined how the figures were related. Then the children had a go at making a collage featuring a group of people.

Surfers - by R

Four purple people by L

Native Americans

Today we have been reading up about some of the first peoples in the Americas. The children had a go at sand painting and then made some Native American fry breads for lunch.

By L

By R

Cooked fry bread

Abstract Human Sculptures

Today we were looking at some abstract sculptures from the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

The children then made their own sculpture from balsa wood.

Man doing a handstand by R

Lady with a plaster on her leg by L

Figure by Mum

Convicts From Dubbo Gaol

As a follow up to our visit to Dubbo Gaol the children made up a convict profile for themselves. We had seen information about the gaol inmates posted up around the gaol and we decided to make up our own. I think the judge was very lenient on R and L.

Inmate from Dubbo gaol

RFDS Models & Morse Code

Following up on our Dubbo road trip  we made these models of the Royal Flying Doctor Service planes. The kit came from the visitors centre in Dubbo.

We had also seen a display on Morse code whilst at the visitor centre so we had a go at transmitting messages to each other using Morse code. We used a castanet for the short dot sound and a shaker for the long dash sound. L has been working on a similar thing in music lessons; identifying long and short sounds.

Morse code transmitter at RFDS Dubbo

Morse code for "sheep"

Down On The Farm

Today we joined our friends for a trip to Calmsley Hill City Farm. There were lots of opportunities to pat the animals along with the whip show, working dogs show, tractor ride and sheep shearing. Here are some pictures from the day.

Ready for the tractor ride

Whip show

Working dog show

Before

During

After