Our Winning Presentation. Watch The Video Here!

Press the play button to learn more about space travel.

Rocket Scientists Day 2/Part 2

This afternoon we had to decide on a crew for our rocket. Who would you take on a space voyage? What do you think of our suggestions?
Neil Armstrong was a popular choice for many groups as he was the first man on the Moon and is a very experienced astronaut who could help if there were any problems.



Galileo was chosen by two groups as he supported Copernicus in realising that the Earth orbited the Sun. For this he was imprisoned by the Inquisition. He would be handy to have on a spacecraft as he could find his way around the Solar System using his fantastic telescope.

Two groups chose to take Harry Hill as a member of their crew. They thought he would be funny and entertain them!

Jamie Oliver and other popular T.V. Chefs were chosen by all groups. After finding out that most food eaten in space is dried and then re-hydrated anyone who could cook proved a popular choice.

One group thought that it would be a good idea to take Isaac Newton. They thought he would be interested in the gravity on the Moon. The Moon's gravity is six times less than the Earth's gravity.

Other suggestions included: Shane Williams, Christopher Columbus, Barney the Dinosaur, Joe Calzaghe, Star Treck Characters, Barack Obama, Albert Einstein, Po from The Telly Tubbies, Bob The Builder, Beyonce, Glenn Sax the founder of Pizza Hut and, last but not least, Mr Williams.

Many children included their parents for company, home cooking, bed making and the picking up of stray socks. One boy, who shall remain nameless wanted to take his sister for the sole purpose of stranding her on the Moon!

Log on tomorrow to find out about our next task, look at our rocket designs and prehaps listen to some of our blast off music.

Rocket Science Day 2

Today Year 6 have been presenting their information about rockets. The presentations were all very different and contained many interesting facts.

We did a Power Point presentation about rockets and told everyone about chimps being taken into space.

We told the class that the first rockets came from China.



We explained that to overcome the pull of gravity, a rocket must speed upward at 25,000 mph.
We informed everyone that the first people on the Moon were Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin.
We talked about the power of Space Shuttles. Did you know that one Space Shuttle is more powerful than 100 Jumbo Jets?
We explained about the fuel needed to launch a rocket. Two liquid fuels are mixed together and as they burn hot gasses are created. These gasses shoot out of the back of the rocket, pushing it off the ground into the air.
We showed how rockets travel to space to explore and look at planets.
We described N.A.S.A's rocket garden where astronauts train before travelling to space.

We studied the V2 rocket which was developed in Germany in the 1930s. The first successful launch was in 1942, and it became the first mass-produced long range rocket.

We explained that early rockets were shaped like arrows and were not very powerful as their power only came from gunpowder.

We gave our presentation using clips from the internet. We showed the flight path of a shuttle and footage of a rocket blasting off! Look at our presentation on the video link. Yes! Mrs D has learned how to do it!!!!!! Blogtastic!

Our presentations were judged by Miss Brink.

The results were very close, but the two groups with the most points were Alex, Sam and George with 18 points, and Bob and Dan, also with 18 points. Well done boys!

Rocket Science

This week, half of Year Six are in Austria on a skiing trip. The remaining children have an exciting project to complete by Thursday. It is called 'Rocket Science'.

Today we used books and the internet to find out about Space and Space Travel.

We put our information together into a presentation which Mrs Davies will judge tomorrow

We also had to design our rocket, adding any interesting features that could gain us points.

Tomorrow, after our initial presentation we will continue by furnishing and crewing our rocket with 12 luxury items and 12 people we would most like to accompany us to space. We will also spend time composing our 'BLAST OFF' music, before we actually launch our rockets, using water propulsion and a handy kit that Mrs Davies bought from Techniquest!

Keep up to date with Pontyclun's very own Rocket Scientists every day this week.

• Marvel at our ingenious designs!
• Learn from our well researched presentations.
• Wonder at the bizarre objects your child would take into space!
• Ponder our choice of crew members.
• Listen to our 'Blast Off' compositions (if Mrs D can get the recorder to work).
• Gasp at the maiden flights of our rockets (again, if Mrs D can get the recorder to work)!
  
  
  
  
  
  

The Market Place

J8 has experienced a new way of learning this half term. It is called 'In THe Market Place'. Each group was given a different form of transport to study. We then had to do a presentation about our form of transport to members of the other groups. To gather information we used the internet, the school library and the village library. We presented our information using pictures, written and printed facts and power point. Some people brought in models and interesting artefacts. We set up our 'market stalls' to display all the information we had found, and also visited the other stalls to learn about their forms of transport. It was an interesting and different way to learn and we really enjoyed the experience.

Through A Welsh Window
By Bob Davies

Through a Welsh Window I can see huge mountains hugging the sky and towering above me.
I can see a ruby red dragon breathing fire as bright and as beautiful as the sun, his eyes as dark and as mysterious as the night.
I can see a flock of dazzling, white sheep standing out beautifully in the emerald green grass.


Through a Welsh Window I can taste the scrumptious homemade Welsh cakes, with every bite bursting with warmth and flavour.
I can taste a tender piece of Welsh lamb and gravy slipping down my throat, tickling my taste buds.
I can taste a delicious beef stew smothered with Welsh leeks, both crunchy and soft, fresh from the garden melting in my mouth.


Through a Welsh window I can hear the purest singing coming out of proud Welsh rugby supporters bellowing out the Welsh National Anthem.
I can hear the blowing of the great Welsh air, licking the Welsh flag, making it swing wildly.
I can hear the crunch of the struggling trekker on the Brecon Beacons in the snow, slowly trying to get to the top to see the breathtaking view.


Through a Welsh window I can feel the lush green grass growing under my feet like glorious green waves.
I can feel the passion of my ancestors fighting for Wales and its rights, never giving up, never defeated.
I can feel the atmosphere in the Millennium Stadium as Shane Williams scores in the last minute against the roving Irish, so that we can win the Grand Slam once again.
I can feel the excitement of the players as they hold the cup with their grubby fingers, feeling proud to be Welsh.


Through a Welsh Window I wish that the Welsh win the Grand Slam again so I can feel that burst of pride to be Welsh, and even when I am old and grey I will still feel that pride.
I wish that this amazing country’s language will never die and that it will live on for ever more and that this country’s children’s, children’s, children will still speak it.
I wish that this country will always stand and never fall, and I will always be able to say that I am proud to live in Wales.