New
Challenge from Mrs Arbuthnott. ENJOY!!
Recently announced
plans for the future of the European
space programme include missions to the
Moon and Mars as projects for
consideration. The initiative is led by
the French government who took over the
presidency of the European Union on 1
July. They suggest that current
priorities for the European Space Agency
(Esa) are not ambitious enough and that
if it fails to change its approach to
space exploration Europe will fall
behind other countries such as India and
China and as a consequence will suffer
economically.
The next important meeting of all Esa
member-state representatives will take
place in November.
As a member of the
'Space Mission Investigating Learning
for Europe in Space' (SMILES) group,
think about the future of space travel
and to advise the European Space
Agency. Consider:
What
should be the priorities for European
space research?
Where
should we explore and why?
What
benefits can you see for both young and
older people resulting from space
research?
Are
there any arguments against space
research that you consider are strong
enough to postpone space research?
What
will be the social consequences of
successful space colonies on Mars or the
Moon?
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Members of Stars,
composing music for their animation project
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| Spaldwick
School Star Challenges |
Is it a meteorite? Is it Superman? No,
it's US193!
Orbiting the Earth there are hundreds of pieces of what can best be
described as 'space junk'. As long as these bits and pieces of past
space exploration orbit the Earth there is little to be concerned
about, unless you are in a machine that has to fly through the space
junk. The time to look up nervously at the sky is when, as is going
to happen very soon, a piece of space junk falls to Earth.
A failed US spy satellite, US193, is expected to hit the Earth
during the first week of March this year.
It is
estimated that up to half of the 5,000lb spacecraft will descend
through the atmosphere. Where the satellite debris will hit and be
spread is not yet known. The satellite has secret equipment on board
and US officials do not want this equipment to be recovered by
anyone other than the US military.
'The
Chinese and the Russians spend an enormous amount of time trying to
steal American technology. To have our most sophisticated radar
intelligence satellite − have big pieces of it fall into their hands
− would not be our preferred outcome,' John Pike, a defence and
intelligence expert, reportedly told MSN news.
After
the satellite debris enters the Earth's atmosphere it will only be
when it reaches about 59 miles above the Earth's surface that its
eventual landing place can be calculated. Anyone in that area will
have 30 minutes at the most to prepare for its impact.
Some questions for you to consider and
discuss:
If
pieces of the falling satellite can land anywhere in the world
during March:
Where would be a good place for all the bits to land? What facts
support your opinion?
Where would be a bad place for all the bits to land? What could
be done to minimise damages or injuries to people and animals?
How
would the place where you live change if a piece of satellite landed
in your playground (without hurting anyone!).
If
you found a piece of the satellite, what would you do with it? Why
would you decide to act in that way?
Summary
Keeping an eye on US193
Going further
As
more and more activity will take place in the space around Earth
what do your children think would be the best way to prevent more
space junk building up around our planet, or should we just let it
build up so that eventually we could see bands of orbiting junk
around the Earth?
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'The Perfect Explorer'
'Dawn had come.
Our little white ship ploughing her way through the water looked as she
always does - as did the ocean beneath.
It was difficult
to believe that we were over an area of water nearly six miles deep and
that below us was shattering pressure, glacial cold and unending night.
I thought of this least-known region of sea, the icy desert where life
barely survives, and I wondered at its great age. Why should this
deep water be so close to freezing here in the tropics? Most of
the water in the ocean flows down from the Arctic and Antarctic.
How old is this water?'
From 'Exploring the Deep Pacific,
Helen Raitt. |
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Star Challenge [ November 2007]
We can explore the world and space using many different types of
vehicle:
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Exploring the seas is usually done using a ship or
submarine.
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The atmosphere can be explored by using balloons
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Outer space requires very specialised vehicles that
can protect its occupants from all possible heat and other extremes.
Which features would you take from all of the explorer
machines mentioned above and others that you can think of to include in
a perfect explorer machine that could go anywhere and do anything, from
exploring space and the heart of volcanoes to the giant ice wastes of
the North and South Poles?
Draw or model your ideas - everything you suggest will
need to be explained when you share your ideas with us!
Interested? Watch
this space for further details....
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Gifted and talented links
Some of the sites below will
help give you more specific information to help your child.
A
collection of problems to be solved, presented at different levels.
Solutions can be emailed to the site. An excellent site, can
be used both individually and collaboratively.
Maths focus, information for parents. Online Maths challenge.
http://www.warwick.ac.uk/gifted/index.htm
National Academy for
Gifted & Talented Youth hosted by the University of Warwick. This is for
pupils from 11-19 but may be of interest to parents
http://www.creativegeneration.org.uk/home/index.php
A site that connects G&T
young people with arts based advice and information.
www.xcalibre.ac.uk
An extensive database of resources to meet the specific needs of
teachers, parents, students and advisors for gifted and talented
provision, research and resources. Organised into subject specific
areas.
www.counton.org
Look here for a
large range of activities/resources and assessments from Primary to A
Level. The site is separated into areas for Teachers / Parents / Pupils
http://www.the-paper.org/index.php
The Paper is an
innovative newspaper project aimed at young people between 10 & 18.
Based in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, it welcomes the involvement of
young journalists, photographers and artists from other parts of the UK
and around the world.
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Spaldwick school
where every day is a chance to LEARN and SUCCEED
How
should schools support
Gifted and Talented Pupils?
Teachers should aim to make learning
challenging and enjoyable, so that all pupils, including the gifted
and talented, achieve their full potential. Gifted and talented pupils
need to be given opportunities to study some, or all, subjects to a
greater depth and breadth and, sometimes, at a faster pace. However,
it is important to bear in mind that, whether gifted or talented, a
pupil is first and foremost a child who will need encouragement and
support in order to develop as a whole person. This support is crucial
where there are marked discrepancies between a child's gifts or
talents and their emotional, physical or social development, or where
there are specific learning difficulties.
A definition of 'gifted and
talented
Many schools now use the Excellence
in Cities definitions of these words. The gifted are
those with high ability in one or more academic subject, and the talented
are those with high ability in sport, music, visual arts
and/or performing arts. Schools are encouraged to identify the top
5-10% of each year group as gifted or talented, regardless of the
general level of ability within the school. Some schools prefer to use
benchmarks to identify their gifted pupils.
Children may also have abilities,
such as advanced social skills and leadership qualities that fall
outside the given definitions. These should also be recognised and
provided for.
Opportunities
for Gifted and Talented pupils at Spaldwick
We have a G&T
register of pupils which is updated frequently. Pupils are
identified by using pupil assessment data and teacher professional
judgement, informed further by parental input at parent interviews and
through a Talent form identifying children's experiences out of school.
We endeavour to provide
cross curricular challenge opportunities for our G&T pupils, as with our
new Star Challenges and opportunities for subject specific
experiences, such as the annual maths challenge. In previous years
we have had a pupil who qualified for a Gold award in this
activity. We help facilitate or invite identified pupils to
attend school based activities, such as gymnastics.
We also inform parents
of opportunities outside school that may benefit pupils - county sports,
choirs etc.
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