5th Class School Tour

Today, 5th class visited the Galway City Museum down by the Spanish Arch. We got a bird's eye view of the Claddagh area of Galway from the top floor observatory. We learned about the foundation of Galway, about the rule of the Ó Flaherta family followed by the Norman De Burcas. We heard about the importance of Galway as a trading port with countries like Spain and France and about the fishing industry in the Claddagh, with their use of a distinctive style of boat called a "Galway hooker". We even heard that the Claddagh still has its own king and an usual cure for a sore eye!

There was also an exhibit on the leader of the 1916 Easter Rising in Galway, a man called Eamonn Ceannt. In the archaeological section, we saw ceremonial swords and maces and an interactive display which showed old maps of the walls of Galway.

Following the guided tour, we got a look at the marine science exhibits on the top floor. This showed the real map of Ireland which showed all the Irish territorial waters and we learned about the exploration of the sea and all its marine life. There was a huge globe showing global climate systems, wind-up machines showing how deep ocean creatures create electric current so that they can glow in the dark. We even had a look inside a submarine.

After leaving the museum, we had a quick warm-up for Pure Skill in a playground by the prom in Salthill.

On we went to Pure Skill where we got to display our full range of throwing, kicking and batting skills.

Science Apprentice
This week, 5th class got the opportunity to take part in Science Apprentice, a project whereby pupils experience science through hands on activities, role-playing and testing theories that connect to the Primary Science curriculum.
The theme of this year's project was on medical devices and the muscloskeletal system. The children were introduced to the idea of bones and tendons. They created a hand using art materials, and then they damaged the hand (using a scissors to cut one of the tendons). Once damaged, they worked on repairing the hand using biomaterials available in a 'biomedical engineering kit'. This introduced them to the idea of medical devices, which they explored with researchers during a visit ​to the Curam labs in NUIG.
The children then got to take on a similar challenge of creating a surgical device to help cure Parkinson's Disease in the brain. We toured the labs, met scientists, got to view cells on a microscope and see a 3-D printer in action. The children's work will now be use as material for a series of books published next November and some got to record video clips describing their experience.
It was a thrilling trip and really encouraged the children to look at science as an exciting career for both men and women. Hopefully Merlin Woods will produce some great scientists in future!