Catch the Wind

The very strong winds of the past week have provided us with the opportunity to observe and record wind related data. Wind is the movement of the air. As air moves for an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure it creates wind. Wind can be gentle as a breeze but it can also be so strong and powerful that it can blow down buildings and cause a great deal of damage.

A family had a miraculous escape when a strong gale caused a two hundred old elm tree to fall on their house last week.The tree is reputed to have weighed as much as twenty tonnes.

If you look carefully at the base of the trunk you can observe a circular black area, this indicates that decay had spread up through the center of the trunk. This decay would have weakened the tree and made it easier for the high winds to knock it over.

We are participating in Greenwave project in which students all over Ireland track the arrival of Spring in the country. We used their directions to make our own anemometer. The cups of the anemometer rotate with the wind and so gives us an idea od the speed or force of the wind. The first day we used it the strong crosswinds damaged one of the arms so we had to rethink our design.

This is a close up of our anemometer

Humans have harnessed the power of the wind to do work for us. Sailors use sails to capture the power of the wind and get their yachts moving. Nowadays the power of the wind is being used to generate electricity and create energy to heat our homes. Wind is a source of renewable energy but unfortunately it isn’t always reliable. Can you think why?

In the 19th century an Irishman Admiral Sir Francis Beaufort created a standardised system for measuring the force of the wind. This system is known as the Beaufort scale. Click here to find a drawing of the Beauford scale

St. Brigid

Today is the first of February It is the feast of St. Brigid. She is the patron saint of the women of Ireland. In Ireland the first of February is also the first day of spring. St.Bridget was a  very powerful woman in the early Christian church. She lived a life of prayer and service to the poor.
It is a tradition in Ireland to make St. Brigid’s crosses

These are the rushes that we used to make the St. Brigid's cross. They came from Co. Mayo. Rushes usually grow on damp wet ground.

  We bent the rushes into  crosses. The first cross was made by St.Brigid when she went to visit a chieftain and the floor was covered by rushes

This is the finished cross. We hung it on the wall of our classroom.

Greetings from Wintry Finland

Hello, my name is Kessa and I have been invited by Ms Purcell to share a bit about Finland in Winter. I am originally from Singapore (a tropical Southeast Asian country) and this is my second Finnish Winter (though I should add that I only stayed less than a month in my first visit last Winter).

Winter in Finland can be a magical experience. Although it is pretty far up north, it is not terribly cold. Temperatures are usually around -10 degrees Celsius though it goes below -20 on colder days and close to 0 on warmer days. The wind, however, can make it feel much colder than it actually is.

Due to its geographic location, Finland can be quite a dark country in Winter. On the shortest day of the year (that is Winter Solstice), there is 3-5 hours of daylight depending on how far north you go. People here get tired more easily during Winter. Foreigners usually have a bit more difficult time adjusting to the short days, which can mess up the body clock. Although electric lights are common, people generally prefer candlelight in Winter as the soft light makes a room look much warmer and cozier.

There is plenty of snow in the Finnish Winter, which is usually quite welcomed because it makes everything look brighter. 

  However, it is a double-edged sword. At the beginning of Winter, the snow usually melts in the daytime before being frozen into ice at night. Ice can be dangerous to walk, cycle or drive on. Vehicles have to change to winter tyres and switch to winter fuel (which is made of a slightly different composition than summer fuel, in order to run smoothly in the frigid temperatures). Accidents still happen from time to time.

On the other hand, the snow can be a lot of fun. Children enjoy making snowmen, snow-castles, snow-angels and go sledding. There are many snow-related sports such as cross-country skiing, downhill skiing, ski jumping and snowboarding as well.

Snow is a big part of a major event in Winter: Christmas. It does not feel like Christmas without snow in Finland! 

Most birds fly south in the Winter, but some birds, such as these bullfinches, stay.

 Bird feeds are commonly used in Winter. Sometimes the squirrels steal food from the bird feeds too. Although squirrels look small and adorable, they are quite wild and dangerous.

As previously mentioned, candlelight is popular in Winter. The one shown here is an Ice Lantern, which is a lantern made of ice. The method is simple, but the execution can be a little tricky. Usually, a bucket of water is left outside to freeze over 1 (or more) night(s). It has to be removed from the bucket before the water is entirely frozen. A hole is made into the center of the ice where the water is still in liquid state. 

The water is discarded and a candle placed into the center. The ice at the side remains frozen and keeps the wind off the candle.

The days had been steadily getting longer and brighter here. Soon it will be Spring, which is beginning to sound very inviting! I hope you enjoyed the pictures and bits of information. Have a great week ahead!

-Kessa

Sparrows Roost at the Dart Station

Where do sparrows sleep at night? Most people think that they sleep in nests. But in fact, they usually roost together in a hedge. They do this for warmth and also to watch out for predators. One hundred eyes are better than two.

Picture by Ryan B

In Kilbarrack, the sparrows all roost together in the hedge at the local Dart station. They usually start arriving about an hour before nightfall. While their loud repetitive noise can be heard by the passengers waiting on the platform the sparrows themselves are almost invisible. Their dull plumage helps to make them invisible. The males have a black bib under their throat. In the winter you cannot see the bib as much. Sparrows eat seed and berries but the nestlings are fed insects.



Short video of the sparrows settling in for the night.

Book Review : Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Surrealist Art Inspired by Joan Miró

The work of the Spanish surrealist painter provided the inspiration for some amazing pictures.Some of my students have incredible imagination. My favourite one shows a crazy hippo like creature sneaking up on a lion.

Our Garden

I made a flip book to tell you about some of our garden activities since September.