4th Grade – 49th Elementary School of Patras

Letter from the famous Paleontologist Dougal Dixon to our students

The famous Paleontologist Dougal Dixon is considered the founder of Speculative Biology and Evolution and is the author of number of books including the World Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs & Prehistoric Creatures, After Man, Man After Man and The New Dinosaurs: An Alternative Evolution.

Especially this last book, “The New Dinosaurs: An Alternative Evolution”, was a source of inspiration for the movie we created to answer the question:

How would life on Earth be if the giant meteorite had not struck us 64 million years ago?

I contacted Mr. Dougal Dixon sending him our movie and I got the following letter in response:

Dear Anestis Vovos,
Thank you so much for your complimentary comments about my book THE NEW DINOSAURS. I am so glad that your students got so much out of it – especially as it is nearly thirty years since I wrote it.
I loved your film. Especially the part where my creations were brought to life as actual models. When I saw that first shot of the Sandle I knew that I was about to watch something special. I particularly liked the cuddly Monocorn, and the Lank with a spoon for its head. It all looks fantastic, and you all must have had a lot of fun making them. All sorts of different techniques and materials too – clay, cloth, paper…
Well done to all of you. I hope that you continue to be inspired.

Yours sincerely,
Dougal Dixon

Congratulations to all the students that participated! Their efforts did not go unnoticed!

F.I.N.D.ing answers!

In our latest F.I.N.D. Project activity students from all schools of the program raised questions of scientific content. Then each student voted for the five questions that interest her/him more.
Most voters selected the following question:

How would life on Earth be if the giant meteorite had not struck us 64 million years ago?

Within the framework of the project the students will seek answers to the question above and create a video that sums them up. Get ready… here come the dinosaurs!

Of course the rest of the questions submitted will also get some attention!

Questions and voting results

Questions	Votes
How did life on Earth would be if the giant meteorite had not struck us 64 million years ago?	16
Why do we dream?	15
Is there life elsewhere?	15
How ancient Greek made the Antikythera mechanism?	15
Can a black hole suck a star or a planet?	10
How did the big bang happen?	10
How was the eye of Jupiter formed?	10
How was the universe created?	10
How was lava created?	9
Why do we have earthquakes?	9
How come heavy ships do not sink?	8
Why don?t we get dizzy as the earth goes around?	8
Why do planets not collide?	7
How did NASA engineered Juno to arrive on Jupiter?	6
Why does 0 (zero) comes before 1 (one)?	6
What causes lightning?	6
Why are tears salty?	6
Why is gravity different throughout the universe?	6
Why do we have the ozone layer?	6
Why can?t we breathe in space?	6
Why are there so many stars?	6
Why can?t we fly?	6
How the voice transfer throw telephone?	6
Why does a volcanic eruption cause, in some cases, an earthquake?	6
Why do we come from the evolution of monkeys?	5
Why don’t we feel the earth moving?	5
Why am I here?	5
Why doesn?t the sea freeze at Christmas?	5
Why do planets rotate around the sun and not the other way around?	5
How is a rainbow formed and why does it appear after a rainfall?	5
Why did the dinosaurs disappear?	5
Why do I feel dizzy when I spin?	4
Why is our planet named Earth?	4
Why is the sky blue?	4
Why doesn’t gravity affect clouds?	4
Why do we run at different speeds?	4
How far out you have to travel from Earth to gravity not work anymore?	4
Why Mars is red?	4
Why the sun is so bright?	4
Why can a tiny bullet kill someone?	4
Why can?t we hold our breath longer underwater?	4
What causes storm?	4
How was time invented?	3
Why are some people colour blind?	3
Where does thunder come from?	3
How do colours exist and why are some people colour blind?	3
Can we travel to other galaxies?	3
Why are stars so far away?	3
Why are humans born so small?	3
Why do we have technology?	3
Why are there so few volcanoes?	3
Why do rainbows create arcs?	3
Why do sea weeds go upwards?	3
Why don?t birds sweat when they fly for a long time?	3
Has the air a weight?	3
How does evolution work?	2
Why are countries all different shapes and sizes?	2
Why is a balloon heavier with air inside?	2
Why the sun is so hot?	2
What do we make robots for?	2
Why are electrons so small?	2
Why is there gravity?	2
Why is a lemon sour?	2
Why does a coin put at the bottom of an empty bowl is not visible, but it becomes visible if we fill the bowl with water?	2
How do plants feed themselves?	2
How does the Earth revolve around the sun?	2
Why can?t animals make their own food?	1
Why salt affecting freezing point of water?	1
How much light do a seed need to germinate?	1
Why do we flow in space?	1
Why don?t we fall into space when we travel around the earth?	1
Why does the earth go round and round?	1
Why is lava liquid and flows?	1
Why do electric short-circuits create sparks?	1
How can bees fly with such tiny wings?	1
Why can people lie on “Fakir?s Bed”?	1
What is the air?	1
What?s the origin of the clouds?	1
Why is helium lighter than air?	0
How do planes and helicopters know where they are and which way to go?	0
Why don?t appliances work during a blackout?	0
Is pressure necessary to launch the rocket?	0
Why are potatoes so common in some countries?	0
Why does the current flow in a closed circuit and not in an open one?	0
Why and how can an image be projected through a magnifying glass?	0
How does a hot air balloon fly?	0
Why don?t oil and water mix?	0

ERASMUS+ FIND Project: Making robots

As part of our involvement to the ERASMUS+ FIND Project our students of G2 (3rd Grade) and D1 (4th Grade) constructed their own robots. They used materials that would otherwise end up in the trash like used plastic bottles, cartons, lids, old buttons and more. Each robot was accompanied by a leaflet with lots of fantastic information like its name, when it was built, who and why made it, what features does it have and how it can be helpful.

Their creations were amazing! Some robots had features like lights and some even moved as depicted in the video below:

Finally our young engineers presented their creations to their schoolmates from other classes:

Our aim was to promote to our students the philosophy of STEAM and bring them closer to modern technology. We also engaged them in an activity that helped them envision themselves as designers and creators of the future.