Class One wanted to conduct an experiment on ice. We decided to find out the answer to the question, what makes ice melt the quickest? We came up with our own ideas of what we could use in the experiment and settled on: salt, heat and water (with one block of ice as a control where we did nothing to it).

The experiment allowed the children to really show off their scientific thinking. They made careful observations of the change that they were seeing, they suggested variations to the experiment and also drew conclusions from what they saw.

As soon as we had set up the experiment, some children decided to build a fort around the trays to ensure that they weren't damaged during the experiment! They also built a special viewing area from which you could observe the changes. Some children also took it upon themselves to write directions on how to look at the trays and how to protect them. One child even painted a diagram of the experiment! 

The experiment also inspired the children to design their own experiments and ideas related to ice.

The children observed that it was the water that made the ice melt the quickest, and the ice with nothing melted the slowest.

It was a fantastic afternoon of child led learning. Watch this space as clearly Class One are Scientists of the future!