Science Day in Year 5

This week at school we celebrated Science Week with lots of exciting investigations and experiments.

We began by learning about the inspirational computer scientist Dorothy Vaughan. She worked for NASA in the 1950s, long before modern computers existed. At that time, people who solved complex maths problems were called “computers.” Dorothy Vaughan helped calculate the difficult mathematical problems needed to make rockets fly safely into space.

Later, when real computers were introduced, Dorothy showed great determination and curiosity by learning a new programming language called Fortran. She then helped teach others how to use the new machines, becoming an inspiring leader and role model for many people working in science and technology.

Inspired by Dorothy Vaughan, we became scientists and engineers for the day! First, we designed and launched our own rockets using rocket templates and paper straws. It was exciting to see how far they could fly.

We also explored different types of aircraft. We made paper airplanes, helicopters, and gliders, and tested which one would stay in the air the longest. Using stopwatches, we carefully timed each flight and compared the results. After testing them several times, we discovered that the airplane stayed in the air the longest.

It was a fantastic day full of science exploration, discovery, and fun, and it helped us understand how scientists test ideas and learn from experiments, just like Dorothy Vaughan did.

Science Day in Year 5