Reading and viewing

Testing the shade cloth Our class wanted to find out whether a shade cloth helped the soil stay damp. We filled two identical trays with the same amount of soil and water. We put them side by side outside. One tray was covered by shade cloth; the other was uncovered. We checked both trays at three o'clock each afternoon. Monday: covered soil damp; uncovered soil damp. Tuesday: covered soil damp; uncovered soil slightly damp. Wednesday: covered soil slightly damp; uncovered soil dry. We concluded that, in our three-day trial, the covered soil stayed damp longer. We want to repeat the trial in different weather before making a general claim.

Make a seed label You need a clean, dry ice-cream stick, a pencil and a waterproof pen. Ask an adult to check that the stick has no splinters. 1. Write the plant's name lightly in pencil near the top of the stick. 2. Check the spelling against the seed packet. Correct any mistakes now. 3. Trace over the name with waterproof pen. 4. Wait until the ink is dry, then push the blank end into the soil beside the seeds. If you are labelling several rows, finish one label before beginning the next. This helps you match each label to the correct packet. Keep the writing above the soil so that it remains easy to read.

A quieter lunchtime choice Dear Student Council, Please turn the unused corner beside the library into a quiet lunchtime space. Students who enjoy reading or drawing sometimes struggle to find a calm place in the busy playground. Two benches and a box of drawing boards would give them somewhere to settle. Some students worry that a quiet space will take away a place to run. However, the corner is already too narrow for running games. The large oval would remain open for active play. Could we try the quiet space for two weeks and ask students whether it helps? A trial would let us improve the idea before spending money on more equipment. Yours sincerely, Amir, Year 4