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Mr. Conway's Page
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1.Brownies
2. Virtual Tours
3. Garden Olympics
4. Outstanding Vanilla Cupcakes
5. Ooblek
6. Rock painting
7. Tomatoes
Brownies
I don't even like chocolate, but these are amazing!
To make twelve of these brownies you’ll need -
1 big bar, 180g, of bournville chocolate
175g unsalted butter
325g caster sugar
130g plain flour
3 eggs
You’ll also need a tin about 3cm to 5cm deep and about 23cm x 33cm across, lined with greaseproof paper. Take your time folding in the greaseproof paper to keep it neat.
1. Set the oven to 170°C
2. Set up a pot of boiling water on the cooker and sit an empty mixing bowl on the pot, not touching the water. They call this a Bain-Marie.
Keep the water boiling gently and break up the butter and chocolate into the mixing bowl. Mix it a little as it melts together.
Take the mixing bowl off the pot. You’re finished with the pot now.
3. Stir the sugar into the mixing bowl by hand.
4. Stir the flour into the mixing bowl by hand.
5. Stir in the eggs by hand.
6. Pour into the baking tray and bake for 30 minutes. Check to see if it has a light brown skin on the top and, if not, give it another 2 or 3 minutes.
7. Take it out. Let it cool and slice it up, or just leave it as one big one, all for you.
To make twelve of these brownies you’ll need -
1 big bar, 180g, of bournville chocolate
175g unsalted butter
325g caster sugar
130g plain flour
3 eggs
You’ll also need a tin about 3cm to 5cm deep and about 23cm x 33cm across, lined with greaseproof paper. Take your time folding in the greaseproof paper to keep it neat.
1. Set the oven to 170°C
2. Set up a pot of boiling water on the cooker and sit an empty mixing bowl on the pot, not touching the water. They call this a Bain-Marie.
Keep the water boiling gently and break up the butter and chocolate into the mixing bowl. Mix it a little as it melts together.
Take the mixing bowl off the pot. You’re finished with the pot now.
3. Stir the sugar into the mixing bowl by hand.
4. Stir the flour into the mixing bowl by hand.
5. Stir in the eggs by hand.
6. Pour into the baking tray and bake for 30 minutes. Check to see if it has a light brown skin on the top and, if not, give it another 2 or 3 minutes.
7. Take it out. Let it cool and slice it up, or just leave it as one big one, all for you.
Virtual Tours
If you liked the tours suggested by your class teacher then check out the videos below for more ideas. If you're on a handheld or VR device you can pan around by moving the device. Otherwise, use the mouse to move around.
For more 360° interactive tours try https://wideopenschool.org/programs/family/prek-5/field-trip/
Also, there is a free app called Google Arts and Culture which leads you to a selection of 360° interactive tours of interesting places and events. The quality of their virtual tours is far higher than any I’ve seen elsewhere and the selection of tours is out of the ordinary.
For more 360° interactive tours try https://wideopenschool.org/programs/family/prek-5/field-trip/
Also, there is a free app called Google Arts and Culture which leads you to a selection of 360° interactive tours of interesting places and events. The quality of their virtual tours is far higher than any I’ve seen elsewhere and the selection of tours is out of the ordinary.
MandMs Factory - Nice
A Mosque - I've never visited a Mosque. Maybe you haven't either.
A Space Station - This one's not 360° but I think its worth a look
Garden Olympics
Put all of your favourite sporting activities together in a tiny space to create your own Garden Olympics.
Any age group can take part, from 3 to 103. Rope in anyone around the house to take part or, if you’ve no one to compete with, get a stopwatch and beat your own time. If you’ve got a group, get a page and keep a score sheet.
Look around for any toys that might suggest an event. Don’t forget to incorporate your favourite sports.
Any age group can take part, from 3 to 103. Rope in anyone around the house to take part or, if you’ve no one to compete with, get a stopwatch and beat your own time. If you’ve got a group, get a page and keep a score sheet.
Look around for any toys that might suggest an event. Don’t forget to incorporate your favourite sports.
Here is a list of some events to choose from.
Opening Ceremony – Everyone takes a turn running around the house carrying the ceremonial object (for example a tin of tuna). Each lap brings a great cheer from the other competitors. The ceremonial object is put on a chair in the middle of the garden for the duration of the games.
Potato and Spoon race (Don’t waste a good egg)
Sack Race (You’ll find an ordinary shopping bag is great for this once you hold on to the handles)
High Jump (Two upright bamboo sticks, a clothes peg on each at the same height and a third bamboo sitting on the clothes pegs)
Limbo (As above but low rather than high)
Highest touch (One long upright stick and one clothes peg. Keep moving the peg up the stick and see who can jump up and touch the peg as it is moved higher)
Barman’s Race (Hop from point a to point b on one leg while holding a pint glass of water. Measure how much each competitor has in the glass at the end of each try)
Wheelbarrow race (Why not try it with the driver backwards and the wheelbarrow upside down?)
Fill the bucket (At the same time, competitors attempt to carry water in a cup from a big communal bucket to fill their own smaller buckets. Pushing is encouraged)
Endurance games / Most in a minute (Most twirls, Most hops on one leg, Longest standing on one leg, whatever)
Poc Fada (A wellie will be your hurley and a single rolled up sock will be your sliotar.)
Balloon Race (Held between your knees)
Balloon Race (Taem race with balloon held between two people's bellies)
Prize giving (Sweets obviously)
Go for it!
Outstanding Vanilla Cupcakes
(I call them buns)
(I call them buns)
A lot of children have been baking since school has been closed. Baking is a really good family activity. It keeps you busy and it ties in with a lot of school subjects like maths and science too. And if that wasn't enough, as a reward for your hard work you end up with buns and things. If you haven’t had a go yet maybe now’s the time.
Usually, I’m a terrible cook, but I’ve been working from a baking recipe book that has me getting it right every time. This is a simple recipe but it tastes outstanding!
You'll need
Two bowls – One big and one small.
Baking tray
Cupcake liners
Electric mixer if you can get one
Spatula
Fork
Ingredients
120g Plain Flour
140g Caster Sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
40g unsalted butter, room temperature
120ml wholemilk
1 egg
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Method
Preheat oven to 170°C
Mix the Flour, Sugar, Baking Powder Salt and Butter with an electric mixer (if you’ve got one) in a big bowl.
Add ½ the milk, mix.
In another little bowl, give the egg, vanilla and the rest of the milk a quick mix with a fork and add it into the big bowl a bit at a time while mixing.
Once you think it’s mixed, stop. You can overdo it.
Put cupcake liners into the baking tray and fill them 2/3 full.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. They’ll be a golden colour when they’re ready.
Poke the top with your finger and it should bounce back or put a skewer right into them and it should come out clean.
Take them out and leave them in the tray for ten minutes. Then take them out to cool further on a wire tray. Or just eat them hot. I do.
Your cupcakes should turn out looking like this.....
Usually, I’m a terrible cook, but I’ve been working from a baking recipe book that has me getting it right every time. This is a simple recipe but it tastes outstanding!
You'll need
Two bowls – One big and one small.
Baking tray
Cupcake liners
Electric mixer if you can get one
Spatula
Fork
Ingredients
120g Plain Flour
140g Caster Sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
40g unsalted butter, room temperature
120ml wholemilk
1 egg
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Method
Preheat oven to 170°C
Mix the Flour, Sugar, Baking Powder Salt and Butter with an electric mixer (if you’ve got one) in a big bowl.
Add ½ the milk, mix.
In another little bowl, give the egg, vanilla and the rest of the milk a quick mix with a fork and add it into the big bowl a bit at a time while mixing.
Once you think it’s mixed, stop. You can overdo it.
Put cupcake liners into the baking tray and fill them 2/3 full.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. They’ll be a golden colour when they’re ready.
Poke the top with your finger and it should bounce back or put a skewer right into them and it should come out clean.
Take them out and leave them in the tray for ten minutes. Then take them out to cool further on a wire tray. Or just eat them hot. I do.
Your cupcakes should turn out looking like this.....
Ooblek
If you can get someone to buy you a cheap bag of cornflour, follow the video below to make your own Ooblek.
Ooblek is easy to make and it's not just a fun sensory toy. It has practical uses too.
It has the properties of both a solid and a liquid. It reacts differently depending on the forces applied to it.
Hold it gently and it will drip through your fingers. The harder you squeeze or pull it, the tougher it gets.
You can dip your fingers into it like yoghurt, and yet you can punch it all day and your hand wont go through it or get sore.
But can it stop a bullet? Yes! Sadly for me, the American military have patented the formula for use in bullet proof vests but you might be able to come up with a brand new invention or application, particularly if you consider the safety aspects of its shock absorbing characteristics.
Ooblek is easy to make and it's not just a fun sensory toy. It has practical uses too.
It has the properties of both a solid and a liquid. It reacts differently depending on the forces applied to it.
Hold it gently and it will drip through your fingers. The harder you squeeze or pull it, the tougher it gets.
You can dip your fingers into it like yoghurt, and yet you can punch it all day and your hand wont go through it or get sore.
But can it stop a bullet? Yes! Sadly for me, the American military have patented the formula for use in bullet proof vests but you might be able to come up with a brand new invention or application, particularly if you consider the safety aspects of its shock absorbing characteristics.
Rock Painting
Our school garden will be looking sad when we return to school in September. There won’t have been any children growing flowers or vegetables this year so we’re going to need to brighten the place up.
I want you to paint a rock (or rocks) in your own bright and interesting way. These rocks will be brought into school to brighten up the garden for the new year.
Paint – If you’ve got paint that is labelled for outdoor use, Fantastic! If not, you can use any paint you like and once it’s dry, varnish it. Don’t leave it outside until it’s varnished or all of your work will wash away in the rain. No varnish? Teachers can help when you come back to school. Try to be colourful. It’s a good idea to cover the rock in white paint first, let it dry and then get to work.
Size – Anything that wont cause you to lose a toe if you drop it.
Inspiration
Let the rock say something about you, especially if you’re in 6th class. Leave a memory of yourself in the school.
Does the shape remind you of anything?
Fruit and vegetables
Emojis
Flowers
Vehicles
Houses
Animals, Insects, Fish
Google a few ideas
Sign it
Please have a go. It’ll be good for you and for the whole school.
Growing Tomatoes for Free!
Grow your own tomatoes at home. You can't buy seeds, pots or fertilizer during the lockdown, but with a little bit of ingenuity, you don't have to. All you need to buy is a single tomato. I'm making a couple of instructional videos for you to follow and I'll upload each installment right here as it's needed. Got any questions or pictures of your results? Please contact me at [email protected]
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