In Year Three, pupils conducted an experiment to ascertain whether a rock was permeable or impermeable. Pupils used a mixture of human made rocks together with natural rocks like chalk and amethyst. In order to ensure a fair test, all dry rocks were weighed and their weights were all recorded, before the rocks were submerged in water for 24 hours.

The next day, the puipls were very excited to gather their results. The rocks were very carefully removed the water, one at a time, and weighed them. Their new weights were recorded and compared to the initial weight at the start of the experiment.

Pupils discovered that the human made rock and the chalk both became heavier. They were able to absorb some water because of their porous nature, which meant that they were permeable rocks. The amethyst did not become heavier which meant that it was an impermeable rock and does not have a high level of porosity. The results provided an opportuity for a rich discussion into possible reasons for the increase in weight and also which will be the best rock for use in a building.