National Science and Engineering Week 2014

So it has finally been announced...the theme for NSEW 2014 will be......there won't be one.
Ha!
Actually there will be a schools focus Explore the Future which is extremely broad and follows on from last year's Invention and Discovery which was such a success for us at Science2U.
One of the brilliant things about running your own company and having that little bit more time is that Helen and I can actually do research and think about what we want to deliver rather than frantically trying to fill a huge programme of events.

We spend time researching modern materials, playing with some of the amazing gadgets and gizmos that are out there and wondering if we can justify buying something that we really like but can't quite see where we can fit it into our programme!

So I think Explore the Future could be a very liberating theme for us.

We have already started gathering new resources for the next academic year. This is our latest

It is called the Energy Stick and we have trialled it at a Chemistry at work day at Daresbry labs where we had a whole class of year 9s all connected in a circuit making their teachers light up!
Huge fun!
So this blog will probably be fairly quiet for the summer with just an occasional post letting you know what we have discovered on our travels. We intend to visit Chester Zoo - they have a major exhibit on BUGS  and we are seriously wondering about creating a show and workshops around habitats and minibeasts definitely fits into that.
Enjoy your summer and if you are a teacher recharge the batteries!

National Science and Engineering Week 2013

WOW! what a week and more!

 National Science and Engineering Week is over for another year and for Science2U it has been a huge success.
Quite a few schools decided that to make sure they got a special guest speaker they would book early and choose a slightly earlier date that the actual week itself. So we have been doing "ScienceWeek" since  February!!
The theme chosen by the British Science Association this year was Invention & Discovery and we decided to create a show incorporating some of our favourite inventions, discoveries and scientist stories.

From Astronauts leading to roof tiles from recycled disposable nappies.
Isaac Newton and the spectrum viewed through our wonderful rainbow glasses
A whole range of SMART materials including colour changing straws, heat sensitive paper, polymorph and our EL neon light costumes.
And finally pirates, vitamin C and our wonderful Rhinovirus models helping us show how to prevent colds from spreading. Helen's glitter snot was a huge hit - the largest group we "infected" was 230 at Upton Heath in Chester.

We have visited all manner of schools from large multi cultural city centre through suburban middle class achievers to a very old country school of just 67 pupils.
So thank you to last week's schools:

All Saint's Runcorn where we had a super long afternoon session with class 4 

Woodfall Lane Primary with a special mention for their youngest pupils who were so enthusiastic and enjoyed every minute

Stanley Road in Oldham who were so friendly and made us incredibly welcome. Mentioning particularly Louise who had organised the whole complex day for such a big school and looked after us superbly


Brabins Endowed Primary in Chipping - a tiny school with a wonderful old hall where children had been taught since 1684


All in all we have shared science with 7 schools, done 19 shows and delivered 8 workshops for this year's NSEW. And now we need a lie down!  

Hands On Science with Teachers

The last two nights we have been working with teachers sharing exciting science for the primary classroom.

On Tuesday we had a great evening at Runcorn's newest free school Sandymoor where the Head had invited local primary schools to come for a look around and we were there to so a session of experiments. 

It was lovely to see Alan from Daresbury labs sharing what they can offer schools especially the Starlab - very exciting.

We showed off some of our favourite gadgets and gizmos including our smart heart which features in our All About You - healthy humans show. If you've not come across one of these before - it is a giant stethoscope but in the shape of a heart with a speaker so that people can hear your heart beat and then a little bit of magic...it tells you your heart rate. 

No more trying to find your pulse and counting - this does it for you. 

It is actually designed to work on children, they just place it over their heart on top of their clothes and it picks up the sound. Super!

Wednesday evening we were back at Upton Heath in Chester running a cluster science evening. Emma - the science co-ordinator had organised the event and invited lots of teachers from the local area.

The teachers, tired, after a day in school arrived BUT we had fantastic cakes and biscuits from the school's Fair Trade cafe with tea and coffee to pep us all up.

Everyone was pleased when we began to hand out things to play with - no heavy duty note taking in our sessions - it's all Hands ON!

We played with thermo moulding plastic,

colour changing straws

heat sensitive paper

LCD sheets

 and of course no event would be complete if we didn't make bath bombs.

Lots of ideas for science plus an Ideas Bag to take away full of science goodies to try out.

It was lovely to meet all the teachers and I know we will be seeing some of them soon!

Our birthday month has come to an end - I can't quite believe we have been going a whole year. Lots of schools have taken advantage of our birthday discount offer, we are busy with plenty of bookings and - the big thing - we are having a GREAT time.
Next - National Science and Engineering Week which has already started for us and will last until the Easter holidays - it's good to be popular..so take a deep breath...here we go!

A day out in Chester

Science2U had a super day with Upton Heath CofE Primary school in Chester. 

The science co-ordinator Emma had very wisely decided to hold the school science week early - in other words outside the usual March dates for National Science and Engineering Week. She knows from experience that science presenters get booked up very quickly during those dates so her school were having their special science week in February.

All week scientists have been coming and going working with various classes doing hands on science.  Some of the classes have been out to experience science learning outside the classroom. 

Then on Thursday it was our turn to bring exciting science to the whole school.

The theme for national Science and Engineering Week this year is Invention & Discovery and we have written a super new show for the event.

Starting from the premise that scientists are always asking questions we look at some quirky links between objects such as instant snow and astronauts......pirates and the rhinovirus........and we investigate modern materials and find out their use in our everyday lives.

Did you now that those hydrogel balls that we love and flower arrangers use are similar to those used to clean water conserve water in developing countries?

The show has the same basic content for all ages but the delivery differs to suit the audience - a bit more science vocabulary for some and lots science magic for others.

So polishing up our pirate ARRGGGHHs and fluffing up our big rhinovirus we spent the morning exploring the wonders of the scientific mind.

First the juniors and after break the infants - a quick clear away before lunch and then two sessions in the classroom with year 2.

These lucky children got very up close and personal with the instant snow, raced liquids, made paper change colour just by the heat of their hands and then we all made bath bombs to take home. 

Soon the year 2 classrooms and corridor were smelling wonderfully of bubble gum...the fragrance we use in our bath bombs.

The verdict from the children....awesome! From the teachers.....well they can't wait for their turn! We are back at the school for a staff cluster training session just after half term when they will be able to get their hands on the goodies!!

Get A Move On!

A big shout out for everyone at Parochial primary school Ashton under Lyne!!

Helen and I had a super day with pupils and staff starting off their celebrations for National Science and Engineering week. They have loads of great activities lined up with different classes exploring an experiment and then sharing it with the rest of the school in assembly.

Great conversations about the best way to do bicarbonate volcanoes, making lava lamps and much more!

It was a very early start for us and as ever the traffic on the M56/60 was heavy but we found the school very easily and were soon sorted, settled in and a coffee in hand!

First was a mini session with reception so we took our lovely wicker basket into one of the classrooms and explored moving toys. They gave our cuddly teddy a name - Lulu - she doesn't move but she is very soft and  after all "teddies don't need to do anything they are just there for hugging" - what a lovely quote!

After reception we did a turn in assembly and then it was onto the main shows.

Year 1 and 2 - huge fun with lots of giggles especially with the poppers and the space hopper - forces in action - good luck with your CD hovercrafts year 1!

After lunch it was the turn of year 3 and 4 who were amazed with Helen's air pressure demonstrations - I think there will be a few trying out the leaky bottle on friends and family!

Year 5 and 6 - the super scientists - and also extremely good at hoola hooping and the Tudor cup and ball game. I think their favourite was probably the air powered rocket which flew the whole length of the school hall. 

Year 6 were also impressed with the solar toys - I think there might be a project in the making there - perhaps an entry for the Global Adventure competition?

Finally we gave the staff a hands on session exploring Materials and hopefully some inspiration for future science lessons. Hope the lava lamp goes well!

Have a great science week guys and hopefully we will see you all again!

Toys are us!

Having a wondeful time creating a new show for National Science and Engineering Week in March.
The theme this year is MOTION which gives huge scope so to make a show that we can keep running after the event I have come up with something all about forces but using toys to explain.
It isn't a unique thought - there has been a section in most curriculum topics about toys and forces but I am hoping that my take on it will be just that bit different.
I have started where most other teachers would start with Bruegal's wonderful picture of children at play in 16th century.
click to see Bruegal's painting of children in16th century

I used this many years ago with a class of 11 year olds looking at how toys had changed over time. What was really interesting was that the toys had changed but the games hadn't - at least not for my class.
We observed our own school playground and saw a group of girls spinning on the spot, a rough and tumble (nice euphemism there!) some juggling, the modern equivalent of 5 stones ( jacks to me) and of course Chase.

My dad who is quite an accomplished wood worker made me some replica toys especially a cup and ball and a Lenten rattle ( can you imagine the racket that must have made - what fun)

So I am starting there - looking at Tudor toys, how they work - where is that off switch????
Then we will head off through Victorian toys, tin clockwork toys and the emergence of plastic through to today.
I have managed to acquire some wonderful resources on the way and as we look at how batteries changed the way we played with toys but also how alternative energy toys and gizmos are becoming more popular we will be thinking about the forces needed to make the toys work.
I will have to get a volunteer out for the  space hopper and probably the hoola hoop too!
Our first booking for this show is on 5th March - hopefully we will be able to get some images but none of me on a space hopper!!