British Science Week 2024
21st March 24
Students have had a wonderful opportunity to celebrate British Science Week with a selection of workshops over the last week or so.
We welcomed a Explorer Dome to the school who put up a Dome in the Lower School Hall to discuss all things space. It was a fantastic opportunity to learn in a more interactive way as they were immersed within stars, learning about the solar system and our galaxy, as well as the ones that we can call our neighbours.
Another year group welcomed Lily, from Zoolab, who brought in several weird and wonderful creatures to teach the students about. From gerbils to Giant African Snails, Lily brought around the animals for students to hold or stroke. Except for the tarantula, which remained safely in her box!
Eve, in Year 8, said: “I want to become a zoologist myself so it was great to get to learn more about different kind of animals, how they react and all the fun facts. I didn’t know much about the Giant African Snails that we were shown and during the talk, I learnt a lot more – like how they can grow to the size of footballs and there was even one that grew as big as an adult’s forearm.”
Lily told us: “It is such a privilege to share our world with these amazing animals and the more we know about them, the more likely we are to be able to help. I hope it inspires people to be more considerate and try to live sustainably but also inspires a sense of wonder! Our world is amazing, let’s stay curious.”
To wrap up the workshops, Years 9 and 10 were treated to a Chemistry Show in the Old Library by Ben from Explorer Dome. Students were treated to a brilliant show as water seemed to change colour and were told how different chemicals can cause a change in flames – which is why fireworks can be so colourful.
Raffi, in Year 10, said: “I found it interesting and the visuals were so good. We all know what science is, but we don’t know the full extent of what it does or what it can look like. I got to get involved, popping a balloon filled with a mystery gas with a candle – from a safe distance and with a visor on! I enjoyed the experience and learnt a lot about weights and how they move, as well as chemicals like potassium and calcium.”
Ben commented: “It’s so important to get kids playing with science. We get so bogged down in curriculum and homework and planning that we often forget to have fun. There’s so much you can do in science, with any subject really, that can make someone go ‘wow’. I think celebrating British Science Week is a great thing to do; having a community celebrate science, not matter when, just helps remind people that it’s such an important part of life.”
After a fantastic week to celebrate British Science Week, Head of Science, Phil, rounded off saying: “Science Week is a fantastic opportunity to take the knowledge students have learned in their science classes and apply it in a slightly different context. The three presentations were a great success – you could see this just by the looks on the students’ faces. It was evident they were thinking about what they were seeing and hearing and really enjoying the experience. These types of experience can provide the catalyst for choosing science as a career and I hope that this might be true for some of our students.”
