Always rooted in real and concrete science and taking their lead from the Curriculum - our Science Workshops for primary schools across the UK, provide an excellent way of engaging students with science and supporting them in understanding the world (and worlds) around them.

Delivered by practitioners who are passionate about science, these exciting programmes use drama-based approaches to cement existing learning, clarify difficult concepts, challenge thinking and introduce new content.

We know how complex delivering whole-school approaches to science can be, so you can now book a Big Science Day for a number of year groups, comprising either different workshops exploring a number of topics - or a range of age-differentiated activities on a single scientific theme!

"A huge thank you from all the staff at EPS for yesterday's workshops. I've had such good feedback from everyone. The children absolutely loved the (Science Skills) sessions and I'm sure will have taken a lot from them. We had a great day and I've picked up lots of ideas myself so thank you. Ellesmere Primary

"Each workshop was tailor-made for specific ages so that the whole school was reached and could access the activities. Learning about Scientists and Inventors through Drama meant that this important part of the curriculum was delivered in an engaging way – a part of the curriculum that can sometimes be a little dry. I liked the focus on smashing stereotypes – part of the theme of Science Week and really great for our children to find out about a diverse range of pioneers in Science.” Burnt Oak Primary

 

Deliver your own whole-school Science day by downloading a teaching pack from www.ascreativesconnect.com - including; Time for Science, The Connection, Growing for Gold and Innovation and Beyond.

Science Workshop Options for 2024

In Person Workshops
science workshops for primary schools
Add on Family Workshops

Family Science Workshops for Schools

Science Assemblies

Assemblies are a great way, of course, of both generating a buzz around school and sowing the seeds for a shared experience, so we're happy to lead interactive and entertaining whole-school assemblies at the start of a day of any of our science programmes - and all at no extra cost! 

 

British Science Week Grants

Find out more about how to apply for a British Science Week Grant here www.britishscienceweek.org/grants/kick-start-grant-scheme/

 

Time for Science - New for British Science Week 2024 - Available as an in-person workshop day or as a teaching resource pack from www.ascreativesconnect.com/product/time-for-science/

science week workshops

Exploring the pivotal role that concepts of time play in scientific understanding, Time for Science! brings to life the centrality of time in a whole range of science strands – each carefully chosen to support areas that each year group will be investigating at some point in 2023/24. And the programme places science, engineering and technology firmly in context by directly relating content to our everyday lives and experiences.

A highly engaging, revelatory and thought provoking and informative whole-school programme, Time for Science can accommodate the whole of up to a two-form entry school in a single day, compromising …

  • An interactive assembly, The Science of Time, demonstrating what time ‘is”, how time began – and how it doesn’t always behave as we might expect!
  • Workshops (one per year group), exploring time in relation to particular science strands – and touching on the roles played in those areas by individual scientists, technologists and engineers – with a deliberate and conscious focus on diversity.
  • Follow-up activites to explore the individual in focus in more detail. 

EYFS/P1 (Understanding My Body): Human Timelines … What happens as we grow from a baby to a child to a grown up to an old person? Why should we celebrate these changes?

Individual in Focus: Frederick Akbar Mahomed, a British doctor, among the first to recognise how individuals can extend their own life spans.

Year 1/P2 (Seasonal Changes): Seasonal Changes … How (and why) do the lengths of our days and nights change through the seasons? How does this help humanity?

Individual in Focus: Eunice Newton Foote, a 19th century America scientist – amongst the first to foresee the effects of human activity on the global a climate.

Year 2/P3 (Animals, including Humans): The Lifespan Game … Why do different species of animals have such widely differing life spans? Can we relate this to life cycles?

Individual in Focus: Kitty Wilkinson, a Liverpool laundress who played a big part in increasing the life expectancy of working class people in Victorian times.

Year 3/P4 (Rocks): Geology Timelines … What is the “fossil record”? How can an understanding of the differences between igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks help us look back on Earth’s immense history?

Individual in Focus: Mary Anning, a British fossil collector whose discoveries changed our understanding of geological timelines.

Year 4/P5 (Electricity): Electricity Timelines … When did humans first start to work with electricity – and how did they do it? How has that led to the current and ongoing quest to create and manipulate electricity in sustainable ways?

Individual in Focus: Granville T Woods, an American inventor, who harnessed static electricity to invent the first ever system allowing moving trains to communicate with stations.

Year 5 /P6 (Earth and Space): Space Exploration … How – and why – did humans first start exploring space? How did we move from the Space Race to the Apollo Years, from the Apollo Years to an era of International Collaboration – and are we now moving towards an Age of Business?

Individual in Focus: Caroline Herschel, German-born, British astronomer who calculated comets paths – and discovered at least seven of the bodies!

Year 6/P7 (Evolution and Inheritance): Evolution … How can we use Darwin’s personal timeline as a metaphor for the evolutionary timeline that culminated in humankind.

Individual in Focus: Ibn Miskawayh, a 9th/10th century Islamic scholar who developed an early evolutionary theory that bears striking resemblances to the great breakthroughs of the Victorian era!

"Thank you so much for organising our 'Time for Science!' day. The children thoroughly enjoyed the activities and workshops. Chris was brilliant and so full of enthusiasm! I look forward to booking with AS Creatives again in the future."  St Andrew’s CofE Primary School

The Connection -Available as an in-person workshop day or a teaching resource pack from www.ascreativesconnect.com/product/the-connection/

The Connection places science, engineering and technology firmly in context by exploring the lives, achievements and legacies of individuals whose inventions and discoveries have affected all our lives! A highly engaging, thought provoking and informative whole-school programme, The Connection can accommodate the whole of up to a two-form entry school in a single day, compromising …

An interactive assembly, Connections and Causality - showing how the Stone Age discovery of ways of making and manipulating fire led to a whole series of scientific “moments” across the ages, culminating in the projected missions to send humans to Mars!

Workshops (one per year group), looking at the work of a particular scientist/technologist/engineer - and the connections between their work and everyday life. There is a deliberate and conscious focus on diversity - and clear connections, too, to science strands that each year group will be exploring at some point in the year!

EYFS/P1 (Exploring the World): Elijah McCoy, who changed the railways for ever, making possible the long journeys that make the world today a little smaller!

Year 1/P2: (Materials): Lyda Newman, who patented the first modern-day hairbrush by moving away from animal fibres and towards purpose-centred approaches.

Year 2/P3: (Living Things and their Habitats): Charles Henry Turner, and his work on ways in which termite colonies respond individually and collectively to changes in their environments.

Year 3/P4: (Forces): Sarah Goode, whose understanding of the ways in which different forces act was behind her invention of the world’s first fold-up bed!

Year 4/P5: (Animals, including Humans): Marie Curie, the double-Nobel winner whose work with radioactivity expanded our knowledge and understanding of the structure of the human body.

Year 5/P6: (Space): Katherine Johnson, whose groundbreaking work leading a team of NASA computer programmers allowed the Apollo missions to land humans on the moon.

Year 6/P7: (Circulatory System): Charles Richard Drew, whose early attempts to study at medical school were thwarted by racist authorities – but who went on to save millions of loves by revolutionising how we collect, store, transport and use blood products.

Every school booking The Connection will also receive a link to a package of downloadable follow-up resources.

"The pupil’s thoroughly enjoyed the workshops and enjoyed learning and celebrating the connections made by a diverse range of scientists within their discoveries. The assembly was a great start to the day and staff positively commented on the energy and enthusiasm that Zoe had when delivering the workshops, creating a good rapport with pupils from Nursery up to Year 6."  St Peter's Catholic Academy

"A huge thank you for yesterday!  The feedback from every single staff member was SO complimentary of you, saying how you were so engaging, your behaviour management was great and how they learnt lots and thoroughly enjoyed the day.  I just wanted to let you know that Allington had a lovely day!" Allington Primary School

 

Combatting Climate Change – By Growing for Gold!

Growing for Gold, taps into the innate understanding children have of the peril that Planet Earth is in by exploring how we can all take steps to “grow” gold standard strategies designed to combat climate change. After a whole-school assembly looking at what climate change is, what it does and where it comes from, each year group will tackle its own question in a drama-based workshop – with a “virtual” Gold Medal going to the group with the best response! also available as a whole-school resource package at www.ascreativesconnect.com

EYFS:  What can we do at home to help save Planet Earth?

Y1: How can what we wear help save Planet Earth?

Y2: How can the way we travel help save Planet Earth?

Y3: How can what we buy help combat climate change?

Y4: How can what we eat help combat climate change?

Y5: How can recycling help combat climate change?

Y6: How can we persuade the world to combat climate change?

"We loved the workshops; they were roughly 350 students participating altogether. The workshops were engaging, interesting and very educational!"  Growing for Gold Workshops, St Francis RC Primary School

 

Innovation and Beyond

An exciting and engaging way to explore Seven Innovations That Have Changed the World – and some lesser sung heroes of innovation, including Mae Jemison (a medical doctor who became the first African American woman in space), Elijah McCoy (who revolutionised the railway industry) and Charles Richard Drew (whose work on blood plasma saved countless lives in WW2 – and is still being used today).

"I would like to thank Ady again for delivering the workshops. His own enthusiasm for science shone through from the start to the end of day.  The fact that the lessons were active and fun enabled the children to learn in a more physical way than that of the normal classroom based teaching of science. This has given some of the teachers ideas for their own way of teaching science for future lessons. I would definitely recommend As Creatives to fellow teachers." Heath Fields Primary

Seven Wonders of the World 

Our Seven Wonders of the World workshop introduces pupils to some of the amazing lifeforms the Earth is home to – and reminds them of the crucial role that climate plays in maintaining diversity. This Big Science Day has three components …

An interactive, whole-school opening assembly looking at (with the help of some of your pupils) the uniqueness of Earth (as far as we know!), some of the dangers posed to it by human activity – and what some ordinary people are doing to help …

Tailored workshops for every year group, using age-appropriate drama-based techniques to explore the diverse lifeforms supported by particular habitats, some of the challenges posed to them – and what can be done to protect them …

Where time allows, celebratory closing assembly, in which classes work through a structured approach to share what they have learnt with the rest of the school community.

Suitable For: EYFS - Y6

Exploring: climate change, pollution, habitats and adaptations, the local environment (EYFS), fresh water habitats (Y1), the savannahs (Y2), the oceans (Y3), mountainous regions (Y4), the poles (Y5), the rain forests (Y6).

"A big thank you for a wonderful day. The children loved learning about the wonders that our planet has and the interactive workshops allowed for team work and collaboration throughout the year groups. Ady (the practitioner) was happy, smiling constantly and really interactive and funny, nothing was too much trouble for him. He is a credit to your company!" Ysgol Emmanuel 

 

Families Event: Top Tips for Saving the Planet! (add on event at the end of the day)

If we’re serious about saving planet Earth, it’s becoming more and more obvious that individuals need to take actions in their daily lives, rather than just relying on governments and big business to do it for them. So, coming at the end of a day of workshops with pupils (and following an opportunity for children to share some of their learning with their parents/carers), this engaging workshop manages to both take a light hearted look at some of the challenges that face us and support families in identifying real changes they can make. And by the end of the afternoon, you’ll have your very own school Pledge to Protect the Planet!

 

What A Wonderful World!

This informative and thought-provoking day starts with a quick and interactive  assembly illustrating just what it is that makes the Earth such a wonderful world. Classes then take part in a series of high-energy, age-appropriate quizzes (with not a desk in sight) designed to explore the diverse nature of the habitats our planet supports, point up the threats posed to them by human activity - and extend thinking about the power of individual action. High-energy, fact-packed, What A Wonderful World workshops can accommodate up to 420 pupils in a single day!
 
Suitable For: EYFS - Y6
 
Exploring: the solar system, habitats and adaptations, climate change.

"All of the children and staff have thoroughly loved working with Zoe today! What an amazing energy she brings - thank you so much for a great day of science." Batley Parish Primary School

Science Skills 

Creating a “buzz” about Science Investigation – through drama!

What skills does a Science Investigator need – and how can the natural world help us identify and understand them? This quick-fired workshop, suitable for up to 60 children at a time, answers these questions through a high energy drama activity that incorporates both team working and problem-solving too. And longer workshops can also include a game designed to cement key content from topics classes are currently exploring!

Suitable For: EYFS - Y6 (up to 60 pupils at a time)

Exploring: science investigation skills, animal adaptations, subject-specific content

Duration: 30 – 90 minutes, depending on the number of classes

"All staff have fed back to me about how impressed they were with the workshops, how well the children responded to them and how excellent Chris was as a presenter, making the sessions interactive, engaging and educational for the children.  The workshops have helped support me with my mission to promote working scientifically and develop a love of science in the school." Bursted Wood Primary School

"The workshop linked beautifully with our IPC topic – Mission to Mars and supported their learning about the features of different planets." John Ball School

 

Big Science Day

Whole-school celebrations of Science can be challenging if different year groups are all exploring different areas of the curriculum - which is where our Big Science Days can help! We’ll start the day with a whole-school assembly exploring the wonder, importance and relevance of science - then deliver workshops for each year group, using drama techniques to bring key areas of their scientific investigations to life. And as each workshop can accommodate up to 60 children, a Big Science Day can cater for up to 420 pupils!

Our Big Science Days also offer a great way to generate a whole-school “science buzz” – so we also have some amazing thematic thematic days to choose from. All rooted in the Curriculum these include: 

  • Journeys into Space
  • Amazing Animals (and Hair Raising Humans)
  • Exploring Evolution
  • Phenomenal Plants
  • Considering Conservation
  • Looking at Light
  • Eclectic Electricity
  • The Marvel of Materials
  • May the Force Be With You
  • Making Sense of Sound

 

"The children had a wonderful day, the content layered upon their current learning and it was very interactive. Staff have had really positive things to say about it; how lovely it was lovely to see children excited about science and how organised everything was!" Columbia Primary

 

The Electric City 

The Electric City brings electricity to life through a mix of drama, games and metaphor. It is available as both a stand-alone workshop and as a whole-school Big Science Day, with elements including (according to age) …

  • What electricity “is” …
  • How we use electricity …
  • Different ways of generating electricity - and how some are greener than others …
  • The processes involved in gas-powered electricity generation …
  • The concept of electric circuits - and some of the components of circuits (and both their purposes and symbols).

The workshops are suitable for up to 60 children at a time and we are always happy to start the day with a whole-school assembly. 

 

A Call for Change

The young people of today are more aware than ever of the dangers (and reality!) of climate change – and that individuals really can play a part in combatting it. Able to accommodate up to 420 children in a single day, and starting with a whole-school assembly, A Call for Change supports pupils in taking age-appropriate looks at such areas as air pollution, plastics and fracking (illegal in the Republic – but not in Northern Ireland!

Suitable for: up to 420 children in a day

Year groups: EYFS -Y6

 

CSI: Rollercoaster

Exploring forces in an east-to-recognise context - the world of rollercoasters!

Rollercoaster riders are subject to a whole range of forces as they climb to dizzying heights, plunge at bone-rattling speeds and loop the loop at death-defying angles. CSI: Rollercoaster takes advantage of this by immersing your pupils in a world where someone has sabotaged the world’s most thrilling ride: The Newton.

After being introduced to the crime the suspects and, through a problem solving game, some rollercoaster forces, pupils will take part in a challenging activity asking them to use their existing scientific understanding and transfer it to new areas. This process will release a number of clues, each eliminating one suspect - until only the saboteur remains!

Suitable For: EYFS - Y6 (up to 30 pupils at a time)

Exploring: gravity, friction and other push/pull forces (KS1); gravity, friction, upthrust, centrifugalism, centripetalism, magnestism (KS2).

Duration: 45 - 60 minutes (KS1); 1½ hours – half a day (KS2) depending on the number of classes.

 

Expect the Unexpected!

How can Science Investigation save lives? Learning from the past!

Which great Science Investigators of the past capitalised on “happy accidents” to create amazing science? You’d be surprised how many there are, resulting in inventions that have fed the world, made life easier – and saved millions of lives! This busy and engaging workshop introduces children to some of these, from Post-its to penicillin to pacemakers, then supports them as they make connections to imagine and market some amazing new inventions of their own.

Suitable For: EYFS - Y6 (up to 30 pupils at a time)

Exploring: science investigation skills, unexpected discoveries, cross-connectivity

Duration: 1 – 2 hours, depending on the number of classes

 

Pirate Science 

Putting Science in context – with a real live pirate in school!

Blackbeard, Bartholemew Roberts, Anne Bonney and their ilk were undoubtedly skullduggerous scoundrels – but they also had to be sophisticated Science Investigators as they steered their way through the seven seas. But while our own travelling pirate, Captain Richard Morgan, has a strong grasp of science theory and fact, he’s less certain when it comes to the practicalities! So he’ll arrive in your school needing some grounding exploring such areas as floatation, forces, the use of Pirate Materials, navigation, nutrition and Pirate Science.

Suitable for: EYFS - Y6 (up to 30 pupils at a time)

Exploring: floatation, density, upthrust, nutrition, skeletal structure, blood clotting

Duration: 45 – 90 minutes, depending on the number of classes

"We liked how facts were incorporated into drama, livening up an 'imparting knowledge’ session." Sheringham Primary

 

Time Travel Tourist - the Apollo Adventurers

Celebrating 50 years since the first humans walked on the moon

It was in July 1969 that Neil Armstrong stepped onto the lunar landscape and uttered the famous words, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Since then, only another eleven astronauts have walked on the moon - and none since 1972. This unique programme, though, gives your pupils an opportunity to meet and work with one of the people behind Apollo 11 - Margaret Hamilton (who led the team designing the mission's software) or Astronaut Armstrong himself. Your Tourist will be more than happy to meet the school at an assembly - then visit a number of classes during the day in workshops using drama techniques to bring to life the Apollo 11 adventure, and her/his role in its success. 

Suitable For: up to 30 pupils at a time, P1 - P7

Exploring (according to age): preparations for the mission; history, characteristics and composition of the moon; the Apollo 11 astronauts; the role of the moon in future space exploration.

 

Interplanetary Tours

A fast-paced exploration of our solar system in which children learn and teach each other key facts

From Neil Armstrong’s first steps on the moon to the photographs sent back by Juno on its historic and ongoing mission to Jupiter, we’re all entranced by our neighbours in the solar system. And space exploration nowadays, of course, is a collaborative and multinational affair, bringing the world closer together. Taking things one step further, this intriguing workshop asks pupils to imagine the day when interplanetary tours are possible. Informed by the endeavours of such new space actors as Virgin Galactic and Space X, they’ll plan, prepare and present short plays exploring the problems posed by visiting the sulphurous volcanoes of Venus, the gaseous storms of Saturn or the icy plains of Pluto. Just remember one thing: “In space, no-one can hear you scream …”

Suitable For: EYFS - Y6

Exploring: the solar system, orbits, gravity

Duration: 1½  - 2½ hours, depending on how many classes.

"The children thoroughly enjoyed the workshops and all were completely engaged,.  Even now a week later, the children are still talking about it and repeating the 'SUN BURNS!!' part.  They learnt so much in just a short amount of time and will remember it due to the engaging way it was presented. Lots of the children surprised me with their knowledge - Jackson expertly drew out what they already knew and expanded on it. We will definitely be booking your services in the future." Balshaw Lane Primary

Journeys into Space

This year marks an astonishing fifty years since the first humans walked on the moon – and Journeys into Space allows up to 420 pupils to celebrate this extraordinary milestone in a single day. Following an assembly looking at ways that light allows us to look at the history of the stars, pupils work a year group at a time, using a range of age-appropriate drama techniques to explore the wonders of the cosmos …

  • EYFS: the characteristics of stars, planets and moons ...
  • Y1-Y2: the life cycles of stars
  • Y3-Y4: The Perils of Space Travel
  • Y5-Y6: the moon - and the Apollo 11 landing

Suitable for: EYFS - Y6 (up to 60 pupils at a time!)

Exploring (according to age): the characteristics of stars, planets and moons, the life cycles of stars, the scientific challenges posed by space travel, the moon, the Apollo 11 programme. 

“It was great to see an inventive way of teaching tricky science concepts through drama. A good balance to the hands on investigative approach and one which I hope staff may attempt themselves in future science lessons. We would love to work with you again." Windsor Primary

"I’ve had such great feedback from teachers! thank you so much for making the topics so engaging, relevant and meaningful to the children. I know for a fact how much my class loved inventing new things." St Matthias School

 

The Story of Flight 

Looking at ways that Science Investigators have helped humankind fulfill its dream of taking to the skies!

Discover how Science Investigators helped humankind left the earth’s surface for the skies and then space – and ultimately the stars – in this thrilling and action-packed drama-based workshop. Starting with the Icarus myth, pupils will explore, learn about and teach each other some of the scientific and technological landmarks in The Story of Flight, including Leonardo’s musings on helicopters, the Montgolfier brothers’ experiments with balloons, Orville and Wilbur Wright’s development of the aeroplane, Frank Whittle’s work on the jet engine and Neil Armstrong’s first steps on the moon.

Suitable For: EYFS - Y6 (up to 30 pupils at a time)

Exploring: aerodynamics, forces (gravity, friction and air resistance), pressure

Duration: 1½ hours – half a day, depending on the number of classes

 

Space Pirates! (perfect for EYFS/KS1)

Navigating the stars – a beginner’s guide to black holes and supernova!

Our travelling pirate, Captain Richard Morgan, has a new ship – but the Solar Surfer sails through the stars, not the seas! And as the Solar Surfer is powered by solar waves, of course, it’s vital that the Captain understands the differences between Red Giants, White Dwarves and Black Holes. But that’s the problem: he doesn’t. So he’ll arrive at your school in search of help.

After working in small groups on an age-differentiated independent carousel of activities, pupils will have all the information they need to solve his problems for him. And they’ll do that by performing dramatic representations of a range of different possible life cycles for stars – and alerting the Captain as to exactly what he needs to look out for!

Suitable For: EYFS - KS1

Exploring: the characteristics of stars, the life cycles of stars, characteristics of other bodies in space

Duration: 45 minutes - 2 hours, depending on the number of classes

 

MoonWalking

Where did the moon come from – and how has it impacted on our history?

From its phases to its place in North American mythology and from the Apollo programmes to its potential to provide a launch pad to Mars and beyond, our only natural satellite has always exerted a pull on humanity. So this busy and interactive workshop sees pupils learning about a range of aspects of this celestial neighbour – including its creation, its make-up, its effects on our tides, its role in eclipses and its hold on culture.

Suitable For: KS1/KS2 (up to 30 pupils at a time)

Exploring: satellites and orbits, the lunar cycle, gravity and other forces, the moon and storytelling

Duration: 45 minutes - 2 hours, depending on the number of classes

  

CSI: Forces

How do different forces operate – and what do they actually do?

CSI: Forces sets your pupils a problem – to use their knowledge and understanding of forces in identifying which of six suspects sabotaged the new Jupiter VII space rocket. They’ll take part in a number of activities, each releasing a force-related clue eliminating one of the possible criminals – until the Police Force becomes the most important force, as the miscreant is hauled before justice …

And we now have two new variants on this popular workshop, exploring how forces operate in two specific contexts: CSI: Rollercoaster and CSI: MoonShot!

And we now have two new variants on this popular workshop, exploring how forces operate in two specific contexts: CSI: Rollercoaster and CSI: MoonShot!

Suitable For: KS2 (up to 30 pupils at a time)

Exploring: gravity, friction, upthrust, centrifugalism, centripetalism, magnestism.

Duration: 1½ hours – half a day (depending on the number of classes)

"We really enjoyed the workshop, staff felt they gained a great deal from it, as well as the children. The children now recognise the “hidden” skills of science. They know that you need patience, observational skills, questioning and team work in order to succeed." St. Edward’s Catholic Primary School

 

Making Sense of Sound

An active investigation of the science of sound – with acoustic high jinks!

Specifically developed to support the new National Curriculum, this highly active drama-based workshop uncovers how we – and other living things – make sense of sound. After exploring the nature of soundwaves and how they behave in different situations and how they can help us make sense of the world, children will teach each other incredible, new acoustic facts in such exciting improvisations as “Escape from the Volcano”, “Terror from the Skies” and “Submarine Shocker”!

Suitable For: KS2 (up to 30 pupils at a time)

Exploring: soundwaves, acoustic resistance, echo location, the Doppler Effect.

Duration: 1½ hours – one day (depending on how many classes)

“The pace and variety of activities kept all the pupils engaged – and the dramas brought science to life!” Runcorn All Saints Primary

 

Fossil Hunters!

Using role play to explore rocks, soils and palaeontology

After exploring both the differences and connections between rocks, soils and fossils and handling objects from millions of years ago, pupils will take on the roles of ardent palaeontologists who find themselves in a tricky situation as they investigate the contents of an ancient river bed. Armed with word banks of key vocabulary and some simple props, they’ll work in small groups to plan, prepare and perform short plays that build on the challenges faced by Fossil Hunters!

Suitable For: KS2 (up to 30 pupils at a time)

Exploring: soils, rocks, fossil formation

Duration: 1 – 2 hours (depending on how many classes)

 

STEM Geodesic Domes

What connects science, maths, engineering space – and sport? Geodesity, of course! And our Geodesic Dome programmes offer students fantastic opportunities to cement their understanding of specific curriculum areas – and to celebrate and share their learning in a unique, eye-catching and inspiring way.

After recalling their learning in a creative manner, students will work to a template in using it to illustrate the 105 triangular panels that make up our Geodesic Domes. They'll then be guided through a process that allows them to fit the triangles together to make hexagons and pentagons – and then to piece these together to construct the 2m high dome.

Exploring (in addition to your curriculum area): chemical structures, engineering forces, properties of 2D shapes.

Duration: one day.

 

The Best of British Science

After a whole-group activity exploring the achievements and impacts of such British luminati as Isaac Newton (physics), Joseph Priestley (chemistry), Rosalind Franklin (biology) and Colin Pillinger (engineering), students work in small teams to plan, prepare, present and peer review persuasive “television” adverts promoting the work of each of these. This workshop can cater for up to 30 students at a time – and requires a minimum of an hour (although the longer we have, the more depth we can go into, of course).

Exploring: science in context; areas including gravity, power, states of matter, DNA, engineering, space exploration.

   

Exploring Evolution 

Most of us take Darwin's ideas of natural selection, and the theory that all life is in a constant state of change, for granted - though they caused a right old rumpus back in 1859! This workshop uses drama techniques to introduce pupils to two different theories of evolution - then challenges them to design their own creatures, able to thrive in some changing environments. They'll then produce short "documentaries" introducing the world to their newly-discovered animals - and support each other through peer evaluation.

Suitable for: KS2

Exploring: evolutionary theory; heredity; animal and plant adaptations 

Duration: 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 hours.

  

Counting the Cost of Carbon 

Most scientists agree that climate change is one of the biggest threats facing the planet. But how many of us understand the role played in the process by the carbon cycle - a cycle that's increasingly out of balance as we continue to produce more carbon dioxide than we can absorb? This intriguing workshop physicalises the stages and mechanics of the cycle - and asks pupils to consider (and dramatise) how the world might change if humanity doesn't mend its ways! 

Suitable for: Y5/Y6

Exploring: chemical structures; deforestation; climate change.

Duration: 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 hours. 

 

Messages from Space (Perfect for Poetry Day!)

What do we know about Neptune? What’s the science of Saturn? And how is our understanding of Uranus? After a warm-up activity exploring some of the characteristics of a range of inhabitants of the universe (including stars and comets as well as planets and black holes), and armed with our beautifully illustrated FactFiles, pupils will mix metaphors, similes and astronomy as they create - and perform - their own Cosmic Clerihews! These are fun but descriptive four-line poems – and so perfectly suited for the descriptive rigour demanded by science.  You can view all of our poetry workshops here. 

Suitable For: KS1 – KS4 

Exploring: characteristics of planets, stars, comets and black holes; authorial voice, rhythm, tone and pace.

Duration: Suitable for up to 30 pupils at a time, Messages from Space lasts from 1 to 2 hours, depending on how many classes we’re working with.

 

British Science Week (BSW) is a ten-day programme of science, technology, engineering and maths events and activities across the UK for people of all ages. Find out more at https://www.britishscienceweek.org/

British Science Week

 

The Connection pack will see your children meeting Bridget Links (Bridge for short) (our self-styled Connections Collector) as she shares some of the STEM connections she has discovered. The pack comprises …

An introductory film, to be shown either at a whole-school assembly or to individual classes. Titled Connections and Causality, this shows how the Stone Age discovery of ways of making and manipulating fire led to a whole series of scientific “moments” across the ages, culminating in the projected missions to send humans to Mars!Full instructions for a warm-up activity, Connections Sculptures. Films for each year group, telling the story of their scientist/technologist/engineer.Films telling the stories, and the science behind the stories, of each year group’s designated scientist/technologist/engineer (together with instructions and worksheets for follow-up activities). Connection Conundrums – quickfire challenges designed to whet your pupils’ creativity.Full instructions for teachers.Instructions and worksheets for follow-up literacy activities – one per year group.EYFS / P1 (linking to “Exploring the World”): Elijah McCoy, who changed the railways for ever, making possible the long journeys that make the world today a little smaller!Year 1 / P2 (linking to “Materials”): Lyda NewmanYear 2 / P3 (linking to “Living Things and their Habitats”): Charles Henry TurnerYear 3 / P4 (;o king to “Forces”): Sarah GoodeYear 4 / P5 (linking to “Animals, including Humans”): Marie CurieYear 5 / P6 (linking to “Space”): Katherine JohnsonYear 6 / P7 (linking to “The Circulatory System”): Charles Richard Drew

 

Growing for Gold - taps into the innate understanding children have of the peril that Planet Earth is in by exploring how we can all take steps to “grow” gold standard strategies designed to combat climate change. Each year group tackle its own question through dram based activities:

  • EYFS/P1:  What can we do at home to help save Planet Earth?
  • Year 1/P2: How can what we wear help save Planet Earth?
  • Year 2/P3: How can the way we travel help save Planet Earth?
  • Year 3/P3How can what we buy help combat climate change?
  • Year 4/P5: How can what we eat help combat climate change?
  • Year 5/P6: How can recycling help combat climate change?
  • Year 6/P7: How can we persuade the world to combat climate change?

Innovation and Beyond – this comprises thematic, PowerPoint-based STEM quizzes for every year group from Reception to Year 6/ P1 to P7) - together with linked and age-differentiated maths and literacy activities, all brought together with opening and closing films!

The Engineering Trail – with opening and closing films and featuring engineering challenges using resources available in any school setting, differentiated into three age ranges: EYFS and KS1/P1 – P3 … Years 3 and 4/P4 and P5 … and Years 5 and 6/P6 and P7.

Family Science - Top Tips for Saving the Planet (add-on activity) – complete with an introductory film and offering the whole family opportunities to both uncover the science we all use in our everyday lives and think about easy ways that we can all contribute to protecting Planet Earth

 

British Science Week (BSW) is a ten-day programme of science, technology, engineering and maths events and activities across the UK for people of all ages. Find out more at www.britishscienceweek.org/

The Royal Institution is an independent charity dedicated to connecting people with the world of science. Find out more at www.rigb.org/

Find lots of STEM resources at www.stem.org.uk/

Space Week takes place between the 4th - 10th October each year. Find information and resources at www.worldspaceweek.org/

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