School Workshops
Creativity – The Powerhouse of Science
Creativity has always been the powerhouse of science – because creativity generates “What if?” questions – and those “What If?” questions generate ideas. From the idea of using flint to make Stone Age tools to the idea during the Golden Age of Islam that light may obey rules to Alexander Graham Bell’s idea of the telephone, creativity has always powered science. And it continues to today – from ideas about green energy to ideas about new medical treatments to ideas about AI!
Specially developed to celebrate British Science Week 2027, Creativity – the Powerhouse of Science introduces students to a range of British scientists whose astonishing ideas have transformed the world.
Introduction
Rather than relying on “whizz bang” experiments or outlandish props, our creative science workshops harness a range of immersive techniques (including drama and games) to cement prior learning, clarify difficult concepts, introduce new content and extend thinking. Highly engaging, revelatory and thought provoking and informative, Creativity – the Powerhouse of Science workshops can accommodate up to 60 students at a time in sessions lasting from an hour upwards, allowing a member of our team to work with a large number of students in a single day
| Year Groups | KS3-KS4/S1-S6 |
|---|---|
| Curriculum | Science |
| Pupil Numbers | 60 students per workshop |
| Space | School Hall |
KS3/S1-S3: The Power of Life
Scientists have long understood that life is powerful – but how has that understanding changed over the centuries? From empirical learning to theoretical thinking to experimental techniques, this workshop explores the power of science to power itself, focusing on three powerful individuals …
- Kitty Wilkinson – a Liverpool laundress who played a big part in increasing the life expectancy of working class people in Victorian times.
- Charles Darwin – who went from drifting through life to sailing the oceans to shattering cultural and scientific norms with his theory of evolution.
- Sir Magdi Yacoub – who revolutionised ways in which surgery can improve cardiac health, and who pioneered heart-lung transplants in the UK.
Participating schools will also receive free, downloadable Fact Sheets on each of the Individuals in Focus.
KS4/S4-S6: The Power of Matter
KS4: The Power of Matter … Our understanding of “matter” has always powered our understanding of the Earth, the solar system – and of the universe itself. Moving from the visible to the invisible and into space itself, this workshop explores some of the powerful forces that shape all our destinies, looking in detail at three individuals whose work continues to power science itself …
- Mary Anning – a carpenter’s daughter and hobbyist fossil hunter who went on to set the world of geology alight with her discoveries.
- Sir Isaac Newton – who not only discovered gravity, but who identified the laws of thermodynamics – and who was part of the team tasked with rebuilding London after the Great Fire of 1666!
- Dame Maggie Ebunoluwa Aderin – bridging the gap between Earth and space by developing ways of using space science to help in the battle against climate change.
How many pupils can take part?
Creativity – The Powerhouse of Science can accommodate up-to 60 students per workshop – that’s up to 300 KS3 students in one day!
Are there any technical requirements?
Each working space needs to be equipped with laptop/screen/projector, so students can view the supporting PowerPoint throughout.
Where will the workshops take place?
These workshops require the use of your school hall, drama studio or large open space (not a sports hall).
“Thank you so much for the brilliant workshops you did today. The students really enjoyed them and got a lot from them. I am sure we will be in touch to organise for next year!”
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The Science of Change! – Secondary Schools
The Science of Change opens with an investigation of how “change” affects (and often improves) every aspect of our lives – and how central science is to that “change”.