KS1/KS2 science curriculum
gases produced by effervescence. During the experiment, we ask the pupils questions such as what effect changing the quantities used would have on how fast or high the rocket flies.
• Four elements: we look at the elements of earth, water, air and fire in different formats. For example, we demonstrate flash paper, water diffraction and a wind bag challenge. The four elements are a fundamental base for all science teaching so demonstrating them in a visual way at primary level, helps to solidify future learning.
curriculum also suggest ‘pupils in years 1 and 2 should explore the world around them and raise their own questions…They should use simple features to compare objects, materials and living things and, with help, decide how to sort and group them, observe changes over time, and, with guidance, they should begin to notice patterns and relationships.’ Although we are often seen as a group of
children’s entertainers, at the very heart of what we do is the ethos of the importance of education. The live experiments are all visual, dramatic and infused with aspects from the KS1 and KS2 curriculum and everything we demonstrate and talk about is backed up by theoretical reasoning. The experiments demonstrated at our events
cover these aspects of the curriculum and enable the pupils to get a hands-on learning experience.
These experiments include: • Air-based experiments: we teach children about air pressure and its effects on objects, as well as the basics of Bernoulli’s principle. A typical example of these types of experiments includes launching into the air exploding film canister rockets driven by utilising expanding
• Chemical reactions: for these experiments, we show what happens when different chemicals come into contact and react with each other. Again, chemistry is an in-depth subject with lots of strands but teaching the key features of chemical reactions at an early age, enables children to grasp the basics early.
Progressing to KS2, curriculum guidelines state
that pupils should be able to make systematic and careful observations, identify differences, similarities or changes relating to simple scientific ideas, and use straightforward scientific evidence to answer questions or to support their findings. Our work with schools provides an interesting and memorable foundation for their science studies for years to come. Teachers have commented that their pupils
have remained engaged and interested during our events, and they still talk about the experiments and Boffins weeks later. One teacher said; ‘Our Boffin was enthusiastic, motivated and had a fantastic manner with the children. The assembly was interactive and all the children were engaged throughout (even the nursery children who sat for about 50 minutes!). The use of scientific language and simple explanations allowed the children to access the science on a variety of levels. The workshops provided brilliant hands-on experiences and the children came away with lots of new knowledge and understanding.’ At the end of KS1 and KS2, when it comes to assessments, primary teachers are required to test
their pupils on the curriculum studied. By providing a memorable and interactive workshop as a platform for teaching science, we have found that pupils are more likely to remember these aspects of the curriculum. A particularly important week for us as you can
imagine is British Science Week. We have been working with the British Science Association since 2011, delivering Science Boffins workshops to assemblies of primary school children across the country. This year, we developed a number of events specifically for British Science Week. These included ‘States of Matter’ which looks at atoms and the three states of solid, liquid and gas, ‘The Three Laws of Motion’ which teaches pupils about Sir Isaac Newton and the basics of physics, and ‘Electric Workshop’ where pupils can learn about magnets and make their own compass, as well as learning about Faraday’s Induction Coil. We delivered these workshops to 180 schools for British Science Week, resulting in repeat bookings for next year. I spend a lot of time reviewing the content of
our workshops and debrief our presenters looking for ways to improve our performance. We also question teachers whose opinions we greatly value and this helps us tailor our demonstrations to more precise objectives. In addition we research alternative experiments that enhance the learning experience for the children by both increasing their enjoyment as well as driving home the basic scientific principles behind the experiments. We are already able to offer a very impressive list of workshops and a variety of alternative assembly programmes so that repeat visits are always fresh. Science Boffins are striving to be a standard
trusted source of support for teachers looking for engaging ways to demonstrate science either with equipment beyond their school’s budget or with technical experiments that they do not have time to prepare. We look forward to bringing our events to even more children across the UK and inspiring a future generation of scientists.
For more information about Science Boffins, visit
uwww.scienceboffins.co.uk
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www.education-today.co.uk
September 2015
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