Get Set, Demonstrate! It's British Science Week 2020

Posted 9th Mar 2020

Promoted by the British Science Association, the annual British Science Week aims to celebrate all sciences and their importance in our everyday lives. It provides an opportunity for people of all ages across the UK to take part in science, engineering and technology events and activities.

The BSW website contains a range of guides which will help with generating ideas for science events, advice to get you started and run an event and several activity packs and resources for organisers.

Here are a few of their fantastic ideas, most of which can be demonstrated with Cochranes of Oxford products!

• Early Years - activity pack provides a range of activities that link to Understanding the world. It has been designed on the theme of 'Our Diverse Planet'. It links in with everyday experiences and includes: collecting a rainbow of colours in  the local environment, exploring bubbles, identifying objects in mystery boxes through questioning and investigating melting. 
• Primary Years example - this resource contains a range of different activities suitable for a whole school science week. The activities cover a mixture of topics including: properties of materials, biodiversity, plants and mini-beasts. All activities promote working scientifically and include: finding out about Antarctica, investigating insulators, exploring taste, observing rusting, looking at animal adaptations and identifying invertebrates.
• Secondary Years example - Rockin' Crystals! in this activity, students are challenged to put on a show – either a live stage show or a recorded television show – to give a theatrical Earth science demonstration. Several demostrations are suggested for students to master: Growing crystals; Modelling crystals; More about crystals - Crystalline or plastic?; Putting crystals to use.

Further Activity Ideas - available with Video Resources on BSW website:

• Wave MACHINE - In this video, produced by the National STEM Learning Centre and the Institute of Physics, Alom Shaha describes a simple but effective wave machine. Aimed at teachers, this video explains how to make the wave machine using adhesive tape, jelly babies and wooden skewers. He explains how it can be used to illustrate transverse wave motion in a visual and engaging manner. For a more permanent (if not as tasty!) demonstration solution Cochranes of Oxford has the perfect transverse wave machine and teachers resource option!

How to Run Your Own Space Week Program!

• This guide describes everything you need to do to have a fantastic space-themed week in your Primary school and also gives tips for the next steps to really develop space education across your school. This resource have been provided by European Space Education Resource Office for the UK (ESERO-UK). To see all Cochranes of Oxford Astronomy sets and models click here.