Should the magnets in the magnetic cars be ones with the North and South labelled or not? This is what is being discussed in the Sphere Science ASE session. We concluded it depends why you are doing the practical session - It depends if the activity is used as a practical demonstration or a science investigation.
Our talk at the ASE is on Thursday 9 January 2025 at 9.45am in the Coates building C22. Come and find out more about our activities using surprising science to aid discussion and experimentation to support scientific thinking.
Year 10 students present the Pop Tubs workshop to local primary pupils in Wakefield
Fitting in with the National Science Week’s theme of TIME, one of our activities enabled pupils to learn how shadows change through the day without having to stand outside in all weathers.
As part of Swindon’s “Festival of Tomorrow”, we provided activities in local libraries. The plasma balls were very popular and led to lots of good, scientific discussion.
This was a popular talk we gave at the recent ASE Annual Conference in Northampton. Afterwards, one happy delegate said that the title was very well chosen.
The Marble Challenge is always popular, for all ages and whether as a team or individually. Who can make a runway that takes the longest time for the marble to roll down?
We have several fun, practical workshops covering different aspects of physics such as forces and sustainable energy. Balloon-powered buggies are extremely popular.
Our chemistry workshops are very popular especially this term! From creating colourful candles to finding out the Vitamin C content in fruit to exploding pop tubs and much more besides!
We were pleased to take part in the recent Cosmic Cape Music Festival in Ellesmere Port. Urenco plc had commissioned us to provide simple fun practical science activities for all the families that attended.
Biggleswade Squirrels, Beavers and Cubs enjoyed some of our practical activities while at camp recently. Here you can see Cubs finding out which substances are acids and which are alkalis.
Wakefield Y10 students learning about solar technology ready to deliver a series of science workshops to visiting primary schools last week.
Teenagers from Somali Community Parents Association’s Saturday club were the science communicators at the St Matthew’s Estate Science Family day coordinated by Sphere Science.
Families from Ealing were able to take part in a variety of science activities at Northfields Library during the Easter break. Sarah also delivered a science show for them all too.
Here’s the young presenter from the Bennett’s End Youth Club running the science show and activities as part of an STFC funded project.
Local students helped Sarah deliver a variety of exciting science activities at a library-based Family Fun Day in Swindon at half-term. Everyone comments just how good these science communicators were.
We gave two interactive talks on practical science at the recent ASE Conference: one on Chemistry and one on linking classroom activity to current research. They were both very well received. Here are some delegates investigating magnetism.
Over seventy trainee teachers recently enjoyed two days of Inset with us courtesy of eQualitas. Both days were devoted to practical science to develop the skills of thinking and working scientifically.
Twelve teenage science communicators, part of the Somali Community Parent Association supplementary school, were trained by Sarah to teach people about research being done by Mike McKee (from University of Leicester) into the planet Mercury. Their presentations included a practical activity on craters forming on its surface.
Over the summer, Sarah has been travelling around the country training teenagers to deliver science ‘tricks’. This was to support the national “Reading Sparks Programme” in libraries.
