Project to train and equip senior high school pupils as Science Engagement Leaders for local primary schools.
Lead Research Organisation:
Robert Gordon's College
Department Name: Physics
Abstract
The aim of this project is to establish an on-going programme to train and equip S6 Senior School pupils to deliver Science lesson activates to P5-P7 pupils in local Primary Schools. These learning activities would be broken into themed blocks of four approximately one hour activities, expected to be delivered over four subsequent weeks.
The first year of the project (and the scope of this application for STFC funding) will focus on four themes:
> Humans in Space - with a focus on Tim Peake's Principa mission
> Astronomy and Our Solar System
> What is everything made of? - from atoms to the beginnings of particle and nuclear physics
> Fun Physics - 'kitchen science' style activities
The initial themes have been selected due to the interests and experience of the Project Leader and Principal Applicant for this award Tim Browett. It is also in keeping with the pupils who have expressed interest in being involved in this first cohort.
As part of the on-going programme it is planned to diversify the themes across the Sciences over future years. This would be achieved by creating additional themed blocks of similar size and complexity - with smaller applications to other smaller grant providers, where necessary, on a per block basis. This would allow the blocks to remain topical and matched to the strengths of the individual pupils delivering the activities or preferences of recipient schools.
By developing a trained skilled group of pupils it is hoped to develop a capability to engage with the local community through pre-existing local science events or creating additional public engagement opportunities.
The first year of the project (and the scope of this application for STFC funding) will focus on four themes:
> Humans in Space - with a focus on Tim Peake's Principa mission
> Astronomy and Our Solar System
> What is everything made of? - from atoms to the beginnings of particle and nuclear physics
> Fun Physics - 'kitchen science' style activities
The initial themes have been selected due to the interests and experience of the Project Leader and Principal Applicant for this award Tim Browett. It is also in keeping with the pupils who have expressed interest in being involved in this first cohort.
As part of the on-going programme it is planned to diversify the themes across the Sciences over future years. This would be achieved by creating additional themed blocks of similar size and complexity - with smaller applications to other smaller grant providers, where necessary, on a per block basis. This would allow the blocks to remain topical and matched to the strengths of the individual pupils delivering the activities or preferences of recipient schools.
By developing a trained skilled group of pupils it is hoped to develop a capability to engage with the local community through pre-existing local science events or creating additional public engagement opportunities.
Planned Impact
Any electronic materials would be made available through the Scottish Physics Teachers Resource sharing website (SPTR.net) and National STEM Centre eLibrary. Links to these would also then be added to sharing sites such as TES and Talk Physics. Files would be shared in widely used formats.
The project lead would also offer a session for teacher conferences such as ASE Grampian and ASE Scotland (both of which he is on the organising committee for). Participating senior pupils will also be asked to co-deliver these sessions, and included within this application is costs to take two pupils to the ASE National conference to deliver this on a wider stage. As a National Space Academy Lead Educator he will also apply to deliver a session at the 2016 Symposium although this would be delivered without pupils.
The project lead will also publicise the activities through social media and networks of the learned societies - e.g. Sputnik - the Scottish Physics Teachers email forum. Robert Gordon's College's Marketing team will also publicise through social media and existing relationships with local and national press.
The project lead would also offer a session for teacher conferences such as ASE Grampian and ASE Scotland (both of which he is on the organising committee for). Participating senior pupils will also be asked to co-deliver these sessions, and included within this application is costs to take two pupils to the ASE National conference to deliver this on a wider stage. As a National Space Academy Lead Educator he will also apply to deliver a session at the 2016 Symposium although this would be delivered without pupils.
The project lead will also publicise the activities through social media and networks of the learned societies - e.g. Sputnik - the Scottish Physics Teachers email forum. Robert Gordon's College's Marketing team will also publicise through social media and existing relationships with local and national press.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Tim Browett (Principal Investigator) |
| Description | Pilot of project including two Astronomy blocks. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | A class of 24 x Primary 5 (~9 year old) pupils at Robert Gordon's College were/are piloting the general delivery approach of the project as well as materials from the Astronomy blocks. In the project each block is 4 weeks long and Astronomy spans two blocks. The first is "The Sun, Moon and Earth" and covers aspects such as appreciation of importance, scale (size and distance), phases, eclipses tides, seasons, etc. The second block is "Observational Astronomy" and covers constellations, small solarsystem bodies (comets, asteroids and meteorites), and the wider solar system. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |