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Welcome to the May edition of Primary Science Update. In this edition, you'll find an update on our free CPD webinars and information about: STEM Learning live remote courses; ArcticLive lessons; the Great Science Share for Schools themes; ASE's remote learning resources; Science at Work; TeenTech online STEM sessions; and home learning resources from Practical Action and CREST.
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Free online CPD
Our weekly, free CPD webinars are continuing on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the slightly later time of 4.30pm on a new Zoom link.
From this week, we are looking at the working scientifically skills individually, starting with making predictions. We are hoping, after each week's webinar, teachers will send in examples of work of the relevant working scientifically skill to help develop the PLAN resources. If you aren't able to participate in the webinars, but have examples of working scientifically skills to share, please email them to us.
We post the topic for the next week's webinar on our social media channels at the end of the previous week, so follow us on Twitter or Facebook if you want to know what's coming next. We also post videos of the webinars on our YouTube channel for anyone who couldn't join them live.
Thank you to everyone who has participated in the webinars so far and we hope some more of you can join us in the future.
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Live remote courses for teachers
STEM Learning are offering a programme of fully-funded live courses for teachers that can be accessed remotely, allowing teachers to continue their professional development whatever their current circumstances.
Each course is led by one of their accredited facilitators (including our Director, Naomi) and delivered remotely across a series of short live sessions. In between, through structured tasks, teachers explore key resources, develop materials to share with colleagues, and reflect on their own learning.
For information about the courses being offered for primary teachers and to book, visit the STEM Learning website.
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Book free AXA ArcticLive 2020 live lessons on polar exploration - 4-15 May
EncounterEdu are offering free online live lessons with polar scientists that give pupils the opportunity to learn about life and science in the Arctic. Suitable for all ages, they offer pupils a fresh way to build knowledge, practice working scientifically, inspire STEM careers and develop environmental stewardship.
Broadcasting to homes and schools worldwide, the first week of lessons will focus on life and work in the Arctic, with the second exploring the issues facing this fragile ecosystem. Parents and teachers can book the lessons and pre-submit questions on the EncounterEdu website. Pupils do not need to book if they just wish to watch the live lessons.
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Great Science Share for Schools starts on 4 May
The Great Science Share for Schools gets underway next week with the first of its weekly themes for you to explore. All you need to do is: get curious using its brand new Great Science Share Question Makers; talk to others about what you’re curious about; and share it.
All the themes over the next few weeks will culminate in the day itself on 16 June 2020 when young people share the science they love.
For more information about the Great Science Share for Schools, visit their website and register.
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Association for Science Education primary remote learning resources hub
Members of the Association for Science Education's (ASE's) primary science community have written lessons for primary-aged pupils, designed to be used by children and parents at home, to help deliver a structured series of topic-based lessons. They have selected one topic for each age group:
- (age 5-6) - Materials - 4 activities in one lesson document
- (age 6-7) - Materials - 5 activities in one lesson document
- (age 7-8) - Light - 6 lesson plan documents and one overview
- (age 8-9) - Living things and their habitats - 5 lesson plan documents and one overview
- (age 9-10) - Living things and their habitats - 5 lesson plan documents and one overview
- (age 10-11) - Living things and their habitats - 6 lesson plan documents and one overview.
Each lesson is a PowerPoint document that can be downloaded and tailored to your own lesson requirements or saved as a pdf document to send out to pupils, and includes guidance for parents, explanations of key concepts, suggested activities for pupils and examples of possible learning outcomes to make it easier for parents to support the learning.
To access these resources, visit the ASE website.
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TeenTech online STEM sessions
TeenTech are offering live online City of Tomorrow at Home Design and Build Sessions (suitable for pupils aged 8-13) and Innovation Days at Home (suitable for pupils aged 10-18).
At home design and build sessions
These session are on Tuesdays at 10am, led by a TeenTech workshop leader and some brilliant and engaging expert guests from across very different aspects of STEM. The sessions last an hour and provide the context and inspiration for pupils to participate in the project to develop a building for the ‘safer, smarter, kinder’ city of tomorrow using recycled materials. There are also follow-up sessions on Fridays at 10am where industry experts offer feedback on the pupils' ideas and answer questions submitted to them about their careers.
Parents can register for TeenTech City of Tomorrow at Home Design and Build Sessions. If teachers want a class to do the project in a specific week, ask the parents to sign up for that specific session.
Innovation days at home
These sessions offer pupils insights into different industries such as computer games, music, food, construction, aeronautics etc. Pupils submit questions in advance which shape the opening conversation with industry experts. Pupils are then set a mini-challenge by the industry experts that they submit for feedback on the Friday.
Parents can register for TeenTech Innovation Days at Home. If teachers want a class to do the project in a specific week, ask the parents to sign up for that specific session.
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Home learning guides for Practical Action STEM challenges
Practical Action have developed individual home learning guides for their STEM challenges that can be done in the home. They have published them on a new page of their website with a few other useful materials.
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CREST home learning projects
The CREST Awards have selected challenges and project ideas from their library that can be easily used at home with parental support or set as teacher-facilitated distance learning projects. They have published them on a dedicated page on their website.
If you need help getting started, check out the CREST at home section of their Help Centre.
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